30 Jan 2018

Accused number five in the ongoing Gaborone North Farms murder trial Mpho Mangwa has confirmed the fourth accused’s testimony that indeed all of the accused were present during the infamous Tuwana Construction Camp site attack which resulted in the death of a Security Systems night watchman who was on guard.

Giving evidence led by his lawyer Ms Bokani Machinya recently, Mangwa who testified after Patrick Gaile who admitted having a hand in the incident, did not beat about the bush but told the court that while at Tuwana camp he together with Lebang  Ntesi and Gorata  Sebego forcefully entered the Chinese man’s house where they ransacked it for anything they could profit from.

He said they gained entry through kicking the window burglar bars and proceeded to capture the Chinese man whom they have heard talking over the phone and tied his legs with a belt.

Mangwa said while inside the house looking for valuables, Phemelo Tshelang peeped through and warned that two more Chinese men were coming and therefore ran away.

In the meantime he said Sebego had managed to steal a laptop (DELL) and some cash while he (Mangwa) salvaged a pellet gun which he later threw into the bush in one of the farms as they were running away.
The pair then headed to Mmamashia stop where they later got a ride to Oodi but on the way Mangwa instructed Sebego to search the bag and they found P20 000 in P200 notes.

The two shared the loot with Mangwa getting P7 000 while Sebego remained with P13 000. Upon their arrival in Oodi he said they briefly checked on a certain Mpho Setswammung before leaving for Queens Bar where they met Ntesi and Tshelang and discussed on the events at Tuwana camp.
Mangwa also noted that they discussed and wondered where Gaile could be as he did not show up.

In the meantime he said they agreed that they will sell the laptop the following day and share among themselves.
Asked by defence counsel for accused number one Ms Wema Isa whether they did disclose that they discovered P20 000 in the laptop, Mangwa said they did not and could not share the money with them since they did not know that there was money in the laptop.

Attorney Isa therefore labeled Mangwa greedy and selfish because though he had shared P20 000 with Sebego he still wanted to get more from sale of laptop.
Meanwhile attorney Isa said Mangwa was trying to implicate his client, Ntesi, in the whole saga though he was never at or near the scene.

He said Mangwa just like Patrick Gaile was implicating Ntesi in an attempt to protect himself and exonerate himself from the crime.

Likewise, attorney Isiah Letlole representing Tshelang asked Mangwa as to whether his client received anything or whether any valuable from Tuwana was found in his possession of which the answer was a big ‘no”, sending the court into uncontrollable laughter.

The case continues before Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo January 31. Ends