Shock After Gruesome Family Murder
Pini Bothoko | Monday June 25, 2018 19:06
The deceased couple and their son were found tied up, leaving the entire village reeling in shock as to what could have transpired.
The Monitor news crew arrived at the capital village of the Bakwena tribe on Saturday.
Asking for directions, one woman looked at the news crew’s branded car and quickly said, “Le tile go tsaya dikgang? (‘Are you here for the news?’ – referring to the family that was savagely killed?)”
It did not take this publication long to locate the deceased’s yard as crowds had gathered.
Standing sombrely in groups outside the yard, residents murmured amongst themselves, shock written all over their faces.
“Hei tiragalo e e maswe tota, ke gone fa lesong jaana. Ah ke ipotsa gore tota ba bolailwe ke mang? A ke magodu kana bane ba kolota bangwe? Jaanong batho ba teng bane ba lwa le bone kana jang? Hei, mathata ele ruri,” one woman who was on the phone next to where the news crew had parked muttered rhetorically.
Even though this publication could not hear the family’s side of the story, after they declined to comment, it is alleged that a husband, wife and son were found tied up and killed in their home Friday evening.
“Ke boile le babega dikgang ba bantsi ke lapile,” a woman who was called to talk to The Monitor said, whilst walking away.
Reached for comment, the Officer Commanding, senior Superintendent Modise Gabatshwane confirmed they were investigating a robbery and murder case.
“It is true we are investigating a triple murder case in which a husband aged 55, wife, 47, and their son, 22, were found dead. They were tied up in their residence in Ntloolengwae ward in Molepolole last Friday evening. We do not know what really transpired, but investigations to establish that are ongoing. We do not know if they were attacked by thieves who later killed them or what,” Gabatshwane said.
In a media release, the Botswana Police Service’s (BPS) deputy public relations officer, senior Superintendent Near Bagali said the trio was found with their hands and legs tied-up and their faces covered with a blanket, shawl and shirt respectively.
“There were no visible injuries on their bodies with preliminary police investigations suggesting that they might have been suffocated to death by their assailants. Still at the scene of the gruesome murder, a plasma television, a cell phone were found to be missing,” he said.
He stated that no arrests have been made yet, but investigations into the matter are ongoing to locate the culprits.
“The police have instituted an investigation into the case and are appealing to members of the public to help us with any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect(s),” Bagali said in a media release.
The Monitor is reliably informed that the family’s car, a Toyota Hilux is also allegedly missing, hence suspected to have been driven away by the culprit(s).
Weighing in on the incident, Ntloolengwae ward Kgosi, Boyce Mookotsane said it was a shock that the murders happened in his ward and that people were attacked in their home and killed.
“The whole village is in shock. We are really frightened by what transpired. I just heard the sad news and I am yet to visit the family to send my condolences. Usually we are troubled by suicide cases here, whereby men troubled by their relationships would opt to kill themselves. Incidents like this one are unusual around here and we are still in shock,” Mookotsane said.