‘He thinks he’s a legal expert’ – AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel on Lesufi’s ‘sunflower’ murder acquittal outrage

Lobby group AfriForum's CEO Kallie Kriel has responded to Gauteng education MEC Lesufi Panyaza's calls for the NPA to appeal the decision to overturn the conviction and sentence of two farmers who were convicted of killing a teenager in Coligny, in the North West.

On Sunday, Lesufi expressed dismay at the Supreme Court of Appeal after it overturned the conviction and sentences of Phillip Schutte and Pieter Doorewaard, who were convicted of killing Matlhomola Mosweu after he was allegedly caught stealing sunflower heads.

TimesLIVE reported that the two farmers were now off the hook after the Supreme Court's decision. AfriForum, which financed the farmers' application for appeal, welcomed the ruling, saying it believed in the farmers' “innocence”.

Reacting to the court's decision, Lesufi urged the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to review the case.

“That child did not kill himself. Therefore we must not be dictated by racists who believe lives of black children are not important. Here is a child, a 16-year-old, murdered and we must be told no-one must be found guilty, that it was innocent, it happened. It cannot be,” said Lesufi.

On social media, Lesufi said the law that found the two farmers not guilty should be challenged.

“We don’t mind respecting the law but when the law is meaningless it will be challenged,” he said.

However, Kriel did not take Lesufi's comment lightly, telling him to deliver on his promises to build new schools instead of trying to be a “legal expert”.

“His knowledge of the law seems to be even less than his little knowledge of education,” said Kriel.