Four prisoners still on death row

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Friday August 12, 2011 00:00

Mmegi can reveal that among those still on death row are Zibani Thamo, Modise Tlhokamolelo, Mangombe Tadubane and Gatlhalosamang Gaboakelwe.

Thamo was convicted by the Francistown High Court for the 2007 murder of his girlfriend, Sihle Dube. Her mutilated body parts were dug up from various shallow graves along the Tati riverbank, a month after she went missing from her Somerset rented house where she had lived with her killer. The discovery was made after the convict led the police to different spots where he had buried her partially burnt body parts, following his arrest a month after the killing.

Francistown High Court convicted Tlhokamolemo last year for the murder of six people in Letlhakane. Tlhokamolemo was convicted to death six times for the murder of Tirafalo Tlhaga, Gakemoitatole Garebone, Londane Tlhokamolelo, Oreemetse Lepadile, Kemodiretse Lepadile and Chaina Londane in 2008.

Tadubane is also waiting his date with the hangman after his conviction for the murder Tshokolo Ramokgau and subsequent capital punishment was handed down on him last year. They all have to make an appeal before the Court of Appeal. Botswana, which retains the death penalty, has executed 43 people since Independence in 1966. This year alone, Court of Appeal judges have commuted five death penalties handed down by high courts. In addition to Keganne, Leshomo and Masango, an earlier session of the appeals court, commuted death sentence imposed on Michael Molefhe and Kgotso Sampson to a custodial sentence.