Cape Town - A matric learner from Hanover Park has appeared in court for allegedly killing his stepfather in the midst of writing his final exams.
The teen who is a deputy head boy of a Cape Flats high school is accused of stabbing his stepdad to death during an argument in the early hours of Monday morning.
According to a police source, the 18-year-old boy reportedly got fed-up of his stepfather beating his mother and stabbed the man in the chest twice with a kitchen knife.
“There is a history of abuse at that house and we often have to go there because the stepfather beats the mother. I think the boy just had enough,” the source says.
The cop insider says the boy had never been in trouble with the law before.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, confirms the incident and says the teen appeared in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
“Kindly be advised that a murder case has been opened for investigation. According to reports an incident occurred on 14 November at 2.30am at Groenall Walk, Hanover Park, where a 40-year-old man was stabbed and fatally wounded,” said Rwexana.
“An 18-year-old man was arrested and appeared in court on November 14. Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation.”
When the Daily Voice visited the teen’s house in Hanover Park on Wednesday, the stepfather’s mother and two sisters were in the house.
They declined to be interviewed but revealed the teen had been granted R300 bail and was not allowed at his home, according to his bail conditions.
His mother was not at home at the time.
The Daily Voice also visited the school where the principal confirmed the learner was writing exams. The principal also declined to be interviewed, saying the boy was “stressed”.
Philippi Police Station Vispol Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Dawood Laing, described the case as tragic.
“This is such a tragic case because he is a good laaitie (boy). He is not a gangster and now he has this on top of the stress of exams,” said Laing.