Komatipoort - An Mpumalanga prosecutor has warned two Grade 11 pupils who appeared in court on Tuesday to stop committing crimes and focus on their studies.
Teenagers Bonginkosi Mnisi, 18, of Sibhejane village, and Zama Mlambo, 18, of Mangweni village, were not asked to plead to charges of theft and possession of stolen property when they appeared in the Tonga regional court, a Sapa correspondent reported.
They were arrested on Monday after being accused of stealing a school bag belonging to a police officer's son, a Sapa correspondent reported.
“My boys... please stay away from criminality and concentrate on your studies because nothing can prevent you from becoming a prosecutor, lawyer, magistrate or judge,” prosecutor René Coetzee said.
Coetzee told the two, who were appearing for the first time, that involving themselves in crime would not help them.
“Make a success of your lives and be leaders of tomorrow,” she said.
Mnisi, a Grade 11 pupil at DD Mabuza Comprehensive School in Zibokwane, is facing charges of theft. Mlambo, a Grade 11 pupil at Inkomazi High School in Mangweni, is facing charges of possession of stolen property.
Magistrate Sibonisiwe Sibuyi released the teenagers on a warning and postponed the case to March 7 for further investigation.
Sapa