16 Jul 2021

A state witness in the Isaac Davids murder case, Ms Ogomoditswe Rantsodi has admitted to taking a small amount of khadi on the day of the incident.

The witness, in the case in which Jabulani Dube and Mokgalemi Maleya are charged for murdering Mr Davids at Sorilatholo in January 2018, admitted under cross examination by the defence attorney, Mr Opeyemi Ajayi on Thursday, that she had taken the traditional brew.

“You did not see anything, you were partaking in the waters of immorality - khadi,” Mr Ajayi said to the state witness. He said a few sips of khadi, could have hindered the witness’ ability to accurately witness and narrate the alleged ordeal.

Mr Ajayi, said contrary to the witness’ statement that his client, Maleya had stabbed the deceased on the buttocks, the pathology report did not record any stab on the buttocks. He said when giving evidence before the court, the pathologist, Dr Kaone Panzirah-Mabaka never indicated that the deceased had stab wounds on the buttocks.

The defence attorney accused the witness of fabricating evidence and being unreliable as she changed her story from not taking khadi to taking a small amount of the intoxicating brew.

Mr Ajayi told the witness that his client will tell the court that he neither held the deceased by the legs nor stabbed his buttocks, contrary to the witness’s evidence.

He stated that the witness could not even identify the vehicle which the deceased used and added that the witness was far from the crime scene. However, the witness maintained that she was at a reasonable distance to witness whatever was happening.

Ms Rantsodi remained adamant that she was telling the truth before the court and she was not intoxicated. She said the deceased had tried to run, but his assailants followed him and assaulted him, with Maleya holding the deceased by the legs and stabbing him while Dube was on top of the deceased stabbing him.

Ms Rantsodi said contrary to the defence’s statement, the deceased had never asked his companion to bring him a gun from the vehicle, but it was Dube who wanted to get a gun from the deceased’s vehicle and he was blocked by the deceased’s companion.

When asked by the defence attorney, Mr Bathusi Brown, who represents Dube, if she knew Mr Davids before the event, Ms Rantsodi said she knew the deceased as they belonged to the same political party.

Furthermore, she was asked if she knew why the deceased was called Fokon Bastard, the witness told the court that she knew the name, but did not know its origins.

However, the attorney alleged that the deceased had a habit of abusing his employees and his client will tell that to the court. The cased is scheduled for status hearing on August 16 to confirm other trail dates of October 11 to 13.

The state is represented by Ms Thato Dibeela of the Directorate of Public Prosecution and the case is before Justice Michael Leburu of the Gaborone High Court. ends