Majaga to know fate Monday
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Friday March 19, 2021 23:21
Last month, Majaga’s attorney Mishingo Jeremia revealed that Magistrate Keabetswe Majuta of Nata had set March 22 as the day on which the judgement in the matter will be pronounced.
The State alleges that Majaga defiled an underage girl who cannot be named for legal reasons between September 2019 and May 2020 at Malelejwe cattle post, a settlement on the outskirts of Nata in the Central District.
While a forensic report concluded that there were no biological ties (DNA) between Majaga and the defiled girl’s child, the results did not get Majaga completely off the hook since the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), represented by prosecutor Kefilwe Jeremiah, assembled 13 witnesses to testify against the accused.
Majaga’s case has attracted considerable interest from the public, human rights organisations and his opponents in the political sphere to a point that some demanded that he be temporarily suspended from his parliamentary duties until he cleared his name regarding the defilement case.
Furthermore, his political opponents within and outside the BDP wished him bad luck and wanted Majaga to be found guilty of the offence by the Courts so that a bye-election could be held in the constituency, it has been rumoured. Already, a number of his detractors have come out with guns blazing, campaigning in the constituency as they launched public attacks against the politician. Majaga , who is currently on bail was also suspended from the ruling BDP in May 2020.
According to the statement that was released at that time, the ruling party said Majaga has been suspended for 60 days to enable him to clear his name in the wake of the charges levelled against him.
The statement also read that: “ As a party that respects and upholds the rule of law, the BDP will allow Majaga to deal with the charges without prejudice and allow for completion of the process of the law.”
In addition, Majaga’s suspension was extended when the previous one lapsed and remained indefinite until the conclusion of his defilement case.
During the trial, which started Monday (January 25 to 28), there was a media blackout after the State prosecutor in the matter had made an application that the media be excluded from the Court on the basis that the case involved a minor.