Mom in tears as she meets accused killer
Mpho Mokwape | Friday June 26, 2015 16:22
The 50-year-old Neelo Kgosikwena yesterday came face-to-face with the man accused of killing her two children after he torched the house they were sleeping in.
Several times, the Gaborone High Court Judge, Justice Sigh Walia had to adjourn proceeding to allow the shaken mother to gain composure, as she was overcome by emotions when giving evidence.
Kgosikwena was not the only one who was deeply shaken, as most of the time the family members who also came to thronged the court could be seen sobbing behind the benches during proceedings.
She told the court that the accused person, Gaone Molwalefe, who is facing two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and arson was once the lover of her other child, Kealeboga Magwadi, who survived the fire.
“I know the man too well and on September 27, 2012 in Moshupa at Sedudu ward around 6pm he came to my house with Magwadi and one other person. On their arrival I told them that the other part of the house roofing had been destroyed by the wind and he (the accused) and this other person had agreed to fix it of which they did, then they left,” she said.
Kgosikwena told court that at around midnight she heard voices in the other room where she went to enquire what was going on, upon her arrival, she said, she found the accused man causing havoc in the house, cutting electric cables and throwing things around.
“When I asked what was going on, I was told that the accused person said he came for his child and by that time my other deceased child had taken the child to the neighbours. When the accused saw she was calling the police, he took off in his car,” she said.
The mother further said that after the incident, she advised all her children to sleep with her in one room while waiting for the police, including the ex-lover of the accused, and the mother of the child in question.
“At around 3am I heard the sound of a car and saw its light penetrating through my room so I woke up to inspect. That’s when I saw the accused at my front door, holding a screw driver in one hand and the other hand hidden behind his back.
“In front of his feet, there was some sort of a small cylinder connected to something that looked like a gun or torch,” she said.
She said upon realising who was at the door, she called her children out, and by then the accused was already splashing petrol everywhere, and used something that looked like a gun to torch the house.
“He pulled the trigger of that cylinder and immediately I was on fire, so was my house wherein my children were. I ran around as I was burning and so was my other child called Evelyn who had come out of the house.
I ran to the neighbours and came back and I saw my other child, Grace, on the floor heavily burnt; we took her to hospital and we were referred to Kanye where she was hospitalised, while Evelyn was taken to Thamaga,” she said.
She further told court that the children were later transferred to Princess Marina’s ICU where they died on different days.
“Grace died on October 3, 2012 while Evelyn died November 23, 2012 at Bokamoso hospital”.
The case continues in November with more witnesses to take the stand.