The sentencing of a schoolboy for killing a fellow student with a sword was temporarily postponed in the High Court in Johannesburg on Monday due to a taxi protest.

Proceedings in the sentencing of Morne Harmse were delayed as the stenographer was not able to get to work on time due to a taxi go-slow to protest against the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which was launched on Sunday.

Harmse's tearful mother made her way into court with her husband earlier on Monday. They spoke quietly as they waited.

When Harmse, looking down and wearing a blue striped shirt over his tiny frame, came into the dock, his father grabbed him in a hug. When he sat down again, his father too had tears in his eyes.

Harmse had to contend with an endless clicking of news cameras which had been allowed into the courtroom.

Also in the court room were friends and family of the victim, dressed in smart shirts and ties, waiting for the sentencing to begin.

The Krugersdorp schoolboy killed 16-year-old Jacques Pretorius with an ornamental Samurai sword at the Nic Diederichs Technical High School on the West Rand last August.

On 15 June, the sentencing was postponed after the submission of a pre-sentencing report from social workers was delayed.

During the case, his lawyer read an affidavit that Harmse had sworn to which read: "I admit that I, on the day in question, unlawfully and intentionally killed Jacques Jacobus Pretorius by hitting or chopping him with a sword."

He also attacked fellow pupil Stephanus Hendrik Antonie Bouwer and two gardeners Lesiba Samuel Manamela and Tsiamo Joseph Kodisang.

The court heard that some pupils at the school had spoken about a plan to get people to take notice of them.

Harmse said he told his friends that he would wear a mask and bring a sword to school. The sword was an ornamental sword owned by his father.

A 'rolling bomb'

Harmse said Marco Fourie had said he would bring a "rolling bomb" and that another pupil Max Brechlin said he would use one of his masks and a sword.

On the day of the incident Fourie brought a fake bomb and said he had decided against bringing the guns.

Brechlin put on one of the masks in the cloakrooms but then took it off and put down the sword when the school bell rang.

"Marco gave me the 'bomb' and said I mustn't pull the wire, because it would explode. I stood a little way back and pulled the wire. Nothing happened and I threw the bomb down. Because the bell had rung, they all left," his testimony continued.

A little while later, Brechlin, Fourie and a group of pupils came up to him and laughed at him.

"When another group of pupils walked past us, I unlawfully and intentionally, with one swing of the sword, struck at one of them [Jacques Pretorius]."

Immediately after Jacques fell to the ground, Harmse said he unlawfully and intentionally hit Bouwer who was standing nearby with the sword against his leg.

"He asked why I had done that and, without answering, I again swung the sword unlawfully and intentionally at him, hitting him on the left-hand side of his head.

"At this stage Lesiba Samuel Manamela and Tsiamo Joseph Kodisang came walking in our direction. I moved towards them and unlawfully and intentionally swung the sword in the direction of Lesiba and Tsiamo," he said.