Seek medical help, Matlhabaphiri accuser told

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Monday June 24, 2013 00:00

 

Kgosi Michael Gaborone of Tlokweng, who is presiding over the case, said he could not in good conscience continue on with the case until he was certain Tafi was 'fit' to go through with it. He, however, declined to say what kind of medical help Tafi needed. The case started on Friday at the Molepolole Main Kgotla.

In his submissions before the customary court, Tafi accused the assistant minister of sleeping with his estranged wife Mmaonene while she was in his employ as a domestic worker between March and November 2009.The court heard that on an unspecified date in 2009, Matlhabaphiri dropped Mmaonene off at the couple's home at 1.30am.

Tafi said his wife, who refused to have intercourse with him, confessed that she was in an affair with the assistant minister. Tafi alleges that his wife then used a black beanie to wipe herself in her private parts area to show him Matlhabaphiri's secretions.

The Molepolole-man said he asked his wife if she was not afraid, after so many years of the couple being AIDS-free, of contracting the HIV virus from her indiscretion. She responded that it was unlikely as Matlhabaphiri was allegedly circumcised. Tafi said he called for his father and his wife's mother, but before they could arrive, officers from the Molepolole Police Station came instead and whisked him away and locked him up.

He said while he was in police custody then Station Commander Andrew Bosilong allegedly told him that Matlhabaphiri had a right to sleep with his wife.  The plaintiff said the following morning, when he was released from police custody, he found his wife waiting at the police station. He said Bosilong then invited the two into his office, and he (Bosilong) proceeded to tell Mmaonene that she should not be afraid to be seen with the assistant minister. Because the assistant minister is rich and Tafi poor, the latter could not sue him, Bosilong allegedly said.

His wife also told him that he should be proud that she was sleeping with a Member of Parliament (MP), Tafi told the court. Tafi said he also called the MP on his cellphone and told him to leave his wife alone. He said he also wrote a letter to the Office of the President (OP), begging the President to intervene but received no response.

When questioned by Kgosi Gaborone, Tafi admitted that he does not remember the number on which he called Matlhabaphiri, but said his wife had given him the number.  He also admitted that he did not have the beanie that his wife allegedly used to wipe herself, and that he had never taken it for DNA testing.