07 Jul 2022

 The suspect in the case of the disappearance of Lobatse’s Peleng  East boy, Tlotso Karema appeared before Lobatse Magistrate Court  on one count of murder yesterday.

The Zimbabwe national,  Lovemore Sithole, was the six-year- old Tlotso’s  stepfather.  

Botswana Police Service public relations officer, Senior Superintendent Near Bagali, in an interview yesterday, said the suspect was remanded in custody and would appear again in court next week Tuesday.

Earlier, he had confirmed the arrest of the 37-year-old man to help the police with investigations of a murder case.

The police spokesperson, however, would not reveal whether the suspect was linked to the mobile phone numbers that were used to alert the police about some human bones that are alleged to be of Tlotso.

He further declined to comment on allegations that the suspect had shown the police where he had buried the body along the Lobatse-Molapowabojang road.

“I cannot discuss extensive details of the investigations. 

But we are following all the leads on anything that will help the investigators to connect the dots. 

The investigations will determine what really transpired,” said Mr Bagali.

Tlotso was reported missing on March 18 and his disappearance had remained a mystery to the community of Lobatse.

In a recent Kgotla meeting in Peleng, deputy police commissioner, Mr Cornelius Lesola promised the community that the police would leave no stone unturned in investigating the matter and finding the truth.

The Botswana police’ divisional commander south, Mr Harrison Digobe said, at the same meeting, that an extensive search party was carried out to look for the boy.

He said the police then received a tip off of some human bones and clothes found near Lobatse, which the family of the boy identified as their son’s.

He said they then involved the police forensic officers, who took samples from the mother and conducted a DNA test.

He said the DNA test results matched, which indicated that the bones could be that of the missing child. 

That is when the police opened investigations on a case of murder, he said. ENDS