Rape victim relives ordeal in court
Lebogang Mosikare | Wednesday March 12, 2014 15:27
The rape incidents allegedly occurred from 2011 to 2013.
The complainant told the Francistown Magistrate Court that she was 18 years-old when the accused, Senyatseng Garetshele allegedly raped her at Lekobeng cattle post in 2011.
She said she went to an entertainment spot with friends where they stayed until midnight.
She said on their way home they saw someone coming at a fast pace from behind wielding an axe and threatening them with it.
The woman (whose name is withheld) said that they scattered in different directions in fear of the man.
Said the complainant: “After we scattered he caught me and forcibly took me to the nearby stream and hit me with the axe on my hips. He then told me to take off all my clothes.
“I obliged because I was afraid of the axe he was holding. He took off his overall and spread it on the ground and told me to lie on it. I obliged.
Before he let go of me, he lifted me and threw me in a thorny bush several times,” alleged the woman.
She further stated that she managed to identify the accused because she had known him since childhood and could recognise his voice though it was very dark and cloudy during the attack.
Under cross-examination from the accused the complainant denied ever seeing her attacker at Mma Tony’s place. The accused had earlier put it to the complainant that they met and had a conversation at the entertainment place. She also added that the accused hit her. “I felt that he used the back on the axe to hit me on the hips although I did not see the axe,” said the complainant.
The second prosecution witness, Kenalemang Modise said that on December 24, 2011, they left home to go to Mma Tony’s place for some entertainment at around 7 pm.
Contrary to what the complainant told the court, when cross-examined by prosecutor Gaobone Othata, Modise said they left Mma Tony’s place at 2am.
Modise said on their way home a man came from behind holding an axe.
She said the assailant managed to catch the complainant because she was walking behind them.
On the first count, the state alleges that Senyatseng Garetshele had unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent on December 13 in 2011 at Lekobeng cattle post in the Northern Administrative District of Botswana.
On the second count, the state alleges that Garetshele raped another woman at the same cattle post on December 24 in 2011. The accused is alleged to have raped a third woman on August 26 in 2012 still at Lekobeng cattle post.
In the last charge, the state alleges that Garetshele raped another woman on July 20, 2013 at the same cattle post.
The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Eight more witnesses are still to testify in the case, which is being presided over by Senior Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu.