Trial dates set in Shashemooke riots� case

Lebogang Mosikare | Friday March 14, 2014 16:12

The accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are all out on bail. Makgatho set November 3 as the date of mention.  The trial will start from December 16 to 18 and will continue on February 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 next year.

Makgatho is now handling the case after Chief Magistrate Peggy Madandume was transferred to Selebi-Phikwe. Prosecutor Lapologang Moatswi had earlier on applied for the amendment of the charge sheet in respect of count two and three.

He said the incidents happened at Mphane lands and not at Shashemooke. Attorney Themba Joina did not oppose the application.

He told the court that they are likely to admit only two statements from the 13 witnesses who will be called by the state.

Joina also called on the court to rescind the warrant of arrest applied for by the state in respect of one of the accused persons who was said to be in Gaborone.

It was said that the witness did not have money to attend the mention. Gaedupe rescinded the warrant of arrest.  The accused persons allegedly became rebellious at the funeral of Florence Ramontsho on September 29, 2013. Ramontsho’s remains were retrieved from a well belonging to a close relative of Shashemooke village headman David Adam on September 18, 2013.

She worked as a maid in the village before disappearing on October 3, 2011. On the first count, the state alleges that the accused, acting jointly with a common purpose without any lawful cause uttered words to a group of people.

The utterances include: “The headman of Shashemooke (David Batshogile Adam) has eaten (killed) a child and he should be beaten.

“We do not want bones.  These bones should not be buried. If it were in Mochudi they would not accept these bones. “Old men with grey hairs are just cold and they do not say anything.”

The accusation says such utterances indicated that it was desirable to visit physical injury on the person of the headman.

The state in the second charge alleges that the accused, acting jointly unlawfully assaulted Adam by hitting him with a whip on the head and a stone on his left arm at Mphane lands.  He was left with bruises on his ear and arm, the charge sheet further reads.

In the last count the state alleges that the accused damaged a green Land Rover belonging to Adam by smashing its windscreen, windows, headlamps, taillights and indicators at Mphane lands.