TWO MEN SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS FOR BURNING A CHILD ALIVE OVER STOLEN DAGGA
29 AUGUST 2025
TWO MEN SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS FOR BURNING A CHILD ALIVE OVER STOLEN DAGGA
Upington, Northern Cape – The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Northern Cape welcomes the conviction and sentencing of Elvis Bongani Sikepe (41) and Thomas Christopher Lebitsa (21) by the High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division, Gariep Local Circuit Court sitting in Upington, for the brutal murder of 14-year-old Cashwin Theo Diteho.
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Sikepe (Accused 1) was convicted of kidnapping and murder with dolus eventualis and sentenced to an effective 25 years of direct imprisonment.
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Lebitsa (Accused 3) was convicted of murder with dolus eventualis and sentenced to 10 years of direct imprisonment.
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Isaac Vywers (21), the third accused, was acquitted after the court found he had been coerced and victimised by Sikepe.
On 01 August 2023, 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 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, where 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 victim alight.
The teenager was engulfed in flames and sustained 80% 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 02 August 2023. Forensic evidence later revealed marks of strangulation and torture. Thanks to 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.
Advocate Jaques Rosenberg, for the State, led compelling evidence of 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.
The court also heard Victim Impact Statements, facilitated by the NPA’s Court Preparation Officer, Ashley Groenewald, detailing the devastating toll on the victim’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.
In mitigation, the defence argued that Sikepe was a father of three and breadwinner, while Lebitsa was only 19 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. The High Court sentenced Sikepe to 6 years for kidnapping and 25 years for murder, to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 25 years’ imprisonment. Lebitsa received 10 years for murder.
The National Prosecuting Authority in the Northern Cape condemns this barbaric crime in the strongest terms. The sentences send a clear message that violent crimes, especially those against children, will be met with the harshest consequences. “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,” said the NPA. The NPA hopes the outcome will bring some measure of closure and healing to the family of Cashwin Theo Diteho, especially his mother and grandmother, who have endured unimaginable pain.
Issued by:
Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Northern Cape Division
073 423 3539