25 Oct 2023

Serowe police have expressed concern about the increasing number of murders arising from love affairs gone sour.

 Superintendent Poloko Oteng of Serowe police told BOPA this week that they were investigating a case in which a 66-year-old man of Semane 2 ward stabbed his 54-year-old lover to death and later committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on October 20.   

It is alleged that the man arrived at their home and found that his lover and her daughter had gone to look for firewood in the nearby bushes. 

The man is said to have gotten angry and followed the two women where he used a sharp object, suspected to be a knife, to stab the elder one.  

Supt Oteng said both the man and the woman were later certified dead at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital, while police were investigating to establish what could have led to the incident.

Supt Oteng observed that in most cases, women were killed by their partners, while men got killed at drinking places their drinking mates, adding that the perpetrators usually used knives.

Meanwhile, the police chief advised alcohol dealers in Serowe to operate within the stipulated times, saying prolonged hours of selling alcohol may also be contributing to the murder cases.

He also urged the community to refrain from any activity that may lead them to break the law, but to seek advice in case of misunderstandings.

Supt Oteng disclosed that the police were concerned by the increase in the number of sexual offences involving grownup men and underage girls in Serowe and surrounding villages. 

He said the frequency of such incidents was worrisome.

This came after an 18-year- old man of Ditlharapa ward in Serowe appeared before Serowe Magistrate’s Court for defilement with an underage girl aged 14 of Botalaote ward. 

The incident is said to have occurred in  2021.

Supt Oteng stated that every week, they received similar cases, expressing concern that some gender-based violence, rape and defilement incidents were not reported on time, meaning that the statistics might not be a true reflection of the reality.

He stated that in some cases victims of sexual offences were reluctant to open up after their ordeal for fear of stigma.

“We all must come together to uncover these criminal elements as they cause their victims untold pain and even life-long trauma,” he said. ENDS