Orlando Pirates have announced that they have suspended their star player Thembinkosi Lorch from all club activities until 12 December 2023.
The suspension comes after the Randburg Magistrate’s Court found Lorch guilty of ass@ulting his ex-girlfriend, Fundiswa Mathithibala, in a domestic v!olence incident that took place in 2020.
Lorch slapped and choked his then-girlfriend after she had asked about his whereabouts when he vanished. The two had planned to go out together. In July the Randburg Magistrate’s Court convicted Lorch for assault.
Lorch appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where the magistrate handed him a five-year suspended jail sentence and fined R100,000.
According to the statement released by Orlando Pirates, the club has taken a strong stance against gender-based v!olence and will not tolerate any form of ab_se from its players or staff:
“The club handles the administration of justice in a manner that avoids double jeopardy – where the players would be punished twice for the same offence. The above are consistent with the club values without which the club would not fucntion judiciously. Having said that, the club has removed Thembinkosi Lorch from all club activities until 12 December.”
Lorch is one of the most influential players for Orlando Pirates, having won the PSL Footballer of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards in 2019. He has also represented the national team, Bafana Bafana, on 13 occasions.
His suspension will be a big blow for the Buccaneers, who are currently seventh in the South African Premier Division table.
Lorch’s case has sparked outrage and condemnation from many fans and activists, who have called for harsher penalties and more accountability for perpetrators of gender-based v!olence. According to the latest statistics from the South African Police Service, there were 53 293 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm reported in 2022/23, of which 21 325 were domestic violence related.
Source iHarare
