22 May 2026

The man accused in the disappearance and murder of 7-year-old Tlotso Karema in Lobatse in 2022, Lovemore Sithole has recanted his earlier statement, telling the court he was beaten and suffocated into admitting to the crime.

Sithole, 41, was testifying in a trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of a confession statement he made before a Magistrate.

When asked by his lawyer, Keoraopetse Sambere, “Did you kill Tlotso Karema?” Sithole replied in a packed courtroom: “No, my hands are clean.” He did not say who he believed was responsible.

Sithole also disputed the investigating officer’s account of his arrest, adding that he was not arrested in Lobatse, but at Sejelo Police Station in Kanye, where he had been invited by police. His girlfriend, Kesegofetse Karema, the mother of the deceased, and other family members, he said were with him at the time.

The couple lived in Lobatse but had travelled to Kanye days before the arrest after being invited by his children’s grandmother to stay for a while. While there, Sithole said he received a call instructing him and Kesegofetse to report to the police. A vehicle was sent to collect them, but they drove themselves to the station, where the family was separated.

“As Kesegofetse went outside, the officer questioning me showed me a piece of paper with a number written on it and asked if I knew the number. I said no, and he laughed. He then made a sign, and I heard the sound of handcuffs behind me,” Sithole testified.

He said that was the start of his ordeal. He was arrested, suffocated, and beaten by a group of police officers until he nearly passed out, and eventually incriminated himself.

The trial continues today before Justice Matlhogonolo Phuthego in the Gaborone High Court.

Sithole is charged with Karema’s murder in 2022. Through his attorney, he is challenging the admissibility of the confession and maintains that he did not kill the child. ENDS