Machete-wielding gang members jailed

Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday September 22, 2015 14:47

 

Onkabetse Benjamin (27) and Thatayaone Nkeletsang (22) appeared before Palapye Magistrate Gofaone Mosweu, faced with four counts of unlawful wounding and one count of unlawfully destroying goods. The duo was subsequently remanded as per request by the prosecution.

The two are alleged to have on September 15 and 16, 2015 at Boikago Ward and Extension One in Palapye   respectively, acted jointly with two others and unlawfully wounded Keolopile Galesotwe, Tebogo Rakenna, Kefilwe Galenkgope and Mmoloki Seboloko.

The facts of the matter are that on September15, 2015, the accused persons at Extension One in the late afternoon, unlawfully wounded Galesotwe by stabbing him with metal objects on his body and also stabbed Rakenna with metal objects above his right eye.

It was further reported that on the same day, Benjamin, Nkeletsang and the two others implicated in the matter proceeded to Boikago ward where they wounded Galenkgope with slashers and stabbed him with a sharp object on his arm.

The following day, on September16, 2015, the duo and their counterparts are alleged to have unlawfully wounded Seboloko with sharp objects several times all over his body at Extension One.

The accused are further alleged to have destroyed goods belonging to Mmapula Thapologo at Extension One.

The public prosecutor, Ditsapelo Emmanuel, requested that their plea be reserved and that the accused be remanded in custody, as investigations were still ongoing.

He argued that giving them bail could compromise their safety or cause unrest.

“I apply that their (accused persons’) plea be reserved as the investigating officer has not yet recorded statements on count one to four and one of the victims in the matter is admitted at Princess Marina Hospital under critical conditions. Also the amount of the damage of the property is still yet to be established.

“I also apply that the accused be remanded in custody for the sake of security and peace. The accused have angered a lot of people and the family members of the victims and therefore their safety could be compromised,” he said.

Emannuel added that investigations in the matter are still at an infancy stage, which could allow the accused to disrupt them if they are given bail.

When requested to respond to the prosecution’ position, both accused persons said they had nothing to say.

They both represented themselves in the matter.

Magistrate Mosweu ruled that the accused be remanded in custody until October 2, 2015, when they will appear again in court for mention.