Four charged with gang murder
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday April 27, 2015 17:44
The Zimbabweans, Suzisani Dube, 18, Felix Moyo, 22, Kulekani Maposa, 34, and a local Ditiro Dikgafela, 20, allegedly killed another Zimbabwean Botshelo Moyo at Mokgalo cattle post near Mosetse and Kutamogore villages in the Central District on March 4.
Police say that Botshelo Moyo later died at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital where he was hospitalised after the accused beat him for allegedly stealing a cell phone.
Sub-inspector Keobonye Matsapa said that the police are still looking for four other accused on the run and believed to be also from Zimbabwe in connection with the matter.
Matsapa applied for the accused to be remanded in custody to allow police investigations to continue unhindered.
“There is a high possibility that the accused may interfere with our investigations if granted bail. The accused are facing a very serious offence of murder that may attract the death penalty if found guilty. We fear that the Zimbabweans may escape and not stand trial if given bail because they do not have passports,” said Matsapa.
Dube pleaded with the court to grant him bail. He said that the people who killed the deceased are at large.
“The only offence of that I could be charged with is entering Botswana illegally,” said Dube.
Felix Moyo exonerated himself from the matter. He said that the deceased was killed by his uncle and others who are on the run.
Maposa also told the court that he knows nothing about the matter.
Dikgafela admitted that he was present when the accused was assaulted by the accused before court and others who are at large.
“I warned them to stop and left when they were still beating him,” said Dikgafela.
Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi remanded the Zimbabweans in custody because they do not have passports and are a flight risk.
“The police should be given chance to complete their investigations. The accused shall mention on May 8,” said Basupi.
Meanwhile a 49-year-old Zimbabwean was sentenced to 10 years in jail for defiling his 13-year-old stepdaughter
The state alleged that Phineas Ndebele raped her stepdaughter aged 13
at Monarch location between December 26 in 2013 and January 2014.
“This is one case that continues to show the brutality that some older men in society perpetrate on younger girls. On that fateful day the accused chased away his mature lady he was staying with following the death of the complainant’s mother who was his girlfriend,” said Basupi.
Basupi said that the ordeal is going to traumatise the complainant for the rest of her life.
Added Basupi: “This is one of those unfortunate matters that social workers and the complainant’s immediate family members did not discover timeously otherwise it could not have happened.”
Inspector Semakaleng Mazibane represented the state in the matter.
In another matter, Basupi sentenced a local, Ntokodzo Ndlovu, 37, to five years in jail for being found in possession of stolen property.
The state alleged that Ndlovu was found with a BMW 5 series belonging to Avis South Africa at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital on October 8 in 2013.
“...Fraudulent documents were used for the car to be brought to Botswana including an official stamp of the South African police. It is not known how the accused came to possess those documents,” said Basupi.
The matter, Basupi said, is an international concern that should be stopped by all means adding that the stolen car should be returned to its lawful owners in South Africa.
Sergeant Mbatshi Mafa represented the state in the matter.