BDF arsonist gets eight years in jail

Lebogang Mosikare | Monday January 25, 2016 16:41

Soldiers whose properties were burnt at Area S barracks. PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

Bonno Ikanyeng (33) was found guilty of setting alight Botswana Defence Force (BDF) barracks at Area S on January 5, 2013. Property worth over P4.5 million being the property of the Botswana government and soldiers who lived in the barracks were burnt in the inferno.

Passing sentence to a packed courtroom, mostly filled with soldiers whose property was burnt, last Thursday Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi said he took into consideration that the accused was a first offender and sole breadwinner for her family.

“I have no doubt that the accused will lose her job as a result of this offence. The circumstances surrounding this case show that the accused had knowledge of what she was doing.

The doctor’s report showed that she was mentally ill. It however, came to light that being mentally ill does not mean being insane,” said Basupi. He added that the accused was motivated by morbid jealousy exacerbated by her thinking that her husband might be with another woman after she called him numerous times and he did not respond.

“It seems to me that she came all the way from Tutume to Francistown in that spur of the moment. Direct and indirect intention to commit an offence should be differentiated. In my view, this should reduce the moral blameworthiness of the accused. The offence she has committed carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment,” said the magistrate. In addition, the magistrate said when the courts pass appropriate sentences, they should take into account the interest of the public and accused persons.

He said the courts should pass sentences in a bid to mould accused persons and not to revenge. He said: “Sentences passed by courts should deter would-be criminals not to commit crimes and also teach offenders that they will be sentenced after they have committed crimes.

In this case, a custodial sentence will serve the ends of justice. I sentence her to eight years in jail. An order is made that she also compensates the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) for the structure she has burnt and soldiers whose property was gutted by the fire. She is advised of her right of appeal to the High Court in 14 days”.The accused’s attorney Kabelo Gaonyadiwe told The Monitor after sentencing that they intend to appeal it.

“We feel that the sentence passed by the court was severe considering the circumstances in which it was committed. If it is inevitable that we will appeal, we will see where that ends. If it means that our appeal will not be successful so be it because justice will still be served,” Gaonyadiwe said. Mompoloki Gaboiphiwe from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) prosecuted.