21 May 2026

Zimbabwean immigrant, Lovemore Sithole, was not the last person seen with deceased seven-year-old Tlotso Karema and therefore could not have been his killer, the Gaborone High Court heard on Tuesday.

This will form part of Sithole’s testimony on a trial-within-a-trial before Justice Matlhogonolo Phuthego, in which he is seeking to have a 2022 confession statement ruled inadmissible and to clear himself of the murder charge.
His attorney, Mr Keoraopetse Sambere, told Gaborone High Court that his client was coerced by police into admitting to killing his stepson.

During cross-examination of investigating Officer Detective Assistant Superintendent Tiroyaone Gosibotsile, Mr Sambere said his client would testify that he was forced to confess and then taken to a judicial officer to have the statement recorded.
Mr Sambere alleged that Sithole was forced to undress in front of twelve officers, including a female officer, at Sejelo Police Station and officer allegedly tapped his genitals with a finger and insulted him, saying he did not ‘look like a Zimbabwean’.

While undressed, Sithole was allegedly made to wear black refuse bag as trouser and another as a top, and a third bag was used to suffocate him and made to lie on the floor while an officer sat on his laps.

“He says he was suffocated until he almost passed out, and other officers were kicking him all over his body,” Mr Sambere said, adding that his client only admitted to the crime under duress.

Sithole was later taken to Lobatse Police Station, where arrangements were made for him to give a confession before a judicial officer.
The court also heard that Sithole was taken to the Directorate of Intelligence and Security [DIS] office in a Corolla driven by the investigating officer, Detective Assistant Superintendent Gosibotsile, along with another officer and a prison escort, and handed over to DIS officers.

However , Detective Assistant Superintendent Gosibotsile denied knowledge of the visit and said the DIS were not involved in the investigations.

Also, Mr Sambere said Sithole would testify that on August 30 and 31, 2022, while at the DIS office, he identified the last person seen with Karema and implicated that person in the killing.

He also said the person sent a Karema’s mother a message directing her to the child’s remains.

However, Detective Assistant Superintendent Gosibotsile maintained that Sithole confessed voluntarily, led police to the boy’s remains, and acted alone, noting that the police did not work with the DIS and had no other suspects.

The officer added that Sithole confessed to using a sangoma needle called machonyonyo, which could not be recovered as it “disappeared immediately.”

And further told the court Sithole that showed police the route to the crime scene, where he bathed in water mixed with Karema’s blood and where he wore clothes after bathing.

He then led investigators to Kanye to retrieve the clothes he wore after bathing, noting that the items were sent for forensic analysis, but no DNA matching Karema was found.

“My instruction from him is that he did not kill Karema,” Mr Sambere said. “What he wrote was because of torture and fear. He knew that even after appearing before the magistrate, he would still be handed back to you.”

Mr Sambere argued that the statement contained an untrue account of how the child died and was not made freely or voluntarily.

Sithole is charged with killing Karema in March 2022 in Lobatse. The trial continues and the judicial officer is expected to testify. ENDS