23 Feb 2025

A 33-year-old Botswana Defence Force (BDF) soldier is reported to have shot his 29-year-old girlfriend and later took his life in the early hours of Saturday at Newtown Ward in Maun. 

Confirming the incident in an interview, Maun Police Station commander, Superintendent Joseph Lepodise said they received a report from a neighbour, who is also the deceased woman’s cousin at around 3:30am stating that they heard a loud gun shot. 

He said the cousin had already alerted other neighbours who hurried to the couple’s house and found the woman lying motionless in a pool of blood. 

Upon arrival at the scene, he said, the police found that the neighbours had already rushed the woman to the Maun Private hospital where she was certified dead. 

 Superintendent Lepodise further narrated that the police found the man wearing BDF uniform, also lying in a pool of blood and a shot gun next to him. 

The police rushed him to Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital where he was certified dead. 

Superintendent Lepodise said both the deceased originated from Maun, adding that the man, who was on a trip in Maun was based at Thebephatswa Camp. Both deceased’s next of kin, he said, had been notified about the incident and investigations were ongoing. 

Superintendent Lepodise also revealed they were investigating another incident in which a 26-year-old woman was knocked down by a vehicle on Saturday around 5am while crossing the road at Old Mall. 

The victim, he said sustained serious injuries and was in a critical condition at Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital. BOPA