Mpotsang Convicted of Girlfriends Manslaughter
18 Feb 2026
The jealousy and aggression from Basimanebotlhe Mpotsang, which turned a night out with his girlfriend into a fatal tragedy back in 2011, has earned him a guilty verdict for manslaughter.
Gaborone High Court judge, Justice Bafi Nlandla, on Tuesday convicted the 44 year-old Mpotsang of Woodhall in Lobatse of the manslaughter of his
girlfriend, after being satisfied that the accused had admitted essential elements of the crime to which he had pleaded guilty.
As per the charge sheet before the court, Mpotsang unlawfully caused the death of Morwesi Gabaikangwe on November 18, 2011 at or near Thema 1 in Lobatse.
Prior to the conviction, the court had heard that Mpotsang's actions were sparked by insecurities about Gabaikangwe's interactions with other men at a drinking spot.
According to the facts as presented by the state prosecutor, Ms Seeletso Ookeditse, the two who were lovers and co-parents of two daughters, were out on a night drinking spree on that fateful day.
But things turned sour when Mpotsang developed some insecurities, accusing Gabaikangwe of getting too close to other men who were also at the same drinking spot.
The entertainment continued until midnight when the drinking spot closed, but the confrontation between the two continued on their way home.
The court heard that an argument ensued, resulting in Mpotsang pushing his girlfriend into a trench, causing her to fall on her back and hitting her head against the trench's wall.
The deceased managed to get up and they proceeded with their journey home where they slept. In the morning, when the accused returned to the house, he observed that the deceased had a bloody foam coming from her nose and had a swollen face.
"The accused person did not do anything about the deceased's injuries and he proceeded to his workplace," the court heard the facts, which he admitted.
During the day, the landlord, after being tipped off about the deceased's motionless body on the bed, entered the house where the deceased was lying motionless, and the matter was reported to the police.
During the investigations, the pathologist formed an opinion that the cause of death was head injuries. Thus the state believed that the accused person owed a duty to care for the deceased, which he neglected.
The state prosecutor applied for his fingerprints to determine previous criminal records. Mpotsang, who works as a security guard, will appear for mitigation and sentencing on March 5. BOPA
Source : BOPA
Author : Bonang Masolotate
Location : Gaborone
Event : Court case
Date : 18 Feb 2026
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