23 Feb 2026

A 60-year-old pensioner, Samuel Selolwane, accused of raping a 13-year-old girl, is set to face an additional rape charge and have his co-accused turn into a state witness.

The new developments come at a time when Selolwane’s case at the High Court, in which he is seeking the court to determine the constitutionality of the forensic investigation, which required him to supply blood samples, is stalling the rape case proceedings.

However, Prosecutor Ms Seeletso Ookeditse told Chief Magistrate, Ms Nthabiseng Merafe-Olaotse of Broadhurst Magistrate Court on Friday, that the state was determined to proceed with the case even without his provision of blood samples for forensic analysis.

“We have decided to proceed without the forensic evidence because the case involves a child and the matter has been dragging,” Prosecutor Ms Ookeditse said, motivating for proceeding to a case management conference (CMC).

Selolwane, who was initially charged with a single count of raping a 13-year-old minor in January 2024, will have to fend off two charges related to the same incidents. It is alleged that Selolwane had unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor aged 13 without her consent in Oodi, where he is alleged to have had an anal sex with the said minor inside his combi, while the victim’s mother and friend had gotten inside a bar.

The second incident allegedly took place in or near Gaborone Block 6, where the accused allegedly undressed the victim and raped her inside the same vehicle on the same night. The accused is alleged to have offered a sum of P4,000 to the mother and an acquaintance as a cover-up after the minor reported the sexual assault.

Ms Seeletso told the court that the state was seeking to have an acquaintance with the victim’s mother, an accomplice witness, which could strengthen the state’s case amid a lack of forensic evidence.

Selolwane has refused to provide blood samples in the case, arguing it was not his responsibility to aid the state in prosecuting him, leading to him lodging a case at the High Court to determine the constitutionality of the forensic investigation, which required him to supply blood samples.

Although the state succeeded for over a year in opposing his bail due to his refusal, he was eventually granted bail by the High Court, reasoning that refusal to provide blood samples cannot be used to deny him bail, nor does it stop the completion of investigations by the prosecution.

Ms Seeletso earlier told the court that the accused person’s High Court case, although critical to the case, remained unheard at the High Court, leaving the state with no option but to proceed.

Selolwane is charged alongside the mother of the child and her friend, who are facing a charge of corruption of children, contrary to section 57 (1) (b) of the Children’s Act of 2009, having been found acting together and in concert, encouraging the prostitution of a minor child. 

The state, however, expected to drop charges against the acquaintance to be an accomplice witness. The case will be mentioned on March 24 for the case management conference. BOPA