13 Feb 2014

A 36-year-old woman, Oaitse Molanga, who was convicted on two counts of causing grievous bodily harm will spend time behind bars waiting to be sentenced.

On the first count, the unemployed Molanga was charged for unlawfully assaulting Ms Sebongile Chubele with a bottle and causing her a fracture on the left hand. On the other count, she was charged with unlawfully hitting Mr Isaac Radipodi with a bottle above his left eye and causing him blindness.

After convicting Molanga recently, Serowe Principal Magistrate Kgololesego Segabo said the court had to wait for her previous convictions (which were not yet ready) before sentencing her. “Unfortunately you will not go home,” Principal Magistrate Segabo stated after convicting Molanga.

The magistrate also emphasised that grievous bodily harm was a serious offence that attracted a minimum sentence of seven years in jail.

When reading the judgement, Principal Magistrate Segabo said Ms Chubele testified that on January 16, 2010, she was in the company of her boyfriend, Mr Radipodi and they were drinking beer at Zamalek bar in Francistown.

The accused appeared holding a stick and started beating her with it. Mr Radipodi tried to resolve the conflict by taking the stick and breaking it into pieces, she testified.

He said Ms Chubele told the court that Molanga insulted them as he went away and threw empty bottles at them and in the process stated that she would kill her and would never rest until she had shed blood.

The Principal Magistrate stated that the first witness said the accused later came back with her boyfriend, Mr Kegaisamang Dambe, who ended up fighting with Mr Radipodi. During the fight, Mr Dambe pushed Mr Radipodi to the ground and Molanga hit Mr Radipodi with a broken 750 ml empty bottle.

The presiding officer said the second witness, Mr Radipodi, confirmed the evidence of Ms Chubele. The magistrate also said the second state witness was admitted at the Nyangabwe hospital for three months.

According to the testimony of the accused, the magistrate said the accused confirmed that she was at the bar drinking a 750ml beer when from nowhere, Ms Chubele stood up and started insulting her. She told the court that it was not the first time that Ms Chubele had insulted her. 

The magistrate stated that at first the accused denied assaulting the victim, but later changed and said that she accidentally injured Mr Radipodi.

The presiding officer said investigations revealed that the matter between the accused and Ms Chubele was a conflict that had been ongoing for a long time as it appeared they were dating the same man, Mr Dambe.

Molanga would appear on February 25 for mitigation and sentencing. ENDS