Mothusi Sephiri of Sanyedi Ward in Maun was shot dead by a police patrol team, investigating a street robbery. Apparently, he was not the person the police were looking for in connection with the cellphone robbery.Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mathews Letsholo told Mmegi that they forwarded a docket of the case to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the end of last month. Letsholo said DPP will determine the next course of action.
The DPP can order a prosecution of the perpetrators or call an inquest.Sephiri's relatives insist that he was killed in cold blood. He was working in Francistown and had visited his family in Maun for the Christmas holidays. He had just left the family yard to inform one of his maternal relatives about his pending trip to Francistown. But he never reached his destination.
Family members, said, Sephiri was shot without any provocation. They said the police dragged him into the family yard and shot him. Even after the killing, they said the police never apologised. The father, Sephiri Sephiri said his son was not a criminal nor a trouble-maker.
The police gave the family P5,000 to cover funeral costs. But they were told that this does not mean that the law enforcement officers were taking responsibility for the death.Members of the Sephiri family say they are never briefed by the police on the progress of the case.
Mothusi's brother, Eratang Sephiri said the family has been traumatised by the tragic incident. He does not know why the people, who are supposed to protect them took the life of their sibling. Like his father, Eratang said Mothusi was not someone who would pick up fights. He did not even drink. Mothusi Sephiri has become one of the statistics of security agents' brutality. Eight people have been shot in extra-judicial killings since last year, causing a public out cry.
