Blockbuster-like Testimonies In Mujangi Murder Case
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday April 1, 2019 15:07
The State’s key witness, Pastor Milidzani Sox of the Breath of Life Church in Chadibe next to Borolong implicated the accused, Atlholang Mujangi, for the murder of Bokani Sox (not related to Paster Sox), a former nurse at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital.
Pastor Sox told the court in his examination-in-chief that on January 30, 2014, he had a conversation with Mujangi in his prayer room after one of his church followers came with Mujangi to his place. The church mate’s mother had pleaded with her to take Mujangi to the pastor because Mujangi had problems.
“…Mujangi told me that he was having problems with the police. He told me that the police were suspicious that he may know something about the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Bokani Sox… He confided to me that he killed Bokani.
Mujangi told me that he killed Bokani because they had a misunderstanding. Mujangi told me that after he killed Bokani, he could not sleep day and night because Bokani perpetually haunted him. I told him to come to my place the following day,” Pastor Sox, who added that he then parted ways with Mujangi, said.
Contrary to what other witnesses who testified before him said in court, Pastor Sox denied that he was related to Bokani saying that it was mere coincidence that they shared the same surname.
“After Mujangi left, I then called a police officer called Pelontle Kesupile and told him what Mujangi had just confessed to me. Kesupile promised to link me with another police officer called Simisane Zhibi who was investigating Bokani’s case. Kesupile kept his promise and linked me with Zhibi,” Apostle Sox said.
After I met Zhibi, Pastor Sox said, he gave me a recorder to record my conversation with Mujangi the following day.
“Mujangi came to my place as planned the following day (January 31, 2014) around 3pm and 4pm. In the morning, Zhibi gave me a recorder to record my conversation with Mujangi. I went with Mujangi to my prayer room. I told him that if he wanted the Lord to help him, he should be open and truthful by stating what happened so that God can forgive him,” the pastor said when asked by prosecutor Carlos Diwundu.
Pastor Sox added: “Mujangi told me that he met Bokani at Galo Mall on January 3, 2014 at around 6 pm. He told me that Bokani remained in the car while he went into the Nandos outlet to buy food. He told me that he later came and gave Bokani the receipt to go and collect the food.
“He told me he did not escort Bokani when she went to collect the food because he did not want anyone to see him with Bokani on that day.”
“After he arrived from Nandos with the food, Mujangi told me that he asked her to go for a joyride with him along the Francistown-Matsiloje road. Mujangi told me that after they passed the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) camp in Donga, they detoured left northward and drove along a gravel road. Mujangi told me that they later stopped the car and began eating their food… Mujangi told me that he had hidden a knife under his seat. I was all along recording what Mujangi was telling me. Mujangi told me that after finishing the food, he told Bokani that they should alight from the car and take a walk. Mujangi told me that he then surreptitiously took the knife from under his seat and then put it in his pocket. Mujangi told me that the knife was open,” the pastor said.
The pastor went on: “Mujangi told me that while they were walking, he withdrew the knife and tried to stab Bokani on the back but he instead missed and stabbed her on the breast. Mujangi told me that sensing danger, Bokani tried to escape but he chased and caught her up.
Mujangi told me that after he caught Bokani, he strangled her and she fell to the ground and became unconscious.
Mujangi told met that he then took a large stone and struck Bokani with it twice on the head…”
Mujangi told me, Pastor Sox added, that he then took the Nandos food paper bag and covered Bokani’s face with it.
“Mujangi told me that he then burnt the paper bag and then went away… Mujangi told me that his misunderstanding with Bokani was exacerbated by the fact Bokani was four months pregnant but he was not the one who impregnated her. He told me that Bokani refused to have sex with him because of a problem (this publication cannot state the problem for ethical reasons)… Mujangi told me that his anger towards Bokani was partly influenced by his acrimonious relationship with his former girlfriend,” Pastor Sox, who nonetheless added that he prayed for Mujangi and thereafter gave him holy water, said.
“That was the last time I saw Mujangi because the police later arrested him following our recorded conversation,” Apostle Sox said.
Under cross-examination from Mujangi’s attorney, Kgololesego Segabo, Pastor Sox stated that he decided to tell the police about his conversation with Mujangi because what Mujangi did was totally not in sync with his Christian beliefs. “My conscience also told me to report him. As a responsible citizen I was duty-bound to report Mujangi,” the pastor said. A recorded audio conversation purportedly between Pastor Sox and Mujangi was played to a totally silent court before the trial within a trial was conducted.
Before Pastor Sox testified, Segabo had told the court that he would apply for a trial within a trial to be conducted.
Segabo said the trial within a trial should be held to determine the admissibility as evidence of a recorded conversation between Mujangi and Pastor Sox.
The conversation was taped during a sting operation by the police at Pastor Sox’s homestead in Borolong.
After Justice Moroka granted the defence its wish to have a trial within a trial, more information about what transpired during Mujangi’s investigations came to the fore.
Detective Superintendent Zhibi told the court that the device that was used to record the conversation between Mujangi and Pastor Sox was borrowed from the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) Service.
Zhibi revealed this under cross-examination from Segabo.
Zhibi told the court that the police borrowed the recording device from the DIS because during that time, the police did not have a recording device in his policing district.He said that when the conversation between Pastor Sox and Mujangi was transferred from the recording device to the compact disc, neither Pastor Sox nor Mujangi were present.
He said that the DIS officer who borrowed the police the recording device checked if it was working adding that he did not have the original recording device that Pastor Sox was using to record his conversation with Mujangi.
“We are not going to use the original recording device as part of our evidence in this case. I didn’t know how to use the device… The device that was used to record the conversation also did not look like a pen. The DIS officer who borrowed us the device said the device contained national security information hence they would not allow us to use it more than the period they had agreed to lend it to us. We didn’t have time to borrow other recording devices from other policing districts because we wanted to record the conversation between Pastor Sox and the accused,” Zhibi said.
The trial within a trial will continue on May 3, 2019 while the main trial will continue on July 3.