Mochudi Police Accused Of Colluding In Floggings

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday May 31, 2010 00:00

A 56-year-old man, Tselapedi Mooketsi who was whipped at the Mochudi Kgotla last year, has accused the police of exposing him to a 'kangaroo court' that subjected him to the severe beating.

Mooketsi is suing the police for P75,000 over this matter. Mooketsi had an outstanding issue with Mmusi Kgafela over bridles that were stolen at the royal homestead. Mmusi is the younger brother to the Bakgatla paramount chief Kgafela II.Mooketsi said Mmusi and his vigilante group raided his home in Artesia and took away his bridles, claiming they were the ones that had been stolen from them. He said when he went to make a report against Mmusi, at the Dibete Police Station, he was locked up. He claimed that the police detained him at the insistence of Mmusi - who had turned up at the police station.  Mooketsi said when he was transferred to the Mochudi Police Station he discovered that Mmusi had not reported any case against him. 

Despite this, he claims that police dragged him to the kgotla where he was whipped while the officers just watched. He said Mmusi, who is also insisting that he is a chief, had ordered that he should be punished for disobeying him. Mooketsi is also suing Mmusi and Kgosi Sekai for subjecting him to the beating. A young man from Mochudi also claims he was dragged by police officers to the kgotla where he was subjected to a flogging. He alleges Sekai stepped on his head as he was whipped on charges of disrespecting his parents.

Recently members of the Family of God Church accused the police of failing to rescue them when they were harassed by members of the Mochudi vigilante group. This is after two church elders were whipped and their church banished from Kgatleng. However, the High Court has since given an interim order that the church be allowed to operate in Kgatleng. The High Court ruled that the tribal leaders did not have powers to banish a church from their village. Mochudi acting station commander, Nkape Kealotswe was quoted as saying according to the constitution the kgosi is supreme. He claimed that according to the law, everyone should heed the kgosi's call.

Kealotswe said they did not come to the church's rescue because its leadership failed to obey the kgosi when they were called for a meeting. However Kealotswe's boss, senior superintendent, Seabo Maboka declined to comment on the allegations that the police are colluding with the vigilante groups. 'I don't want to talk about this issue,' Maboka pleaded.He said Mooketsi's assault complaint has since been referred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Meanwhile, in another development, Kgafela II, Mmusi, Sekai and members of the mophato are expected to appear before the Gaborone Magistrate's Court tomorrow on charges of assault occasioning bodily harm. On count one, the accused persons are alleged to have assaulted Edwin Olatose with a switch on the back, thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm. The offence is alleged to have been committed at or near Mochudi on March 10, this year. On the second count, they are alleged to have assaulted Oteng Lejuta still on March 10, applying the same method.  

Kgafela is excempted on count three, which is against assaulting Mooketsi. The accused persons in this charge include Mmusi, Sekai and members of the mophato. On count four, Kgafela, Bathusi Ralefala, James Mollowakgotla and Kabelo Lentswe are charged for unlawfully assaulting Karabo Tladi with a switch.  On the last count, Kgafela, Kgamanyane Radikolo, Nthithane Segwati and Thipe Segwati are charged for unlawfully assaulting Peter Sebage on January 1, this year.