Learners arrested for alleged theft from John Deere store at Nampo
According to Farmer's Weekly, the learners, who cannot be identified as they are minors, were attending the show with their classmates as part of an educational school trip.
Riaan Barnard, the owner of the John Deere store, which sells everything from toy trucks to branded T-shirts, confirmed the incident, saying that it was 'not unusual for teenage boys to steal from the store'.
'Our staff are trained to spot shoplifters and catch them in the act,' Barnard said.
The police, who maintain a strong presence at Nampo Park, were alerted and arrested the boys within minutes. A female teacher from the school escorted the two learners to the police charge office. Police contacted their parents shortly afterwards.
Barnard said the boys took keyrings and branded John Deere caps, although he could not estimate the exact value of the items.
'This is the first theft we've experienced at our store this week. I think it's a highly dangerous game these teenagers are playing.
'They initially denied everything, but we found the stolen items on them. Like typical teenagers, they had many excuses for their behaviour,' he added.
Free State provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Martin Xuma confirmed the incident.
'The boys returned the stolen items, and the charges have been dropped,' he said. 'But I want to warn teenagers: Don't commit crime. A criminal record can haunt you for the rest of your life and seriously affect your chances of getting a job.'
Lukas du Preez, the vice-principal of Hoërskool Klerksdorp, said the school was informed immediately by the supervising teacher, but declined to comment further on the matter.
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