09 Jun 2022

- Jwaneng Senior Magistrate, Ms Caroline Kataba has  rejected a request in which  rape accused Tshokolo Sehadi had asked the court to grant him time to seek a lawyer.

Magistrate Kataba warned the accused to stop playing delaying tactics.

She told the accused that she had observed the accused delaying tactics since the beginning of the trial

 “You also made an attempt to delay the court as you made a request to have all exhibits, witnesses and investigating officer all present before you could proceed, which I also saw as a delaying tactic,” she said.

Ms Kataba told the accused  that he had ample time to look for the lawyer.

“This case was long registered in 2019, and all along you have been out on bail and knew the dates of trial. So you could have used that liberty to look for a lawyer. I will not grant you your wish because I see that as just a delaying tactic.

Sehadi, who is standing trial with Tumo Mokganedi and Onneetse Mabego are accused of breaking into a hut in Maokane village on December 2017, and found three women and a male sleeping.

Mokganedi and Mabego allegedly raped one of the women while Sehadi is accused of raping the second woman. The third woman is said to have told the three men that she was pregnant.

After the accused request was rejected the trial continued and Sehadi pleaded with the court to be given time to seek a lawyer despite numerous warnings.

 Instead, the accused proved his innocence through his narration than cross-examining the witness. He informed the court that as far as he was concerned, he and the complainant were lovers.

Magistrate  Kataba interjected and told him that ‘you are supposed to ask the complaint questions, not to narrate your version of the events. You will be given time to give your side of the story later during the trial,” she said.

Despite the advice, Sehadi could not budge  and told the court that ‘She is only incriminating me because her friends are influencing her to do that. We have been lovers long back before this event and I even assisted her in raising her child.

We agreed at the bar that night that I will find her at her friend’s place, otherwise how would I have known she was there,” he charged. He said he was surprised to see the police coming for him the next day after having amicably left the complainant at her friend’s place.

The case was postponed to September 15 after prosecutor, Inspector Lorato Chabaetsile indicated that three state witnesses were not immediately available.

“The forensic scientist is currently on sick leave, the third complainant currently resides in Francistown, but her exact location is yet to be established, while the third witness, the male who was sleeping with the three complainants is said to be in Moshaweng, but we failed to find him when we went there,” said Inspector Chabaetsile. ENDS