Scholar arrested on murder charge

A Grade 11-pupil at a high school in Elim is facing a charge of murder and attempted murder, after he allegedly shot twin brothers at the Hubyeni Mall in Elim last Friday.

The community around Elim are still in shock following the incident. It is alleged that the 17-year-old schoolboy shot the two, following an argument. One of the victims died shortly afterwards at Elim Hospital and one is still fighting for his life in the hospital. During the incident, one of the brothers was shot in the head.

The suspect appeared in court on Tuesday and he remains in custody. He will appear in court again on 4 December.

It is alleged that the suspect stole his uncle’s pistol. His uncle works in Gauteng and the pistol is said to have been kept in a safe at home. It was reported that the suspect went to the Hubyeni Mall where many young people were drinking after they had finished their examinations.

A community member, who asked to remain anonymous, said the problem of illegal firearms is very serious. “We detest the whole incident. We will see to it that we speak about these things during our meetings and come up with a solution,” he said.

He urged all stakeholders to put their weight behind the fight against criminality in the area. “The war against crime cannot be won if all of us do not get together and work as a unit to fight it. Let us be united and this scourge will come to an end,” he said.

The police confirmed the incident, saying that they had confiscated a firearm. “The origin and ownership of the firearm is known at this stage,” the spokesperson said. The firearm used was sent to the police’s forensic investigators.

The police further indicated that the 17-year-old is not locked up in the police cells, as he is a minor. “He is with social workers and they are still assessing what the next step will be,” it was stated.

Date:03 December 2017

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Read: 2019