Legal assistance offered to Coligny duo 'after witness admits to lying’
Lobby group AfriForum will offer legal assistance to convicted murderers Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte.
The pair, from Coligny in North West, was found guilty of the murder of 16-year-old Matlhomola Moshoeu in 2017.
The incident took place after the duo allegedly caught Mosweu with another boy stealing sunflowers near their settlement.
Sunday paper the Rapport revealed on Sunday that one of the witnesses in the case, Bonakele Pakisi, has admitted to lying in his testimony to the court.
Pakisisi, who was the only eyewitness, has apparently admitted that he never saw Mosweu fall off the bakkie.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said they have already offered to support the legal representative of Doorewaard and Schutte and further discussion will take place this week.
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"What we seeing here is two innocent people that have been falsely accused, a person was willing to lie under oath and they were found guilty of murder that is something very serious and that should not be allowed.
"That is why we are going to assist them, we also want to make sure the person that lie is accountable, " says Kriel.
"If we find out that lies played a role, we must make sure they hold people accountable because we cannot afford racial polarisation especially if there are people who are willing to help to stir racial emotions."
Meanwhile, the NPA in North West says no legal documents have been served on them.
"We are preparing for sentencing proceedings, we have not been served with any legal documents,” says the NPA's Rapula Molefe.
Sentencing is expected to start on January 28.