South African hip hop and gospel artist Molemo 'Jub Jub' Maarohanye cleared of murder
His co-accused was also cleared after they accidentally killed four children
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Your support makes all the difference.South African hip hop and gospel artist Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye has been cleared of murder in the High Court in Johannesburg.
Instead, Maarohanye has been convicted of culpable homicide, known as manslaughter in the UK. In turn, his jail term has been reduced to 10 years from 25.
Maarohanye was one of South Africa’s most popular rappers before he ploughed his car through a group of pedestrians while drag racing in Johannesburg's Soweto township in 2010. Four children died, and two others were wounded during the incident.
In 2012, Maarohanye was convicted of murder and attempted murder. But during an appeal, Maarohanye’s lawyer, Willie Vermeulen, argued the musician had been on drugs and did not intend to kill the children.
The High Court responded by changing four counts of murder to four counts of culpable homicide, South Africa’s IOL news site reports.
Maarohanye’s co-accused Themba Tshabalala also had his murder and attempted murder convictions overturned.
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