Two accused sentenced for kidnapping and burning a child alive

Two accused persons, Elvis Bongani Sikepe, 41, and Thomas Christopher Lebitsa, 21, were sentenced after being found guilty of kidnapping and brutally murdering a 14-year-old boy whom they set alight while he was still alive. 

They were sentenced in the Northern Cape High Court, Gariep local circuit court sitting in Upington.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Northern Cape spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the third accused, Isaac Vywers, 21, was acquitted as the court found he had been coerced and victimised by Sikepe.

He stated that the incident took place on August 1 2023, when Sikepe discovered that 100 litres of dagga he had been selling had gone missing.

"Consumed by anger, he enlisted Lebitsa’s help to search for the culprits. Their hunt led them to the home of 14-year-old Cashwin Theo Diteho, who was asleep when the accused forcibly removed him despite his mother’s desperate pleas. The boy was forced into a vehicle with the three accused. Along the way, Sikepe instructed Lebitsa to buy paraffin. The group then drove to the outskirts of Upington. Sikepe interrogated the child, tied a rope around his neck and eventually doused him with paraffin. In a shocking display of cruelty, Sikepe forced Vywers under threat of being burnt himself to set the boy alight." 

Senokoatsane indicated that the teenager was engulfed in flames and sustained 80 percent burn wounds.

"Instead of taking responsibility, Sikepe falsely claimed to hospital staff that the boy had attempted suicide. Despite medical intervention, Diteho succumbed to his injuries on August 2 2023. Forensic evidence later revealed marks of strangulation and torture. Following the swift investigation by the South African Police Service, all three accused were arrested the same day. Sikepe was denied bail and remained in custody throughout the trial." 

He said state advocate Jaques Rosenberg presented evidence on the premeditated nature of the crime, including Sikepe’s deliberate search for paraffin.

"The prosecution also highlighted the abuse of power by Sikepe, an older man and firefighter, over his younger co-accused." 

He stated that the victim impact statements, facilitated by the NPA’s court preparation officer, Ashley Groenewald, detailed the devastating toll on the deceased's family.

"His grandmother was forced to resign from work due to trauma, while his mother continues to live with unbearable guilt and grief. Letters from the boy’s schoolmates were also read into the record, reflecting the broader community’s pain." 

Senokoatsane said the defence argued that Sikepe was a father of three and the breadwinner of the family.

"Lebitsa was only 19 years old at the time of the crime with no prior convictions. However, the state argued successfully that the crime was heinous, cruel, and premeditated. The court found that Sikepe was the instigator and leader, abusing his authority to manipulate the younger accused. The offence was carried out with full awareness of its consequences."

He added that Sikepe was sentenced to an effective 25 years imprisonment for murder with direct intent and six years for kidnapping, where the sentences would run concurrently. 

"Lebitsa was convicted of murder with direct intent and sentenced to 10 years of direct imprisonment." 

Senokoatsane believed that the sentences would send a clear message that violent crimes, especially involving children, would be met with the harshest consequences.

"The NPA in the Northern Cape condemns this barbaric crime in the strongest terms. Human life is invaluable. Crimes of this nature will be pursued with vigour to ensure justice for victims and to serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders. The NPA hopes the outcome will bring some measure of closure and healing to Diteho's family, especially his mother and grandmother, who have endured unimaginable pain," he added.