13 Mar 2017

Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo of Gaborone High Court is expected to deliver judgement in a case in which Kabonyana Ramokgwaneng is accused of the murder of Moremi Motlasuping in Ramankhung settlement near Lentsweletau in the night of November 21, 2011. 

The ruling, which is scheduled for June 7,  will be preceded by written submissions by both the state and defence lawyers, who individually closed their cases last Wednesday after a lengthy and protracted trial in which the state called eight witnesses to testify.

On the other hand the accused, whom Justice Dibotelo ruled that he has a prima facia case of murder to answer for, chose not to call any witness and gave sworn evidence, which was critically challenged by state prosecutor, Ms Sali Boitumelo as she described him as ‘a person whom the court cannot rely upon because of his contradictory evidence’.

Earlier on, while giving evidence, state scientific pathologist based in Francistown, Dr Shathani Mogoma said the deceased died due to bilateral pneumonia that was caused by an open wound in the head, which he sustained on the left side of his head when he was assaulted by Ramokgwaneng.

Giving evidence in chief and while under cross examination from defence attorney, Mr David Moloise, Dr Mogoma said the nature of the wound and the cavity which extended into the brain shows that the perpetrator used a lot of force on the deceased, who died later at Princess Marina Hospital on January 1, 2012.

Dr Mogoma informed the court that two blunt objects, and a sharp one were used in the commission of the offence.

He said if the end tip of a knife handle was used, it means that the perpetrator applied a lot of force to strike the deceased because the fracture and cavity happened where the skull is hard and can easily resist any minimal force.

Since the prosecution produced both a knife and an iron rod, which allegedly were used in the commission of the crime, the accused on the other hand told the court that he never used the iron metal, but instead used the knife, which was later retrieved near a motlopi tree the following day.

Ramokgwaneng told the court that he was forced by the police to write a confession statement indicating that he used an iron rod while in fact he used a knife and that he chased the deceased although it was the other way round.

He said the deceased easily caught up with him as he was drunk from the four pints of Chibuku beer, which he drank with his friend Mopegi Maphi the whole day.

The accused, who has since pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, maintained that he never had the intention of killing the deceased, but only used the knife to rid himself from the deceased, who had grabbed him for his friend, Captain, who was fast approaching and was armed with a catapult.

They had fought before some time ago.

Meanwhile,  asked by Justice Dibotelo, why could all the witnesses manufacture incriminating stories against him, he said it is because people from Ramankhung do not like him for no apparent reason to a level where even the police did not buy in his story. ENDS