The defence attorney in the flogging case of Bakgatla paramount chief, Kgafela Kgafela, his brother Mmusi, Kgosi Bana Sekai and 12 others has called on the prosecution to press charges against Kgatleng East and Kgatleng West MPs Isaac Mabiletsa and Gilbert Mangole. Unity Dow said the two legislators publicly backed the floggings sanctioned by the Kgatleng royals and hence the state should not engage in selective prosecution. Kgafela and company are charged with unlawful floggings of people in Kgatleng District between November 2009 and March 2010.
Dow said that the prosecution is charging people who have taken part in floggings and the two MPs have publicly endorsed the punishment, hence inciting the public. She said that superintendent Gagogosha of Mochudi Police Station, superintendent Counsel Moyo of Broadhurst Police Station and sub-inspector Motswetla should also face charges because they arrested some of the complainants and brought them before Bakgatla tribal leaders for flogging. Dow cited an incident in which Motswetla arrested one Tselapedi Mooketsi and drove him to the Kgotla for flogging. She said the officer thereafter watched the man being flogged before taking him to the police station where he was locked up. She said that the two station commanders - Gagogosha and Moyo - did nothing about the alleged floggings until six months later when the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided that an offence hadbeen committed. She asserted that the officers were just appreciating that the Bakgatla justice system is functioning.
