24 Jan 2016

Francistown senior magistrate, Mr Dumisani Basupi has sentenced a 33-year-old teacher convicted of setting on fire the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) barracks and destroying property valued over P4 million to eight years imprisonment.

Sentencing Bonno Ikanyeng on Thursday, Mr Basupi said she should also compensate the government an amount of P2 610 323.50 for the burnt structure and P1 765 865 for the soldiers’ property. He explained that the offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, but that he took into consideration that the accused was a first offender and a mother of three, whose husband was unemployed.

Mr Basupi said in his evidence, Dr Paul Sidandi, a psychiatrist, indicated that Ikanyeng had a mental illness which does not always mean being insane.

He said morbid jealousy caused the mental illness as she thought her husband was not answering the phone because he was with another woman. Mr Basupi said the court took into consideration that the sentence should deter other people from committing a similar offence, and should also discourage the accused from committing crime again.

He told the defence that they have the right to appeal the sentence in 14 days. The facts of the matter are that on about January 5 2013, Ikanyeng willfully and unlawfully set fire on the BDF Area S Barracks, thereby destroying 25 rooms, a kitchen, a common room and property of 27 soldiers who were residents of the particular barracks. Ends