06 Jul 2015

An Investigating officer in the case in which a 32 year old teacher is accused of burning part of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Area S Barracks has told the court that according to his investigation the accused started the fire that destroyed property amounting to a total of over P4 million.

In his evidence, Detective Assistant Superintendent, Keoagile Olebile told the court that when he received a report that the barracks was on fire he went there and gathered information that the accused, Bonno Ikanyeng was in the barracks prior to the fire. 

He said he also learnt that Ikanyeng was admitted the same day at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital (NRH) and upon her release from hospital he interviewed her and she indicated that she was present at the barracks on the day it was on fire but denied setting up the fire. 

Detective Assistant Superintendent Olebile told the court that since his investigation revealed that the accused set the fire he warned and charged her for the offence.

Another witness, Dr Paul Sidanda who is a psychiatrist with Nyangabgwe Referal  Hospital said that when he assessed the accused on the date of the incident he discovered that she was mentally ill as her state of mind was affected by the delivery of a baby which led to depression.

 He, however, told the court that he could not conclude that the accused was insane at the time of the fire as she was aware of certain things.

Dr Sidanda said that though it was highly likely that the accused could kill herself the risk to kill others was moderate and her risk of setting fire was low. 

He said the accused’s depression was worsened by the relationship between her and her husband and some other factors that he could not reveal in an open court.

 He said the accused is however in a position to answer for charges.

Another witness, Mr Kgomotsego Kenosi who is a soldier at Area S camp and a cousin to the accused’s husband said in the morning of the inferno, the accused came looking for the keys to the house of her husband and also enquired about his whereabouts. 

He said after telling her that her husband went to his home village in Tamasane  the accused then took the keys and left but after a while she came back  again asking for her husband. He told her that since he informed him that he was going home he had never seen him again.

Mr Kenosi said after that on his way to a friend’s place he heard sounds of breaking items in his cousin’s house and he phoned the husband who told him that he talked to the accused a while ago. 

He said on his way back he saw the barracks on fire and the accused lying on the ground at a certain Sergeant Rantshime’s yard. 

He said he rushed to assist in extinguishing the fire. Sergeant Obadiah Rantshime told the court that on that day, the accused came to his place crying and asking for help  and  before she could reveal what kind of help she wanted, she collapsed. 

He said he sought medical help for  the accused after which she heard people screaming that the barracks was on fire.

Magistrate Dumisani Basupi who is presiding over the matter will give a ruling on whether the accused has a case to answer on July 16 while the defence counsel, Mr Kabelo Gaonyadiwe of KK Sechele Attorneys will make an application of a no case to answer on July 7.

The prosecution will respond to the application on July 10. 

The prosecution team comprises of Ms Mompoloki Gaboiphiwe and Mr Kagiso Lekang of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). ENDS