Makgato�s threat-to-kill accused granted bail
Pini Bothoko | Friday October 13, 2017 12:50
Wadza Tombo is alleged to have threatened to kill the minister following claims that she (the minister) blocked his Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) loan that was close to P2.7 million back in 2012.
Prosecution had initially pleaded with the court not to grant him bail on suspicion that he was not of sound mind and should be sent to Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital for an assessment.
Representing the prosecution, Oamogetswe Gaboutlwelwe, before Tshepo Thedi at the Broadhurst Magistrates’ Court, the prosecutor said that the forensic psychiatric report that they have been waiting for had arrived and proved that Tombo was of sound mind and a suitable candidate for bail based on his mental health. “At first, we doubted his mental health, but the report is saying otherwise, therefore we are no longer opposing him to be granted bail,” Gaboutwelwe said.
Gaboutwelwe, however, pleaded with the court to make sure that one of his bail conditions is to instruct him not to contact the complainant without prior given consent. Magistrate Thedi granted Tombo bail on condition that he paid P1,000, did not contact the complainant without prior given consent and that he attended court when needed. She also ordered that Tombo should report once a week at Shakawe Police Station. Mmegi has learnt that the psychiatric report proved that no abnormal behaviour was detected and he probably had depressive thoughts, which are understandable given what he was then going through. It also indicated that he was remorseful of his actions and was grieving the death of his mother at the time. Asked if he had anything to say, Tombo told the court that he once made an application pleading with the court to allow him to meet and talk with Makgato as ‘brothers and sisters’ and wanted to know of the court’s response. In response, Gaboutlwelwe conceded that the investigating officer of the case, superintendent Violet Sebape is aware of the accused person’s request and is confident that she can arrange for the response.
“It is possible for the accused person to meet with the complainant to talk to her as he had requested, but he can do that in her (investigating officer’s) presence because he has bail conditions to follow,” Gaboutwelwe said.
Eventually, the court granted Tombo permission to contact the complainant, as long as the investigating officer in his case is present.
Tombo, 49, is facing two counts of threat-to-kill allegedly made on July 5, 2017. He threatened to kill the minister using insulting words against her and accusing her of having blocked his CEDA loan application.
Court records revealed that Tombo sent minister Makgato the message as reflected in the charge sheet: “Dorcas you b***h, my mother has died in your slaughter house of Letsholathebe hospital and I hopelessly buried her. I wish your mother could have miscarried you. I would be living in peace like a responsible person. This year, I want that loan, or I will behead you”. At his first appearance, Tombo told the court that he insulted the minister out of anger because she used her powers then as the minister of Trade and Industry to block his CEDA loan application.
He alleged that in April 2012, after the minister discovered his loan application at CEDA, she arranged a meeting with him. The two later met at her office in Gaborone where she allegedly (Makgato) demanded he aligned himself with Makgato’s political party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in order to be granted the loan. “Makgato told me to produce a BDP membership card first if I was serious about the loan. She told me that my Identity Card (Omang) was rubbish and the pertinent thing was for me to produce the BDP membership card. She did that deliberately knowing that I was supporting an opposition party,” Tombo said then.