Bongani Siqoko
Drunken men and women’s voices rise from the beer hall in Monyakeng township, Wesselbron, about 45km from Kroonstad in the Free State.
Life seems normal, but the truth is the exact opposite. This community is grief-stricken and angry over the death of Lethusang Mohloane – whose only sin was to shoot birds on Theo Delport’s farm nearby. They are about to take law into their own hands, if justice is not done.
“We are not happy. These people that you see here are very hurt and angry. We are not happy at all. We feel justice was not done. We are angry – very, very angry,” said Mohloane’s schoolteacher, Rathomo Mpatane.
Mohloane (16), a standard four pupil at Tataiso Primary School, was allegedly shot dead by James Marungo – Delport’s security guard – on May 31 at his Orchards farm.
The guards caught three boys – Mohloane, Finini Ndoko and another boy known only as “Chappies” – and took them to the homestead, where they allegedly began assaulting them. They accused them of stealing “baas Theo’s” sheep.
The guards and the farmer then tied the boys to trees for about four hours. “They were beating us with guns and smacking us,” said Ndoko, who is nine years old. When the boys were released, they were told to run for their lives.
Ndoko denied that they planned to steal Delport’s sheep. He said the guards planted their footprints next to the kraal. “They told us to take off our shoes and they stamped them next to the kraal, to make as if we were there. Then they told us to run home,” he said.
He said they had gone to the farm to shoot birds because Mohloane, who was described by his teachers as a hard worker and a very active student, wanted to “eat meat that Friday”.
As they were running home, they heard three gunshots coming from the direction of the homestead.
“Then the fourth one hit Lethusang in his chest and he fell down. I tried to pick him up, but they wouldn’t let me. They told me to leave him or they will shoot me too,” said Ndoko in tears. He has been calling Mohloane’s name in his sleep for two weeks.
“I didn’t want to leave him there because he was lying in a pool of blood, but I had to.”
That evening Marungo was arrested, but he was released the next day on R5 000 bail – paid by Delport. This angered the community, who claim Marungo is taking the blame for Delport.
About 2 000 Monyakeng residents marched to the police station last week, but they were dispersed because the protest was illegal. They are planning another march.
Residents believe it was Delport who killed Mohloane. “It is possible. This Marungo might be just taking the blame. These boys did not see where the shots came from. It is possible because the gun that shot him belongs to Delport,” said Mpatane.
The police confirmed that the gun belonged to Delport.
Mpatane said the community will not rest until Delport and Marungo are behind bars.
Mohloane’s mother, Theresia Mohloane, will never forgive Delport for the grief he has caused her and her family. “They did not even come to apologise. They are only a stone’s throw away from us. Although I have nothing, my children do not doubt my love for them. I am deeply hurt by this. It’s a great loss, not only to this family but to his school as well.”
The teachers at Tataiso and other schools are raising funds for the funeral because Mohloane’s parents cannot afford to bury him. “They are unemployed. We asked every pupil here to bring at least R1 to donate towards his funeral,” said Mpatane.
The murder has also divided police in Monyakeng. “The thing is that the white cops are giving wrong information about this. `Protect a whitey at all cost’ – you know, that kind of a thing. We black officers are not satisfied with the way the whole thing was dealt with,” said a policeman who asked not to be named.