Jub Jub and the Pistorius Judgement

12 September 2014 - 10:30 By Bruce Gorton
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PAYING THE PRICE: Murderers Molemo 'Jub Jub' Maarohanye and Themba Tshabalala were sentenced to 25 years each by the Protea Magistrate's court yesterday
PAYING THE PRICE: Murderers Molemo 'Jub Jub' Maarohanye and Themba Tshabalala were sentenced to 25 years each by the Protea Magistrate's court yesterday
Image: LAUREN MULLIGAN

Evidently firing four bullets into the door of a small toilet cubicle is less predictably deadly, than drag racing according to our courts.

I don’t think anybody can clam that Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye intended to run over a group of children in a drug fuelled drag race, yet he was found guilty of four counts of murder, and two of attempted murder.

"The death of the deceased occurred as a result of the driving of those vehicles and as such the accused are convicted of driving their vehicles while under the influence of drugs," said Magistrate Brian Nemavhidi.

The fact that Jub Jub was found to be high on cocaine could hardly be called intent, and yet he was found guilty of murder.

And quite rightly so – he should have foreseen the fact that drag racing next to a school could prove deadly.

Yesterday Judge Thokozile Masipa found that Oscar Pistorius couldn’t be found guilty of murder, because when he shot four times into a tiny toilet stall he didn’t expect to actually kill anybody.

After all, guns normally give very nice backrubs, and firing one at what you think is another person is in no way intended to actually, you know, kill them.

Jub Jub, a black man who in no way intended to kill anybody, who acted recklessly with a tool designed specifically for transport, is in jail for 25 years.

I wonder what kind of sentence a white man who acted recklessly with a tool designed specifically for killing will get.

Do you think there is one law for all?

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