08 Apr 2016

 A former girlfriend to one of the accused in the murder of a cab driver, Mr Vincent Mopipi, who is also a state witness has told Gaborone High Court that a kitchen knife which was found in possession of the accused belongs to her.

Giving evidence in chief, Ms Goitsemodimo Mogadime, who stays in Bontleng location in Gaborone, said she used to date Moabi Mabiletsa and they were madly in love as Mabiletsa had never illtreated her in any way.

She however said her darling, who was able to provide for her despite the fact that he was also not working just like her had a profound habit of taking her over 30 cm long black-handled kitchen knife with him whenever he goes out for entertainment at night.

Led by state prosecutor from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ms Sally Boitumelo, she admitted that she once quizzed him why he always took the broad shinny bladed knife which he usually inserted beside his shin underneath tight fitting trousers whenever he goes for out for entertainment.

Ms Mogadime said Mabiletsa responded that he took the knife for self defence because Bontleng residents were fond of killing people. She however stated that on the night of September 13, 2013, she did not see him take the knife out nor did she notice that the knife was missing until he saw him take it in the morning of September 1, 2013 after bathing.

She told the court that when Mabiletsa came from his night outing towards midnight, he knocked on the door and invited her to come out to eat with him as he said he had brought some food but she declined and went back to sleep. After he finished eating with a group of friends he joined her to sleep but did not remove his clothes.

Mabiletsa was later arrested by a team of police officers who descended on him while sitting on a rock behind Bontleng Clinic. 

Asked by defence lawyer Mr Kabelo Nkwe whether she was not acting in malice or incriminating her former lover just because he jilted her in front of another woman she said she could not do that because she even wrote the statement while Mabiletsa was still in custody before he told her that they should go separate ways as there was a new girl in his life. 

“I loved him very much and would never do such a thing to him. When he told me that it was over I just simply accepted my fate and moved on with my life,” she said with loving eyes towards Mabiletsa who smiled back to her.

Meanwhile she told the court under cross examination from another defence lawyer Ms Dikeledi Dingake that in spite of the fact that she was living in a rented house she had supportive family members who paid her rent. On the other hand she said she sometime engaged in menial jobs doing laundry for various people.

Meanwhile detective assistant superintendent Zachariah Babusi who is now based in Palapye positively identified the knife which he retrieved from Mabiletsa at the serious crimes squad offices while searching him. He said Mabiletsa told him that he used the knife for self defence. He, together with a team of four police officers handed the accused and the knife to Gaborone West Police where the murder offence took place. Ends