Orlando Pirates have released a statement after Thembinkosi Lorch has been found guilty of assault of his former girlfriend.
The club confirmed that they had conducted their own investigation at the time and charged the players with “serious misconduct” and he was handed a “monetary fine and ordered him to undergo anger management therapy”.
Lorch has since attended “anger management therapy” and has not had a similar incident, with the club confirming the therapy was “an appropriate corrective measure”.
Regarding the latest ruling by the Randburg Magistrates’ Court, Pirates stated they have “requested Mr Lorch to provide details on conviction and sentencing”.
“Orlando Pirates Football Club notes the decision handed down by the Randburg Magistrate Court regarding Mr Thembinkosi Lorch on Tuesday,” read the statement.
“As a Club we reiterate our stance against violence perpetrated against women and children and as a result when this matter came to light in 2020, the club carried out its own investigation:
“1. Following our internal investigations, the Club charged Mr Lorch with serious misconduct. He pleaded guilty to the charge and the Club imposed a sanction of a monetary fine and ordered him to undergo anger management therapy.
“2. Mr Lorch also informed the Club that he had instructed attorneys to assist him with the criminal charges against him and they intended to approach the Director of Public Prosecutions (“DPP”) to make representations regarding the charges against him so that he could go through a diversion programme. He further advised that he was attending therapy with Dr. Nomsa Nkuna-Boikanyo as part of his rehabilitation. The Club approved that he completes therapy with Dr Nkuna-Boikanyo instead of running a parallel process organised by the Club.
“3. Mr Lorch informed us that he attended the anger management therapy and completed the prescribed number of sessions. Since then, Mr Lorch has not been involved any similar incident or an incident involving violence. We are confident that the anger management therapy were an appropriate corrective measure.
“4. However, Mr Lorch’s representations to the DPP were not successful and the criminal proceedings continued. Today, 6 June 2023, Mr Lorch was found guilty of assault (gender-based violence) and will be sentenced in due course. We currently do not have the full details of the conviction and the sentencing date and have requested Mr Lorch to provide these details.
“Orlando Pirates Football Club will not make any further comment until this process is complete.”
On Tuesday, Lorch was found guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm over an incident involving his former girl friend Fundiswa Mathithibala in September 2020.
The state prosecutor Ms Michele Hart argued that the “accused and his witness appeared not to be credible witnesses” and the case was postponed to 28 July 2023 for sentencing at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court.
