21 Mar 2018

A Zimbabwean national who is accused of stealing P3.9 million from his late employer was recently granted permission to visit his rented house in Bontleng location in Gaborone to check on his properties.

The decision to grant comes after he pleaded with the court to allow him under escort to visit his rented house because it has been a while since he was there.

Bhekizwe Nkomazana was a gardener for the late Mr Solomon Tlhapane for 25 years until his death on September 1, 2016. 

However when he appeared before Gaborone Regional South Magistrate Mr Christopher Gabanagae, the accused, prayed that he be granted his wish more so that he had been in custody ever since he was arrested for charges relating to fraud.

Since the prosecutor of the case from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mr Relentse Mosarwa did not oppose the request, Magistrate Gabanagae ordered that he be taken to his place of residence before being led to prison.

In the meantime, Nkomazana will appear with the rest of his co-accused on March 29, 2018 and prospects of him taking a plea are still dim as investigations are still on going. He had previously indicated that he wants to plead guilty to all charges before him, but this will only be realised once summary of facts have been compiled.

 In the previous appearance Mr Mosarwa noted that they have traced some of the looted funds to some South African commercial banks and therefore they were still awaiting authentication papers before they could make summary of facts that will kick-start the taking of plea and set the court in motion.

Nkomazana is charged with corruption, theft, entering the country through an illegal point, forgery of title deeds, obtaining by false pretences and giving false information while applying for a Botswana National Identity card and fraudulently obtaining a Botswana passport under pretext that he is a registered citizen.

He allegedly paid P12 000 bribe to Onthusitse Seoke, a senior registration assistant, in order to be issued with a Botswana birth certificate using the names of Khaya Bheki Mazibuku. 

Seoke has also been charged with official corruption for receiving the money in a personal account and issuing a Botswana birth certificate to a Zimbabwean.

Nkomazana allegedly sold Mr Tlhapane’s house and a commercial plot and deposited the money into his account. 

Mr Tlhapane’s, body laid at the mortuary for a long time, while the accused allegedly told the deceased’s children based in South Africa and UK that their father was well long after his death. ENDS