15 Jul 2022

The director of Moeladilotlhoko News Boiler, Tshepo Junior Sethibe was yesterday granted conditional bail on a charge of publishing alarming content. 

Sethibe, 32, is facing a single count of publishing alarming content contrary to section 59 (1) as read with section 33 of the penal code (CAP 08:01) laws of Botswana. 

He was not asked to enter a plea for the alleged offence, said to have been committed on July 8. When granting bail, chief magistrate Mr Mareledi Dipate set the bail amount at P2000. 

He also ordered Sethibe not to interfere with investigations which included not talking to witnesses.  He further ordered him not to publish any alarming information.

Earlier on, Superintendent Oagile Bolane of Botswana Police Service told the court that they would not oppose bail, but asked that it be conditional.

 Sethibe has been accused of publishing on his facebook account, Moeladilotlhoko News Boiler a false statement reading: “ka jaana ba sepodise ba supa fa masalela a ngwana a a bonweng mo bekeng e ka di 06 July Wedmesday 22, a ya go kopangwa le marapo a bonweng ka di 14 April 2022 morago ga two weeks mme a tshubiwe (cremation), ga gona phitlho ya ga Tlotso ka gore go dirwa boferefere”.

 The essence of the publication was that police had claimed that a child’s bones found early July would be mixed with those found in April for cremation meant there would be no burial for Tlotso (the murdered child) and that this was so because there was a coverup. 

The police are arguing that by doing so, he caused unnecessary alarm to the public. Sethibe who was represented by Mr Obonye Jonas will appear again on September 6. 

Meanwhile, Botswana Police spokesperson senior superintendent Near Bagali has refuted social media allegations that by Gaborone West police arrested Sethibe upon his release. Senior Supt Bagali could neither confirm nor deny whether the police were questioning or had questioned him following his release.  BOPA