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Stop killing women

Portia Mlilo
SLAIN: Kebabope Mmotlanyane

A dark cloud hangs over Botswana.

While the country was still reeling from the shock of a woman who was brazenly killed before a counseller at a place of safety in Gaborone on Wednesday last week, yet another horrific murder of a woman was reported on Friday the same week.

In a horrendous incident that left the Makubate family traumatised, Ntukunu Makubate was found dead in her house in Block 9 Gaborone. The same night that Makubate was murdered, yet another woman, Phologo Kgakgamatso, a deputy school head at Takatokwane Primary in Kweneng district was also killed by her husband who then committed suicide.

Suspected to have been stabbed with a knife Makubate’s motionless body was found lying in a pool of blood.A Bible and a newspaper were on the table while the bloody knife was on the couch.

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According to a neighbour from the neighbourhood watch who preferred not to be named, the woman’s husband left their home around 4pm to the farm. He said around 8pm one of their neighbours called saying Makubate’s outside tap was running but she was not taking calls.

Stop killing women
BUTCHERED: Ntukunu Makubate

“When we arrived at her house, the gate and garage door were half open. We became suspicious as her phone rang unanswered. One of our neighbours went back to get a gun. We entered the house and found her in a pool of blood. We called the police, her husband and the children. Her husband collapsed when he arrived at the scene. That was the most painful situation I have ever experienced. Such a lovely humble person. We hear her phone, laptop and bank cards are missing,” explained the neighbour.

Confirming the incident, Officer Commanding Senior Superintendent Agreement Mapeu said, investigations were still at a preliminary stage. He appealed to the public to assist with the information that may lead to arrest of the perpetrator.

“The investigations are ongoing and we have since applied for the court order to assist in tracking the phone of the deceased. Her phone is missing and we hope tracking it will lead to the arrest of the suspect,” said Mapeu.

Meanwhile civil society was on Wednesday planning a peaceful demonstration at the memorial service of Kebabope Mmotlanyane who died at the hands of her husband who followed her to the women’s shelter where she had fled his violence to kill her in full view of the counsellor. ” We hope you come in large numbers….. The situation has long become a pandemic,” stated an invitation that was circulating on social media platforms from women activists on Wednesday night.

Stop killing women
MURDERED: Phologo Kgakgamatso

 

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