Stock theft suspect fingers Skelemani
A Molepolole herdboy caught up in a stock theft saga insists the police should be taking a closer look at former speaker of the National Assembly, Phandu Skelemani.
32-year-old Kesaobaka Romeo Thebolo and two other men, Godisaone Tshipayagae, 37, and Onkabetse Kgotlayame, 33, are set to stand trial for the theft of five sheep back in August 2022.
Voicing his frustrations to The Voice, Thebolo maintains his innocence, and says the cops must speak to Skelemani, on whose farm the stolen stock was found.
The Matlhalerwa ward native accused the `police of treating the 80-year-old former Foreign Affairs Minister with kid’s gloves and allowing him to turn state witness.
In contrast, he claimed the police were extremely heavy-handed when dealing with him and his friends, torturing them into confessing to something they didn’t do.
According to the case summary, Thebolo and his co-accused stole from Maranyane Motlokwa at Maologane lands near Hatsalatladi village in Kweneng, where they all worked as herdboys for different farmers.
The theft was noticed early the following morning, when Motlokwa’s herdboy awoke to find the farm gate open and five female sheep missing.
Upon hearing there was some small stock being held at Mogonono Police kraal, the herdboy informed his boss, who was in Gaborone at the time.
Police investigations revealed the stolen stock was recovered from Skelemani’s cattlepost, with the trail eventually leading back to Thebolo Tshipayagae and Kgotlayame.
“We tried to ask the arresting officer why he did not arrest Skelemani and he told us not to question him about the politician, referring to him as ‘morena’ saying things will unfold during trial. Even the stolen sheep tags had Skelemani’s phone number and we were never confronted with him,” claimed the man popularly known as ‘DJ’ on the streets.
“I’m wondering someone found in possession of stolen stock and turned to be a witness how? That’s unfair treatment by the police. They even assaulted us, handcuffed us at the back and tortured us with black plastics, tightening it on the nose forcing us to agree to whatever they said and recorded statements,” continued a fired-up Thebolo, adding he had never met Skelemani before but had heard him on the radio.
When reached for comment, Skelemani explained he got the sheep from Tshipayagae, who was an old acquaintance and used to provide him with sand, bricks and concrete.
“He told me there were some people who paid him with small stock and requested that I buy them. We agreed that he should register them at Hatsalatladi police and drop them at my farm even when I wasn’t around. He then dropped the sheep; later I was informed he had dropped some more sheep again and requested that he shouldn’t deliver anymore,” explained the veteran politician.
Skelemani said he was shocked to later learn the police were at his farm following up on stock theft allegations.
“I told the police that if the sheep were stolen they should take them, further explaining that I bought them from Tshipayagae. I went to see the said sheep at Mogonono, I then told the police to question Tshipayagae. The case is handled by the police,” said Skelemani, stressing he was completely unaware the sheep were stolen.
“It wasn’t the first time I buy from Tshipayagae; I told the police to ask him if the sheep were registered,” he added.
Currently out on bail, the three suspects are due back in court on 8 August to confirm a trial date.
