31 Jan 2018

Police in Bobonong are investigating a case in which six people died after a vehicle they were travelling in overturned along the Bobonong/ Mabolwe road on January 28 just after Mothwane River.

In an interview with Bobonong Police Station commander, Superintendent Paul Seoko said 15 passengers including the driver were on board a 16 seater combi which was heading to Bobonong when the accident happened.

He said three passengers died on the spot while the other three were certified dead at Bobonong Primary Hospital, while seven severely injured passengers were referred to Nyangabwe Referral Hospital in Francistown.

Superintendent Seoko further explained that of the seven injured passengers, three were released back to Bobonong Primary Hospital while the four were still at Nyangabwe receiving treatment.

He said the names of the deceased have been withheld until their next of kin were informed.

Among the deceased, he said, was a Zimbabwean man, two women one from Gobojango and the other from Tsetsebye and a child. The other two men originate from Bobonong.

The station commander stated that they were awaiting a post mortem report and that upon conclusion the deceased would be handed to their families for burial.

Supt Seoko stated that investigations were still ongoing to establish the cause of the accident, but that preliminary investigations have established that the right rear tyre burst could have caused the combi to overturn.

The 25-year-old driver, he said, was still in police custody to assist them with investigations, and that he might face a charge upon conclusion of the investigations.

He said the accident was the first recorded this year.

Meantime Supt Seoko said three men, two Batswana and a Zimbabwean citizen were in custody after they were found with remnants of an elephant tusks.

He said they were still trying to establish where they got the tusk leftovers.

In other case, he said a Motswana together with his Zimbabwean counterpart were arrested after they were found with beef suspected to be from stolen stock, and that they have been jailed for 18 months after they pleaded guilty to the charge.ENDS