The State is insulting my intelligence- Legwale
Sharon Mathala | Monday October 23, 2023 06:00
Eight years ago (September 10, 2015) at around 5am, Thato Meswele was killed in cold blood. Two years later, the deceased’s sister’s husband Legwale (48) was arrested and charged for her murder. Legwale is charged alongside one Hamadi Mkhuha (52).
This week, Legwale concluded his evidence in chief before Gaborone High Court judge, Justice Michael Leburu. He gave the court his version of events leading up to his divorce from his wife and eventually the murder incident of his former sister-in-law. Legwale painted a picture of a troubled marriage and bitter relationship with his in-laws, especially his former mother-in-law.
Shooting down that he had a motive to kill, Legwale told the court that he had more money than his wife and that in fact, she was the one who stood to benefit if he died and not the other way around.
“In me telling the court how much I earned and my benefits. It is not me boosting, I am trying to show that I had no motive as alluded to by Dimpho (ex-wife). I stood to benefit nothing from her death,” Legwale stressed.
Legwale, who kept pointing at his wife who was seated adjacent to him as he gave evidence from the dock, further painted a picture of a troubled marriage. Legwale even suggested that his mother-in-law was poisoning him so much that he had to be hospitalised twice. “When I tried to have the conversation with Dimpho, she dismissed me,” he said.
Following that, the family members who had filled the courtroom began to murmur whilst his ex-wife shook her head in disbelief.
Legwale further told the court that in fact his ex-wife and her mother had planned to kill him and not the other way around. He told the court that he had been told by one of her relatives that the mother and daughter pair, had sold one of the plots to be able to pay the hit men for his hit.
“They told me that they had seen her talking to two strange men in the bush somewhere around Tlokweng,” he told the court. According to him, his wife left their matrimonial home when he confronted her about the allegations. “She was on the phone for about 20 minutes. I could overhear she was talking to her mother. She never said anything to me. Minutes later she left and never came back,” he said.
He says a few weeks later he was slapped with a divorce summons. “I was never bitter about the divorce as she claims. I accepted the divorce,” he said.
Legwale said the reason why he would have not contested the divorce was that their marriage was already sour. He also said he had gone to complain to his in-laws several times that his wife was denying him conjugal rights and that he felt burdened that he was supporting the family financially.
“It is not true that I tried to reconcile after being served with divorce papers. The statement in which she said that I had asked for forgiveness but instead she told me to bring back her sister, is not true; I never said so. It is not true that I once said to someone that I am afraid of the divorce because I may lose the houses,” Legwale further denied.
During a tense cross-examination, Legwale, often losing his cool had harsh words against the State and prosecutor. He threw words like: “That is a figment of your imagination”. “You are fabricating evidence against me”. “I don’t control what the court reporters write, if what you say is on the court record, then it is simply not true.”
The assistant director, head of International Cooperation at the Directorate of Public Prosecutions Merapelo Mokgosi had put it to Legwale that he is a master of “fabricating stories”.
Mokgosi also put it to Legwale that he had earlier admitted to knowing about the death of Meswele, to which Legwale responded: “That is not true. I have never admitted that I knew anything about that death. I pointed out that it was a fabrication; I never said that.”
When the prosecutor reminded Legwale that his admission was part of court records, Legwale this time raising his voice and changing his tone, responded, “I have no control over what the secretaries write. Had those records been availed to us I would have taken action. I have only heard about that in court.” The State further put it to Legwale that at one point he had admitted out of frustration that he had hired, ‘the boys’ to kill his wife but they made a mistake but he denied this.
“So, you don’t know anything that has been placed before this court? Why are you defensive? You planned this from June; you participated in Thato’s death. If you did not, why did you call the second accused, Mkhuha, an hour after your sister-in-law’s death, around 6am for you to meet?” the State prosecutor quizzed.
A now agitated Legwale responded: “That is not true. I never called him.” The State is adamant that Legwale called his co-accused and they met up at a filling station, around 6am.
“I hardly knew my co-accused. I only met him a few times before through his cousin, but I barely knew his name until this case. I did not plan anything about any killing. This is all a figment of your (the prosecutor’s) own imagination. I will put it to you as well.” Legwale further submitted in his defence.
Legwale had earlier accused the court of insulting his intelligence. The prosecutor reminded Legwale that she is a professional who only relies on evidence.
“I’m a professional and I rely on evidence. You should mind your language when you address me. You were so desperate to kill Dimpho (ex-wife) so much so you would cry before a traditional doctor asking him to refer you to another powerful traditional doctor,” Mokgosi said to Legwale.
The case is expected to be concluded today when his co-accused, Mkhuha gives his own version of events.