08 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, while requesting an adjournment 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 stated that the investigating officer had told the court during his evidence that he was not at Sejelo Police Station on July 5, 2022, the day Sithole claimed he was summoned to the police station in Kanye.

“The investigating officer denied ever being in Kanye on the 5th. They will confirm if they were ever at Sejelo,” Mr Sambere said.

Among the contentions before court, Sithole stated that he was called to the police station in Kanye on July 05, 2022.

The accused said he was in the company of Kesaobaka Karema and Kesegofetse Karema, among others, although Mr Sambere did not disclose before court whom the defence would call for its case.

He noted that the defence desired to subpoena witnesses from the state’s main case.

Prior to that, state attorney Mr Ambrose Mubika pointed out that none of the state’s witnesses had spoken of the alleged assault on the accused.

He thus requested that the defence extend the courtesy of informing the court what the witnesses were expected to say, an explanation Mr Sambere duly provided.

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, testifying that he was not the last person seen with the child.

He previously told the court that on July 5, he was arrested and separated from those accompanying him.

He alleged that he was made to strip naked, wear a plastic bag as trousers and a T-shirt, and that a third bag was placed over his head to suffocate him.

He claimed he was assaulted by being beaten and kicked to coerce a confession for killing Karema. ENDS