Threats to kill continue to irk police

ISAAC PINIELO
Correspondent | Thursday January 14, 2010 00:00

Speaking to Mmegi in an interview yesterday, Mautle said during December last year the Northern Divisional Headquarters registered 44 reports of threat to kill as compared to 43 reports which were recorded in 2008 during the same month. He said most of these threats were among lovers.

He appealed to people to stop uttering threats to other people noting that threatening to kill is a crime of the utmost gravity. 'People have to know that making a threat to kill another person is a very serious offence and they should change how they talk to each other,' he said.

He said because of the high number of passion killings in the country they now take threats to kill seriously. 'You never know whether someone is making a real threat or not, so it is best not to take any chances,' he stressed.

Chapter 220 (1) of the Penal Code states that, 'Any person who without lawful excuse utters or directly or indirectly causes any person to receive a threat whether in writing or not to kill any person is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.'

Mautle further stated that the evidence that is normally admissible to prove a threat to kill is witness evidence whereby someone testifies about the threats made or written evidence that normally involves threats sent such as through the cellphone short message service (SMS).

He said after the police have gathered all this evidence they would then hand it to the director of public prosecution who is empowered to give consent for a trial.

Mautle called on people to work with the police to restore peace in the country noting that Botswana should retain the peacefulness that it is known for throughout the African continent.