Death row inmates make one last plea
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday July 27, 2016 13:49
The duo, who hail from Ntlhantlhe in the Southern District, were condemned to death in 2010 by Justice Michael Leburu of Lobatse High Court following a controversial remark by Justice Tshepo Motswagole that the death penalty was unconstitutional. The two were said to have been hired by Agisanyang Motukwa to kill his father after believing he was bewitching him. They had pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.
In his submissions, Semi’s lawyer Dumezweni Mthimkhulu said his client was a first offender and nursing a chronic illness.
He said the court should be lenient on account that Semi also had a small child and had recently lost his mother in a car accident on her way to check her son in prison.
“All these factors should be taken into account and especially the first that as a death row inmate he was sharing a cell with Patrick Gabaakanye who was recently hanged. That on its own has been very traumatic for him. It has had a toll on him and the effects will stay with him for long,” he said. Thusang’s lawyer, Moses Kadye also made a passionate plea for his client even though he has a string of convictions.
Kadye expressed hope that the court would take into account the fact that despite Thusang’s previous convictions, none of them involved violence against human beings.
“He is not a new comer in crime circles. They were not against any person but just property and in this case he also killed for material benefit,” he submitted.
Earlier on the State lawyer outlined Thusang’s offences, which he all confirmed. In 2006 he was convicted of theft; 2007 for escaping from lawful custody and 2009 for two counts of house breaking, two counts of stealing from a dwelling house, he served jail time for all the offences.
Meanwhile the duo’s appearance follows last week’s court appearance where they appealed their sentence on grounds that they were never the masterminds behind the murder.
In an emotionally charged court appearance, they called on the bench to consider their circumstances leading to the killing of one Motlhanka Motukwa in what was described as a motive for financial stimulus.