06 Jun 2026

The defence counsel in the Lovemore Sithole trial-within-a-trial, Mr Keoraopele Sambere, intends to summon state witnesses for his client’s defence. ‎ ‎The attorney explained when requesting the court to adjourn on Friday, that the defence was eyeing about two to three witnesses from the state’s main case to confirm facts material to his client’s defence. ‎ ‎Mr Sambere said the Investigating Officer told the court during his evidence that he was not at Sejelo Police Station on July 5 2022, the day Sithole said he was summoned to the police station in Kanye. ‎ ‎“The investigating officer denied ever being in Kanye on that date. They will confirm if they were ever at Sejelo,” Mr Sambere said. ‎ ‎Among the contentions before the court, Sithole stated that he was called to the police station in Kanye on July 5 2022. ‎ ‎The accused stated he was in the company of Kesaobaka Karema and Kesegofetse Karema, among others, although Mr Sambere did not disclose before the court whom the defence would call for its case. ‎ ‎He noted that the defence was desirous of subpoenaing witnesses from the state’s main case. ‎ ‎Prior to that, state attorney Mr Ambrose Mubika raised that none of the stated witnesses had spoken of the alleged assault on the accused. ‎ ‎He thus said the defence should extend the courtesy of informing the court what the witnesses are expected to say, something Mr Sambere explained. ‎ ‎The case was postponed to June 30. ‎ ‎Sithole is charged with the murder of seven-year-old Tlotso Karema in 2022 in Lobatse. ‎ ‎He maintained his innocence in the trial-within-a-trial, saying he was not the last person seen with the child. ‎ ‎He previously told the court that on July 5, he was then arrested and separated from those accompanying him, made to strip naked, made to wear a plastic bag as trousers and a T-shirt, while a third bag was put on his head to suffocate him, while they assaulted him by beating and kicking him to confess to killing Tlotso.Ends