'Rabeisane' testimony crucial in Tsametse's guilty verdict
Larona Makhaiza | Tuesday March 19, 2024 06:00
Judge Modiri Letsididi delivered the verdict on Thursday following a thorough trial that examined Rabeisane's evidence.
The traditional doctor testified that Tsametse appeared visibly distraught and pleaded for assistance with cleansing to throw off the police, claiming he had taken a life. Tsametse sought their services, paying P1,000 of the required P1,500, and returned a week later only to be apprehended by the police a week later.
He was arrested while taking a bath, in the care of Rabeisane and fellow traditional doctor Lemogang Rukuyo, who called the police on him. In his judgment, Justice Letsididi stated that Rabeisane's testimony was factual and uncontested, noting the failure of Nkosana Ngwenya, Tsametse's defence attorney, to fully challenge the evidence. He also highlighted that Rabeisane had a corroborating witness. "Keitlhotse, also known as Rabeisane, testified in early 2018 that Tsametse approached him for cleansing after taking a human life. It was undisputed that Tsametse sought help to be cleansed for killing a person," Letsididi remarked. Letsididi expressed admiration for Rabeisane's honesty and clarity during cross-examination. "He really impressed me as a witness who is honest and truthful. His testimony was lucid, clear enough, and he had a clear conscience of stating out the truth and also stood out during the cross-examination," he remarked, further stating, "I now see the witness as an honest and true witness in this case." He also commended fellow traditional man Rukuyo as trustworthy and corroborative.
"He was a credible witness, and I trust that he told the court nothing but the truth. His evidence was corroborated by Rabeisane, and now there is no dispute in my view that the accused person uttered those words," he confidently stated. In contrast, Justice Letsididi expressed his opinion that Tsametse failed to demonstrate his innocence regarding the charge against him. He remarked, "The accused person performed poorly as a witness during cross-examination. In my view, the accused person lacked honesty and credibility. He also failed to provide the court with a satisfactory explanation for his presence at Rabeisane.
" The Lobatse High Court judge indicated that the P50,000 claim Tsametse made shortly after Ofentse's death raised suspicions. Botswana Life then approached the police to investigate any wrongdoing by the accused. Considering all the evidence presented, the judge found Tsametse guilty of killing Ofentse, a Form 2 student staying with his aunt, who is Tsametse's mother.
"The accused is involved in the death of Arnold Ofentse. The state prosecutor proved that in their case. So, the accused is guilty and convicted of murder," Judge Letsididi stated in his judgment. Mitigation, examination, and sentencing are scheduled for April 25 at the Lobatse High Court at 10:30am. Tsametse, the convicted individual, was accused of taking the life of his cousin, Ofentse, on March 2, 2018, to claim a life insurance policy valued at P50,000 from Botswana Life. Ofentse was found with a slit throat, believed to be caused by a sharp object.