Majaga 'defilement' case: Trial begins January
Lebogang Mosikare | Tuesday November 3, 2020 16:41
While the forensic affidavit from the Botswana Police Service (BPS) forensic science laboratory dated September 23, 2020 exonerated the legislator of impregnating a teenager, the state has now assembled a battalion of 23 witnesses to testify against Majaga in his alleged defilement case.
This follows conclusive evidence that no biological relationship was established between the DNA profiles obtained from the referenced blood sample relating to Majaga and the child.
The affidavit from forensic scientist Goitseone Ngono states: “Therefore, the source of the blood strain relating to Polson Majaga can be excluded as the possible biological father to the source of the blood strain relating to the child (name withheld for legal reasons).”
The state alleges that Majaga defiled the underage girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between September 2019 and May 2020, at Malelejwe cattlepost, a settlement on the outskirts of Nata village in the Central District of Botswana.
When Majaga appeared before Magistrate Keabetswe Majuta at the Nata Magistrate’s Court today, prosecutor Kefilwe Jeremiah from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) told the court that investigations in the matter are complete.
She added: “We have managed to serve the defence with statements and documentary evidence. We have also served the defence with the report of the social worker. The state will be calling 23 witnesses to testify against the accused.”
Thereafter, the defence attorney Mishingo Jeremia admitted that he has been served with the statements of witnesses and other related evidence.
Jeremia added that the defence would only be admitting the forensic affidavit of Ngono in terms of section 273 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
Magistrate Majuta then set the matter for trial from January 25 to 28 next year.
Majaga was granted bail in the matter on condition that he signs his own recognisance in the sum of P3,000, bring two sureties who shall each bind themselves with P1,000, shall not commit any crime whilst on bail, report once every month at Central Police Station in Gaborone and attends court as and when required to do so.
To add to Majaga’s woes, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) slapped him with indefinite suspension until the conclusion of his defilement case.
However, Majaga has remained defiant telling the opposition bloc in Parliament and a number of human rights organisations who wanted him to resign his parliamentary seat.
Instead, Majaga said that calls for him to resign from Parliament until he clears himself of the charge were misguided and championed by non-governmental organisations that wanted to get money from donors using his name.
Majaga still maintains that the current allegations against him are a political witch-hunt that is orchestrated by some of his enemies within the BDP who want to see his downfall.
In fact, one of Majaga’s colleagues within the BDP was seen celebrating on social media after Majaga was charged with defilement.
The BDP operative, who was one of the people that Majaga defeated during the party’s primary elections in the build up to the 2019 General Election, had already concluded that Majaga was ‘guilty’ of the offence well before trial could even begin in earnest.