Mildly depressed’ Jub Jub says jail is not good

Photographers take pictures of Molemo ‘Jub Jub’ Maarohanye his co-accused Themba Tshabalala as they sit in the Protea Magistrates’ Court, on Wednesday (December 5 2012) waiting for their sentencing. Picture: Lucky Nxumalo/City Press

Photographers take pictures of Molemo ‘Jub Jub’ Maarohanye his co-accused Themba Tshabalala as they sit in the Protea Magistrates’ Court, on Wednesday (December 5 2012) waiting for their sentencing. Picture: Lucky Nxumalo/City Press

Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye was mildly depressed but it did not affect his ability to stand trial, psychiatrist Merryl Vorster told the Protea Magistrates’ Court.

Maarohanye and co-accused Themba Tshabalala have been found guilty of four counts of murder and two of attempted murder. Sentencing proceedings got under way today.

Dressed in khaki pants and a leather jacket, Maarohanye walked into court with a bible in his hand.

Said Maarohanye of his experience in prison: “It’s not good, facing what I’m facing … and being with other inmates is not good.”

He told the court he had done motivational work in schools and that he would financially help students. Maarohanye spoke of his musical successes and said he was a religious person.

When he requested a five-minute adjournment, the parents of the deceased fumed: “Who is the trust fund for? He never came to ask for an apology. He said in court he bumped into tree branches, so who are the tombstones for? He must go.”

The parents of the pupils who were killed when Maarohanye and Tshabalala ploughed into them while racing, are wearing T-shirts bearing their children’s faces.

Sixolisiwe Ndawo