Francistown arsonist gets three years
A Francistown arsonist who burnt down his girlfriend’s house has been handed a hot punishment; he will spend the next three years of his life in a prison cell.
As well as his liberty, Francistown Magistrates Court also burnt a sizeable hole in Keonnetseng Dibuile’s wallet, ordering him to compensate his now ex-lover P9, 000 for the damage he caused.
It could have been much worse.
Court heard that on 4 April, five days before setting the fire, Dibuile, 45, had a heated argument with his then girlfriend, Esnat Mosweu, which ended with him uttering the following warning: “I’ll burn your house, then kill myself.”
On 9 April, seemingly intent on following through on his threat, the Somerset resident borrowed a jerry can from a friend, filled it with petrol and left for Tatisiding’s Newstance ward, where Mosweu lives.
Once there, under the cover of darkness, he torched the house where he believed Mosweu was sleeping.
Fortunately, the complainant was fast asleep in her mother’s room in a different house located in the same yard and escaped the flames unharmed.
Although it appears Dibuile’s intention was to burn his lover alive, he was only charged with arson, which he happily pleaded guilty to, and not attempted murder.
Indeed, in his ruling, the Magistrate noted the scorned boyfriend deliberately planned to harm his girlfriend.
“The accused person’s actions were unlawful and intentional in that he borrowed a jerry can in Francistown and bought petrol, then went all the way to Tatisiding, with a mission to burn Esnat Mosweu,” the Magistrate said, adding on the night of the fire, Mosweu did not sleep in her house because she was scared.
That fear is probably the reason she’s still alive!
