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Polokwane - Jimmy Makhubele, a Limpopo man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend's son, was found guilty by the Limpopo High Court on Monday.
Makhubele was arrested and charged for the murder of Katlego Lesenya, 9, of Mzombane village outside Mokopane in May 2016.
It emerged during the trial that Makhubele had threatened to kill Katlego days after his mother, Nancy Lesenya ended their love affair.
On Monday Judge Francis Kganyago told Makhubele that he was satisfied that the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Makhubele had lured the young boy, promising to buy him cold drinks if he would drive with him.
It was the last time Katlego was seen alive. He was found dead at Mamatlakala's mountain, about 50km from his home.
But during the trial, Makhubele pleaded not guilty and claimed that police had fabricated the evidence against him.
This was despite threats that he would kill Katlego and burn his body.
"The evidence presented point to the accused as [being] responsible for [the] murder of Katlego," said Kganyago.
He said it cannot be a coincidence that the accused took the police to Mamatlakala - where the boy's body was found and he claimed he knew nothing about the discovery, said Kganyago.
"He denied the obvious and distanced himself from the scene," said Kganyago.
The court described the accused as an intelligent person who resorted to killing the victim to hurt his ex-girlfriend.
"There is overwhelming evidence that the accused was bothering the victim's mother, he went for the soft target - Katlego."
The 32-year-old bricklayer, who also practices as a sangoma, is now pleading for a light sentence.
But State prosecutor Sam Ngobeni says Makhubele is remorseless and argues that a lesser sentence cannot be imposed.
Ngobeni also told the court that Makhubele is not a suitable candidate for rehabilitation.
The matter was postponed to Tuesday for sentencing.
