Rude suspect gets 20 strokes in a day
Although it was his penis and then his foul mouth that landed him in trouble, Olebogeng Motswakgakala’s bottom paid the ultimate price for his wayward ways.
The 33-year-old Gweta native is on trial before Francistown Magistrates Court for a rape he is accused of committing in Borolong village on 30 March 2018.
With the trial originally scheduled for 2019, Motswakgakala, who was out on bail at the time, failed to show up and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Having evaded the boys in blue for close to five years, the accused rapist was rearrested in 2024.
However, the matter dragged on yet again, this time due to the lack of a substantive magistrate to take charge of the case.
On Monday, the drama heated up big time.
Called to the dock, Motswakgakala told court he does not know anything about the offence, adding he had left his court documents at prison.
With Chief Magistrate, Daniel Nkau still addressing him, the suspect then pulled a shocker; ignoring the stunned magistrate, he brazenly walked out of the dock and took his seat back down in the gallery, leaving Nkau with no option but to continue without his input.
On Tuesday, Motswakgakala lost his senses completely.
Returning for the morning session, the mouthy man informed Magistrate Nkau he treated the court as if it were his own.
With all ears on him, he then dropped the following insult, “Marete a gago (your testicles).”
Responding to the slur, the Magistrate kept his cool, calmly calling out the suspect for contempt of court and ordering he be taken back to prison and whipped ten times for his rudeness.
Motswakgakala did not learn his lesson.
When the trial resumed after lunch, escorted into the courtroom by eight jail guards, the beaten man continued his defiance.
Indeed, he stepped it up a level.
Taking offence at being instructed to ‘sit down’ by the Magistrate, Motswakgakala retorted furiously, “How can you say I sit down while I have been beaten like this? How can I be trialed when I am like this? And I cannot listen to you because you are not listening to me. Just yesterday you called in the witness on my absence. So continue again without me.
“One day I will hunt for you since you ordered that I be beaten. You have shown me that you are fighting. I am badly injured Mr, your testicles, together with your father and your grandmother. This guy is boring me and he thinks I am enjoying.”
Perhaps taking pity on the moaning man before him, the Magistrate maintained such offensive language did not have any effect on him, explaining the strokes were a court order.
Pushing his luck too far, Motswakgakala repeated his insults, at which point the no-nonsense Nkau ordered a second dose of corporal punishment, calling for ten more strokes of the sjambok.
Finally the message sunk in.
On Wednesday, Motswakgakala limped into court a different man, his arrogance and rudeness whipped away.
Speaking with deep respect, he humbly asked that the trial be adjourned for a month to allow his beaten body to heal.
His politeness paid off, with Magistrate Nkau ruling the trial would continue on 28 May – it will be interesting to see which Motswakgakala turns up!
