08 Sep 2013

Maun police station commander has appealed for information that may lead to the arrest of two rapists involved in two separate incidents in Maun.

Speaking in an interview, Superintendent Kenanao Badumetse said the first incident occurred on September 3 night at Botshabelo ward. “Two secondary school girls aged 16 and 17 years are reported to have been raped by a man who made his way into the house they were sleeping in and raped them inter-changeably,” he said.

According to Supt Badumetse, “they said that the man put a screwdriver on their necks and threatened to use it if they made a noise. He then repeatedly raped them inter-changeably and ran away after he was done,” he said.

Supt Badumetse said the other rape case occurred on September 4 night in Kubung ward around 11p.m and was reported at one o’clock in the morning. “The victim is a 22-year-old woman who said she was walking from church when the ordeal happened,” he said.

He explained that according to the woman, a man who was walking in the opposite direction hit her with something in the face and she passed out. “When she woke up the man was standing over her and getting dressed and she then realised that he had raped her. 

The man then left and she came to the police station straight away,” said Superintendent Badumetse. He said all the victims had indicated that the perpetrators were Batswana. Supt Badumetse appealed to church leaders to refrain from ending their church services very late as this had proven to be dangerous for their members who ended up walking home alone.

“I would also like to encourage people to walk with others if they do walk at night, or get taxis but should not even think of walking alone at night,” he said. He noted that rape cases had been on the decline, but the recent flare-up might change the picture.

In another different case, Supt Badumetse said a 29-year-old Zimbabwean man died from drowning at Chanoga River when the canoe he was travelling in capsized after being attacked by a hippo. He was in the company of a a Motswana woman. “The woman managed to swim to shore but the man drowned,” he said.

He said the following morning, police and Botswana Defence Force scuba divers went to the river  and managed to retrieve the body of the man after an hour long search. “We then transported him to Letsholathebe Hospital where he was certified dead,” he said. Supt Badumetse also advised people to use motor boats instead of canoes.

“Since 2009 up to date, four people have already died in that river due to hippo attacks on canoes,” he said. Ends