Justice delayed in Maun murder?

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday October 4, 2010 00:00

The family lost one of their members last year after he was killed by the police in an unprovoked attack in Maun.The young Mothusinyane Sephiri was shot by a police constable in the family yard.  His alleged offence was that he was mistaken for a street robber. Sephiri just happened to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

He ended up paying with his life as he was killed by people who are supposed to be protecting lives. 

At the time of his death Sephiri was employed at Tati River Lodge in Francistown.  When he was shot, he was supposed to return to work the following day but he never made it.  He had gone to Maun to join his family for Christmas. 

When the police shot him, they were on the look out for suspects who attempted to rob a member of the public of a cellphone.  The man who was nearly robbed, later revealed that Sephiri was not one of the suspects who attacked him.  The death of Sephiri at the hands of the police, shocked the Maun community at the beginning of last year.  This was at the time when cases of extra judicial killings were escalating throughout the country. 

A inquest, which was held in Maun earlier this year, ruled that the police officer who shot Sephiri was negligent.  However, the police officer is still on duty and it is not known whether he will face any charges relating to the incident.

When he was contacted, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kenny Kapinga, said the matter is in the hands of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).  He said it is the DPP which will determine whether to prosecute the officer.  Kapinga confirmed that the officer is still on duty.  DPP officials were not available for comment. 

During the inquest hearing, the coroner and Maun magistrate, Clifford Foroma, ruled that Tshepiso Sebetlela, the police officer who shot Sephiri was negligent. 

Sebetlela, who testified at the inquest, claimed that he shot Sephiri by accident. 

Other police officers who testified also felt that Sebetlela used excessive force.  They said he flouted basic guidelines for shooting at suspects.  He could have used the less lethal procedure rather than “shoot to kill”, one of the officers told the inquest. 

Another officer said he had authorised Sebetlela to fire a warning shot in the air.  This was meant to warn Sephiri against fleeing after failing to comply with the order to stop. 

The sub inspector said there was no need to shoot Sephri because he had jumped over the fence and they could have easily apprehended him. 

Sephiri’s father also testified about the events that occurred on that fateful evening. Sephiri’s family members were startled by gun shots. 

The state was represented at the inquest by the Maun based state counsel, Pascal Mhandu, of DPP.