27 Jan 2015

A 32-year-old Zimbabwean national, Wilba Brother and wife Martha Kwadiba, also aged 32-year of Morwa ward in Molepolole will appear separately on February 5 before Molepolole magistrate courts on charges of corruption allegedly committed jointly with Department of Civil and National Registration officials in Molepolole July last year.

Kwadiba allegedly conspired with a certain Nkorima who is still at large to bribe Thabo Rakwela and Babui Simane of Omang office with P2 000 as an inducement to help them acquire Omang card and Birth Certificate for Brother.

Kwadiba is facing a single count of corruption while Brother is that of giving false information to public officers.  The duo appeared before Magistrates Bhekimpilo Sibanda and Keneilwe Keobake. They were not asked to plead as investigations are said to be at preliminary stage.

Meanwhile, effort by Kwadiba to advance his child’s health condition to get bail could not succeed as her claim according to the prosecutor Inspector Uyapo Koketso contradicts findings of the Investigating Officer who told the court that there was no evidence to proof that the child was that of the suspect.

Inspector Koketso told the court that the investigation officer further revealed that the suspect does not take the child for regular checkups and physcio-therapy to a medical facility as she suggests but instead takes her to a Zezuru church.

Magistrate Keobake ,however, ordered for proof to support her allegations as well as the child’s birth card in the next appearance. Kwadiba had pleaded with the court to grant her bail to enable her to look after her ailing child who is also disabled so that she may not skip regular checkups. 

The suspects’ remand warrants were extended to February 5. Meanwhile, a 25-year-old Kodziba Ndawana appeared briefly before Molepolole Senior magistrate Sibanada for allegedly murdering her one year nine months child by burning her at a refuse pit in Kumakwane village on December 31.

In a separate incident magistrate Sibanda sentenced a 26-year-old Thabiso Motsewabeng to seven years imprisonment for house breaking and theft; the offence he committed jointly with Emmanuel Mogapi August last year. Motsewabeng was sentenced for four years for house breaking and three for stealing from a dwelling house. 

Three years of the sentence was suspended conditionally. The sentences were to run concurrently, meaning he will serve a four year jail term. The offence was backdated to August last year the time he was detained.

According to court records, Motsewabeng and Mogapi aged 27 and 25 both of Mmankgodi village jointly broke into a house belonging to Refilwe Monnakgosi and stole goods valued at over P6 000 including a Plasma Screen.

When passing sentence, magistrate Sibanda insisted on a stiffer sentence against Motsewabeng who had pleaded guilty to the charge, warning that it is important that he be kept away from society as he is a serious threat to the society.

He said his passing of sentence was in consideration of the fact that accused pleaded guilty to avoid wasting the court’s time, but as he is a habitual offender with previous conviction of a similar offence, the court is bound to send a strong message to individuals with the same intention, especially that crime of this nature is rife in areas of Thamaga and Molepolole.

Motsewabeng had pleaded for leniency saying he realised that crime does not pay and that he is remorseful and in future will not wrong people in the manner he did.

Motsewabeneg had pleaded guilty to both two counts while his co-accused Mogapi pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear for mention on February 5. 

The duo were not represented while Sub Inspector Moshe Karabo prosecuted. ENDS