Three years later, the prosecution is yet to secure the services of a Sesarwa interpreter for a case in which North West District Council Chairman, Kebareeditse Ntsogotho and seven co-accused were charged for poaching a buffalo.
The matter was once again postponed by Maun Magistrate Keneilwe Kgoadi this week, to the 14th March as prosecution indicated that they have still not yet secured the interpreter.
The need for an interpret arose when one of the seven accused persons on their initial appearance indicated that he will use Sesarwa, the only language which he understands better.
The case has been postponed a couple of times as the prosecution has on various occasions failed to secure an interpreter hence holding the case from progressing.
Ntsogotho and his co-accused being Sisco Ntsogotho, Keotshephile July, Kejisitswe Motsamai, Costa Chedao, Velly Khwarakho, Paul Mothathobi and Balebeng Stone John are facing a single count of hunting a buffalo without a license.
During their previous court appearance in June last year, Kgoadi informed court that prosecution was finding it difficult to secure a Sesarwa interpreter since 2021 due to difference in dialect for the language.
She had explained that previous interpreters secured by prosecution varied in Sesarwa dialect from that of the accused person.
“State prosecution has previously failed on various attempts to provide a Sesarwa interpreter due to differences in dialect hence the reason why we kept on postponing the matter,” Kgoadi previously said.
Ntsogotho was charged for poaching a month after he was gored by a charging buffalo on the 10th May 2020, in which he sustained serious injuries. He is reported to have only regained conscious at the hospital hours later. The same buffalo that left him for dead is the one they are accused to have killed without a license.
The accused persons are represented by Luanda Antonio of Antonio & Partners Legal Practice.
