Alleged triple murderer for psychiatric test
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday August 14, 2023 06:00
The accused, Habana Million, allegedly murdered Margaret Maruping on January 1, 2017 in Nkange. He was later arrested for Maruping's murder and granted bail and while on bail, he allegedly murdered two other persons in Maitengwe: being his girlfriend, Tobokani Khumba and his own mother, Mbi Maswibilili on May 16, 2018.
On Tuesday this week, when Million, who also goes by the name of slain former Libyan strongman, Muammar Gadaffi, appeared before Justice Tshegofatso Mogomotsi, his attorney Reneetswe Rabosotho prayed with the court to set the matter for another status hearing at which date he is of the view that the report of Million’s psychiatric evaluation will be ready.
The matter was set for November 22, 2023 for status hearing. In December last year, Million surprised the court when he said that he would miss his next court appearance on February 22, 2023 because he 'will be sick during that day.” When Million was asked why he knew that he would be sick in February 2023, he said he always gets ill around that time of the year.
“My Lady, I ask that my next court appearance should be set in March because I will not be well for the rest of February next year. I always get sick during that period,” said Million. Million is not a stranger to controversy. He once told the court that the spirits of the people that he allegedly murdered are the ones that have cast a spell on his life, hence he always gets sick every year in February. He said he always hears the voices of the people he allegedly murdered every year in February telling him to kill more people. Million allegedly killed Khumba in the late hours of May 16 before he proceeded to kill Maswibilili on the same night or early hours of May 17 in Maitengwe.
He allegedly killed Khumba because she refused to give him a cigarette. In 2017, Million is also alleged to have murdered Margaret Mathowa, 42, on New Year’s eve. Million had a pending rape case before he allegedly murdered Mathowa. He allegedly dragged her from a shebeen in the early hours of New Year. Million is alleged to have brutally stabbed Mathowa repeatedly with a knife and then dragged her a few metres away from the murder scene and buried her in a shallow grave.
Million’s matter once surfaced in Parliament in June 2018 when then Member of Parliament for Nkange, Edwin Batshu, asked the then Minister of Defence Justice and Security, Shaw Kgathi, to state why amongst others if he (Kgathi) was aware of a murder case involving an accused person who was said to have murdered a woman in the village of Nkange in January 2017, and was arrested, granted bail and while on bail, was said to have murdered two other persons in the village of Maitengwe; and why persons accused of murder are granted bail contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act which classifies treason and murder as non-bailable offences. In response, Kgathi said: “I am aware that a certain Habana Million was arraigned for murder of a woman by the name Margaret Maruping in Nkange in January 2017.
The accused was granted bail on the 14th March of 2017 by the Masunga Magistrate Court with very clear bail conditions which he violated. While on bail, Million is alleged to have murdered two other people in Maitengwe on the 16th May of 2018 and is currently remanded in custody awaiting trial for the three murder offences.” Kgathi added: “Madam Speaker, the Constitution of Botswana is the supreme law of the land. In terms of Section 10(2) of the Constitution, every person charged with an offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty or has pleaded guilty. This means that in terms of the Constitution of Botswana, all offences are bailable...”