Villagers suspect cover-up in Thamaga shooting
Pini Bothoko | Thursday July 27, 2017 16:09
Police allege the man, who worked at Sefalana Shoppers in Tlokweng, was part of a group of five who were attacking other villagers and exchanged fire with police who intervened.
Villagers, however, also allege the five were on their way from a wedding and ran away on being confronted by gun-wielding police, with the young man falling behind and being shot dead.
Tensions in the village have been at boiling point for years due to the explosion of gang-related violence and crime, pitting local police and traditional rulers, against wayward youth and louts. Police in the village have been on high alert in recent years, primed against several gangs that have killed, raped and assaulted villagers, even at one point attempting to poison the area’s water supply.
Botswana Police Service’s spokesperson, assistant commissioner Witness Bosija told Mmegi that the incident occurred early Sunday- between 12 midnight and 1am- when police received a report from complainants who said five young men had attacked them.
“The police rushed to the scene of the crime and on arrival there were shootings in which one suspect was shot dead,” Bosija said.
“Investigations into the matter are ongoing to establish what really transpired that night.”
Bosija could not confirm nor deny whether the suspects were armed. He, however, said when reporting, the complainants had told the police that the suspects were carrying something that threatened their lives.
“What I can say at this time is that the police were informed that the suspects were carrying things that threatened the complainants’ lives. On arrival on site, one suspect was shot dead,” Bosija said.
Still, villagers tell a different story. Mmegi is informed that the five young men were on their way home from a wedding that fateful day and encountered police on the way.
“The police assumed that the men were the suspects they had heard about,” said one villager, who requested anonymity citing the sensitivity of the matter.
“Police stopped the group’s car to question their whereabouts, but naively the young men tried to ran away.
“Their actions are believed to have resulted in police opening fire.” Some villagers in Thamaga have accused police of brutality and using the gang situation to hide their trigger-happy tendencies.
However, earlier this month in the village, reports circulated of a crew of young men who were terrorising homes at night, attacking people in their sleep, beating and stealing from them. Thamaga police station commander, superintendent Moses Makgoeng said such reports are untrue, while Bosija said they could not be confirmed.
“I cannot say with certainty that a group of young men was terrorising people in Thamaga but in general, countrywide, young men in their 20s occasionally find themselves on the wrong side of the law due to peer pressure. Usually they target women, snatching their handbags or cell phones,” Bosija said.