Crimes that shook the nation in 2025 :: Mmegi Online

As the curtain falls on 2025, Mmegi Crime reporter, PINI BOTHOKO, reflects on some of the crimes that horrified the nation in 2025, the year marked by extreme violence, domestic killings and crimes that tested the country’s safety

Topping the list as the crime of the year was the death of former Minister of Health, Lelatisitswe Sethomo. His death marked a record moment in Botswana’s history as possibly the first suicide involving a former Cabinet minister. At the time of his death, Sethomo was on a police manhunt, wanted in connection with an attempted murder case after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. The shocking turn of events sent shockwaves across the country, raising concerns about mental health, domestic violence and accountability amongst leaders.

In February, the nation was shaken by a brutal case involving a Botswana Defence Force (BDF) soldier, Moagi Mokomeng, who allegedly shot and killed three people, poured petrol and set them alight inside a house. He also destroyed property and attempted to kill two more people. The attacks followed the commencement of his defilement case, in which the victim was a family member. One of the people he allegedly tried to kill was a police officer who was investigating the defilement case.