23 Nov 2021

Court had denied bail toa 37-year-old Zimbabwean man,  who is facing four counts of defilement.

Tonderayi Mugwisi, who is also facing another count of entering Botswana through ungazetted point, appeared for mention before the Maun Chief Magistrate Thebeetsile Molalu on November 22. 

Opposing bail, Inspector Paul Basupi argued that the Mugwisi was an illegal immigrant and had no permanent residence and therefore granting him bail would be difficult for the state to trace him.

Inspector Basupi said the victims had been recommended for counselling by social workers.

Particulars of the offence are that Mugwisi lured young girls aged between eight and 14 years of Thito ward in Maun before defiling them.

On first count, the accused person allegedly lured a ten-year-old girl to his place, where he gave her P3 and had sexual intercourse with her. On second count, Mugwisi allegedly had sexual intercourse with a 14–year-old on three occasions.

It is alleged that between September and October this year, the accused asked the complainant to get into his car and he drove to a bushy area where he had unprotected sex with the victim and gave her P5.

On the second occasion in the same month of September, Mugwisi is alleged to have followed the victim to her place of abode and took her to his place in Tsanekona, where he had sex with her without using a condom and gave her P5 afterwards.

On the third occasion, Mugwisi is alleged to have followed the complainant to her mother’s place and took her to a bushy area near Master’s Valley, where he had unprotected sex with her and gave her P10. He is said to have instructed the girl not to tell anyone because he would be arrested by the police.

On third count, Mugwisi is alleged to have called aside an eight-year-old girl who was swimming with her peers at Thito ward in Maun on November 08.

The accused allegedly gave the complainant P1 before instructing her to lie down on her back. The girl is reported to have attempted to run away but Mugwisi threatened to kill her if she ran away. He is said to have had unprotected sexual intercourse with the girl.

On fourth count, Mugwisi is alleged to have met a 10-year-old girl, who was from school on November 11. 

He allegedly took the complainant to his house where he undressed her and had sexual intercourse with her and gave her P5 with an instruction to keep mum about the ordeal.

However, upon arrival at her home the girl told her mother what happened and the matter was reported to the police.

On count five, Mugwisi is accused of entering Botswana through ungazetted point of entry contrary to section 4(1)(a) Immigration Act.

The accused was remanded in custody until December 6, when he will appear again in court. ends