Botswana’s 400 metre sprinter, Baboloki Thebe, was this week fined P3000.00 and had his driver’s licence suspended for a year after pleading guilty to drunk driving.
The 23-year-old runner was recently convicted of one count of driving a motor vehicle with alcohol content in excess of the prescribed permissible limit.
Court heard that Thebe, on the 21st of March 2020 along Gaborone/Molepolole road drove a white VW Golf whilst the alcohol content in his breath was 0.94/100ml thereby exceeding the prescribed limit of 0.22/100ml.
He lost control of the vehicle he was driving and it overturned.
He was accompanied by another star athlete, Onkabetse Nkobolo.
While Thebe walked away with hardly a scratch, Nkobolo sustained injuries that have since confined him to a wheelchair.
Thebe, on the other hand, is currently in camp with the national team as he looks to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in August.
Broadhurst Magistrate, Babedi Rankoro, fined the athlete P3 000.00 to be paid within two months from the 23rd of February, failure of which he shall go to prison for 18 months.
She further ordered that the accused person be prohibited from driving, holding or obtaining a driver’s license for a period of 12 months.
Magistrate Rankoro advised the accused person of his right to appeal both sentence and conviction at the High Court within 14 days.
