A Molepolole taxi-driver who allegedly shot dead his married lover on Wednesday was this morning remanded in custody pending police investigations.
Shying away from press photographers and hiding in his hooded sweater, Oabile Sekwati (31), arrived at the Molepolole Magistrates court in shackles under heavy police escort, much to the curiosity of members of the public who had thronged the court premises.
As details of 37-year-old Keneilwe Mpho Stephen’s murder remain a subject of police investigations, eye witnesses have told of how the jilted taxi man hunted her down before shooting her to death in cold blood amid dramatic scenes after she fled with a colleague he suspected to be her lover.
According to the sources close to the tragic incident, Sekwati went to Stephen’s colleague’s place looking for her during lunch time while she was away in Gaborone. “At the colleagues’ place he found the colleague alone and forcefully got inside the house searching for Stephen claiming she owed him some money. The colleague pushed him outside the house and he went away,” revealed a source.
The colleague is said to have phoned the deceased informing her about the confrontation and they agreed to meet at Mafenyatlala mall in Molepolole where they later drove off to the deceased’s home.
While on the way, Sekwati who had learnt of their meeting is said to have followed and overtook them in his Black BMW car and screeched to a halt, blocking their way.
Sekwati then allegedly got off his car and fired a shot at the Toyota Corolla they were driving, wounding the girlfriend who was in the front passenger seat.
It is alleged that the pair then turned and sped off to Lekgwapheng Police Post with Sekwati in hot pursuit.
Upon arrival, the colleague allegedly lost control of the vehicle and hit the perimeter wall but escaped unhurt before running off for dear life, leaving the wounded woman.
At that point Sekwati allegedly got out of his car and shot dead his wounded and terrified girlfriend before fleeing the scene.
Stephen’s lifeless body was rushed to Scottish Livingstone Hospital where she was certified dead.
Sekwati was handed to the police by his sister yesterday (Thursday) morning.
State Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent Uyapo Koketso, this morning pleaded with the court to remand Sekwati in custody as investigations were still at an early stage.
“This offence was committed two days back, we are still tracing the witnesses as most of them were there and they ran away in fear. We hope that after some days they will hand themselves to us. The incident occurred in a residential area and they ran away when they heard the gun shot,” he explained, adding that it is a capital offence that needs thorough investigations.
Chief Magistrate Goabaone Rammapudi-Lesedi remanded the suspect in custody and he will appear for mention on November 26th, 2020.