The ongoing inquest into the helicopter crash that caused the death of a celebrated singer, rapper and song writer, Sarona Motlhagodi popularly known as Sasa Klaas is now left with two witnesses to conclude.
The incident occurred on March 5th, 2021 when 27-year-old Motlhagodi had accompanied her friend Leonard Matenje to his game farm at Xumabee near Sojwe in Kweneng District.
It was revealed by the prosecution last Friday during continuation of the inquest before Molepolole Magistrate’s Court that the last two witnesses will be a Criminal Investigating Officer and a civilian.
Taking the stand Sojwe police station commander, Superintendent Kitsiso Lemogang, testified that on the fateful day of the incident around 2330 hrs he received a report from a pilot at Botswana Police Service, Senior Superintendent Molisi Kebe that there was an accident involving an aircraft at Xumabee in the western Sandveld farms.
“I then called Shoshong police to inform them about the accident as the game ranch fall in their policing area. They told me that they dId not have a 4X4 vehicle to attend to the accident, I then communicated with the station commander who also told me the same and requested me to attend to it on his behalf,” explained Superintendent Lemogang.
The police boss further noted that later that same day at around 0200hrs, one Keitsile Toto came to his office driving a Land Cruiser and told him that he was transporting one of the passengers of the aircraft.
The police boss further told the court that he then ordered Toto to rush the patient to the clinic while also communicating with the doctor to assist.
Later Toto came back to his office to inform him that upon arrival at the clinic the doctor certified that the patient was dead.
“I then arranged a vehicle to transport the deceased to Scottish Livingstone Hospital and recorded Toto’s statement. Toto told us that he didn’t know the deceased and produced her purse, which I searched and found an FNB bank card bearing the names Sarona Motlhagodi,” said Lemogang who then went on to phone Senior Superintendent Kebe to confirm that the accident was reported to Air Support Civil Aviation branch where he was referred to the Ministry of Transport to assist with investigations.
The following day March 6th, 2021 at around 6 am the investigating team visited the scene at Xumabee where they recorded the statement from Matenje and witnesses who assisted him during the accident.
The court further heard that on March 7th, 2021 the CID officer, Superintendent Leeme arrived at Sojwe to collect the investigations docket and the personal belongings of the deceased.
Superintendent Lemogang revealed that during the handover of the deceased belongings he found a clear sachet containing a whitish substance which he did not know what it was from the deceased purse. He however did not elaborate what the relevance of mentioning the white substance to the court was.
The inquest will conclude with the last two witnesses and then the court will deliver judgement.
