*Jealous lover convicted of attempted murder following arson attack
More than a decade after a jealous rage erupted into a near-fatal arson attack, the Gaborone High Court has found Tshegofatso Molefe guilty of two counts of attempted murder for setting fire to houses where the father of her child and another woman were sleeping.
Justice Oteng Motlhala on Tuesday convicted Molefe of attempting to murder Monkgogi Tsholofelo and Tebogo Mokanjo, finding that the State had proved beyond reasonable doubt that she deliberately set the first house ablaze knowing the pair was inside.
She was, however, acquitted on four additional counts of attempted murder after the court ruled there was insufficient evidence to establish that she knew four other people were inside the second house when she started the fire.
The offences stem from an incident that occurred on September 9, 2014, at the Mokanjo homestead. Court records show that Molefe, driven by suspicions that Tsholofelo the father of her child was spending the night with Mokanjo, armed herself with matches, floor polish and a blanket before making her way to the property.
During the trial, Molefe admitted leaving her 16-month-old baby at home before carrying out the attack.
She testified that she first poured floor polish and set fire to the door of a mud hut with a corrugated iron roof where Tsholofelo and Mokanjo were asleep.
She then moved to a nearby thatched hut and ignited it, telling the court she believed the structure was being used to store alcohol allegedly being sold by Mokanjo.
Although the fires spread rapidly, Tsholofelo, Mokanjo and four other occupants managed to escape without sustaining injuries. The second thatched structure was completely destroyed in the blaze, resulting in significant property damage.
The investigation that followed led police to Molefe after officers discovered shoe prints at the scene linking her to the attack.
She was subsequently arrested and later confessed to starting both fires, admissions that formed part of the evidence considered by the court.
In his judgment, Justice Motlhala drew a distinction between the two incidents, holding that Molefe clearly knew Tsholofelo and Mokanjo were inside the first house when she set it alight.
However, the court found the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that she was aware the four other complainants were inside the second hut, resulting in her acquittal on those charges.
Molefe will return to the Gaborone High Court on September 10 for sentencing.
