'Rra-Selepe' Denied Bail
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday February 18, 2019 12:19
The 37-year-old Kabelo Chamo allegedly had a problem of controlling his temper, and would use an axe to attack people.
Chamo, who has a pending murder case before the Francistown High Court, left the Francistown Magistrate’s Court crestfallen after Magistrate Cele Lebakeng refused to grant him bail.
Denying Chamo bail, Lebakeng stated that Chamo had shown that he had a propensity to commit more crimes shortly after he was given bail.
“You were granted bail by the High Court and then you allegedly committed two unlawful wounding offences in Tonota using an axe. You also have a pending murder case. Trial dates have been set in your unlawful wounding cases. The law allows me to remand you in custody for six months after I have set trial dates,” Lebakeng said.
Lebakeng added: “You have demonstrated that you have a propensity for committing more crimes after you have been granted bail. Your rights as an accused person stop where the rights of others begin. The court cannot always accede to your demands since it has a duty to protect innocent members of society from people like you who may harm them”.
Despite Chamo’s numerous attempts to convince the court otherwise, Lebakeng stood her ground and denied him bail.
Chamo told the court that he had previously applied to be granted bail but he had not received any response concerning that application.
Lebakeng said: “The accused’s bail application is rejected. He was supposed to appear in court on February 28. Nonetheless, his remand would be extended in his absentia. This would save the State costs of transporting him to court for mentions and other related costs until his matters are finalised”. The State alleged that Chamo hacked Tshegofatso Tene with an axe on the head at Mhakamme ward in Tonota on October 14 last year.
In the second count, the State alleges that, still in Mhakamme, Chamo hacked Benny Amos with an axe on the head on the same day.The police said Amos was struck with an axe on his forehead after he tried to restrain Chamo from hacking Tene to death with the axe.
According to the police, Chamo and Tene were lovers and it is suspected that he hacked her with an axe because of some unspecified tiff between the two.