09 Nov 2017

Two men accused of the murder of Mr Vincent Mopipi on the night of September 13, 2013 have admitted to having committed criminal offenses in the past, which landed them behind bars.

Appearing before Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo recently, where their defence attorneys Mrs Dikeledi Dingake and Mr Kabelo Nkwe later submitted extenuating circumstances on their behalf, the duo admitted to having committed criminal offenses previously.

According to previous conviction records filed by the prosecutor, Ms Sali Boitumelo, the first accused, Matshidiso Boikanyo was on March 30, 2005 convicted of theft by Tlokweng Customary Court and fined P200 or eight months imprisonment.

On his second conviction, the court heard, the same customary court convicted him of stealing from a person on April 4, 2006 and sentenced to two years imprisonment with five strokes on his bare buttocks.

The Gaborone High Court further heard that Boikanyo was on August 19, 2006 convicted by Gaborone Village Magistrate Court for burglary and stealing from a dwelling house, of which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment wholly suspended for three years on the first count while on the second count he was lashed four strokes and given 18 months imprisonment wholly suspended for two years.

The packed court was further informed that Boikanyo was also convicted by Village Magistrate Court on June 13, 2007 for robbery and sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Regarding the second accused, Moabi Mabiletsa, the court heard that on April 22, 2005 he was convicted by Village Magistrate Court on a single count of robbery and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

The same court sentenced him to three years imprisonment on September 6, 2005 for obtaining by false pretences.

Mr Mopipi was murdered on the night of September 13, 2013 at Block 9 in Gaborone West after taking would-be clients from Puma Filling Station in Tlokweng, who had initially called saying they wanted to be taken to University of Botswana, but later changed their destination.

The same clients stabbed him 44 times all over his body.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Dibotelo said the two convicts were pathetic liars whom the court could not rely upon as they sought to distance themselves from the crime though the circumstantial evidence squarely linked them to the crime.

“In the result each of the accused persons Matshidiso Tshidi Boikanyo and Moabi Seabelo Mabiletsa is found guilty and convicted of murder contrary to Section 202 of the Penal Code Cap. 08:01,” he said before a moderately filled courtroom then.

Ruling on the extenuating circumstances, which have been opposed by the prosecution, is expected on December 1. ENDS