The Francistown High Court has recently sentenced Onkemetse Keipolele, 36, and 29-year-old Kebaabetswe Leinane to 25 and 20 years in prison respectively for the “brutal, unprovoked and senseless” murder of Kelebogile Sekana.
Justice Taboka Slave convicted the duo 13 years after the heinous murder occurred on a fateful November night in Serowe, just while Sekana was walking to attend a night vigil in Mere ward.
According to evidence presented in court, an intoxicated Keipolele alighted from a moving Dyna truck he had hitched a lift from and pounced on Sekana, who was walking along the road. Armed with a knife and a pair of scissors, Keipolele who was 26 years old at the time viciously attacked the middle-aged Sekana. Witnesses in the moving truck heard the defenceless man screaming for help as he tried to flee his attacker.
Moments later, Leinane jumped from the vehicle, telling the remaining passengers that he was going to separate the fighting men. Instead, he joined in assaulting Sekana. A witness narrated how Leinane tripped Sekana as he tried to escape. Keipolele and Leinane relentlessly gave chase until they overpowered their victim, subsequently robbing him of the few coins he had in his possession.
“The evidence shows the accused persons acted in concert. The fact that they left the scene together, with Leinane commenting on his newly found coins for buying cigarettes the next day, demonstrates a shared criminal enterprise,” noted Judge Slave.
An injured and bleeding Sekana was left sprawling on the ground, only to be found by passersby lying dead in a pool of blood around 5 o’clock in the following morning.
“They attacked the deceased without provocation; it was unexpected. The nature of the attack was brutal and senseless. Both accused persons made no effort to assist the deceased or report the matter to the police. A life was lost for no justifiable reason,” highlighted Justice Slave.
“A family has been left with a wound which will not heal. Offences of this nature are prevalent and therefore the sentence passed by courts must reflect the gravity of the offence and society’s condemnation of such crimes.”
While Judge Slave acknowledged the case had taken a prolonged period to be finalized, the court would definitely not factor this in to hand down a sentence less than 15 years.
“The sentence must deter and be a stern warning to potential offenders. Both sentences must not be below 15 years, because 15 years would not be sufficient considering the offence committed.”
