A man who brutally killed his wife at a Gender Based Violence centre in the presence of a counsellor has been locked away and will appear in court on June 6th.
In a horrific incident that left people shocked and traumatised, Gomolemo Mmotlanyane, 40, is said to have whipped out a knife during a counselling session and attacked his wife Kebabope Mmotlanyane, much to the shock of the youthful counsellor who was assisting the couple.
The 34-year-old Kebabope who worked as a Social Worker at Moiyabana had allegedly gone for counselling with her husband, Mmotlanyane, following a misunderstanding when she was stabbed to death.
The husband who hails from Kopong was arraigned before Broadhurst Magistrates court on Thursday facing one count of murder.
Speaking to The Voice Online, Botswana Police Spokesperson- Assistant Police Commissioner Dipheko Motube, confirmed the incident.
He said Kebabope was stabbed with a sharp object in the presence of a 24-year-old counsellor.
When reached for a comment, Lorato Moalusi of Botswana Gender-Based Prevention and Support Centre, said the man had not shown any sign of aggression prior to the incident.
She said the traumatic incident was the first to occur at the centre and that staff is undergoing post-trauma counselling.
“As a result the centre was closed from Friday and opened today (Monday). This incident calls for measures to protect GBV front liners. Coming back to this place is so traumatic for our staff and we are still shocked. This is the worst thing to have happened in my 30 years’ experience of being a front liner. Imagine a woman coming here for help and getting butchered at the help centre. A full review of security measures and protocols is underway and we will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure safety at all our centres throughout the country,” said Moalusi.
