The Maun Magistrate’s Court has further remanded in custody a 30-year-old man of Disaneng Ward in Maun who is accused of the murder of his six-year-old stepson in August this year.
The accused person, Godfrey Kgosiemang is charged with three counts – one of murder, another of arson and attempted murder. According to the court papers, Kgosiemang is charged with the murder of a 6-year-old Osi Chakona, attempted murder of the child’s mother Oboletse Chakona and arson (burning Oboletse Chakona’s car).
Prosecutor Kebigetswe Reid recently pleaded with the Maun Chief Magistrate, Thebeetsile Mulalu for the accused’s remand to be extended as they are yet to collect statement from witnesses. She noted that they have delayed collecting statements so as to allow the deceased’s mother and relatives to mourn the death of the 6-year-old Osi.
She further pleaded for the accused to be remanded as investigations on the matter are still at an initial stage. The chief magistrate subsequently ordered for the accused’ to be remanded and he will appear again on the 20th September 2023 for status update.
In a previous interview with Maun Police Station Commander Superintendent Dennis Zilawe revealed that the chain of events reportedly began on the 15th August when the couple, which stays together at Disaneng Ward engaged in a heated argument.
Kgosiemang reportedly accused the woman of infidelity, igniting a dispute that escalated into a violent confrontation. The accused is reported to have forcibly abducted the woman and subjected her to physical abuse during a car ride. In a desperate bid to escape her attacker and fearing for her safety, the woman is said to have then managed to flee and return home.
To her anguish, she found her child missing, prompting strong suspicions that her estranged partner had abducted the child. She immediately reported the matter to the police and the search for both the man and her child begun. Zilawe stated that as the search went on police received a tip-off about a burning vehicle in Disaneng where upon arrival they found that the said vehicle belonged to the woman.
Police continued with the search but as dawn broke the following day, the suspect handed himself at the police station, where he confessed to being responsible for the disappearance of his stepson and subsequently led them to his location.
According to Zilawe, the confession took horrifying turn when law enforcement officers discovered the seemingly lifeless body of the child in the boot of another car he was using. The child’s body was then rushed to Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital where he was confirmed dead. Though the official cause of the minor’s death awaits confirmation from the autopsy results, the station commander said the suspect has however confessed that he strangled him to death.
