Botswana Prisons deny wrongdoing in fatal takedown of ‘violent’ inmate
Botswana Prison Service have described a convict who died in their custody last Monday after an altercation at Kasane Prison as a generally violent person.
29-year-old Boitumelo Gaosekelwe was serving a seven-year stretch for grievous harm following his conviction in March.
Speaking to The Voice, Prisons Spokesperson, Oagile Kojane, said according to the report they received from the officer in charge at Kasane Prison, on the fateful day, Gaosekelwe was denied permission to go outside prison and sell vegetables in the market with other prisoners.
The Nata native allegedly went berserk at the news, furiously ripping out vegetables in the prison’s garden.
“He got upset because he wanted to go out of prison but, because of his character, the officers were not comfortable with that. The officers calmed him and they thought the issue was over,” said Kojane.
However, it was just getting started.
“During lunch time, as the prisoners were served, Gaosekelwe attacked a warder from behind, hitting him with a metal object. There was maintenance of their ablutions and the people who were welding left the metal rod. We suspect he hid it under the blanket with the intention to use it to attack the officers,” continued Kojane.
Although Kojane maintains ‘minimal force’ was used to restrain the prisoner, Gaosekelwe sustained injuries that ultimately claimed his life later that day.
The officer attacked suffered a broken arm and leg and is currently recovering at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, where his condition is described as stable.
Gaosekelwe’s body was handed over to his family on Friday following the post-mortem.
He was buried at his home village, Nata, on Monday.
