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Botswana: Crime Victim Meets Face to Face With Assailants
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
11 March 2008
Posted to the web 11 March 2008
Bame Piet
A Block 3 resident, Sharon Pinetown, last weekend came face to face with her former house maid Janet Masawi and three others Isaac Mbayago, Adonica Siziba and Noah Jozi who are accused of robbing her of household goods among them two laptop computers, jewellery, electronic goods and clothing worth over P10,000 on the 14th June 2007.
Pinetown told the Broadhurst magistrate Court that Masawi arrived to work on time that day and after they had a chat she (Pinetown) went to bed since it was very cold.
She said that she was woken up by noise in her bedroom only to see a man wearing a red T-shirt, blue jeans and white snickers attacking her physically. "He smacked me several times and he covered my face with a blanket. I asked him what he wanted from me and he tied the blanket tighter suffocating me. I was screaming and he pinned my face to the bed threatening to kill me if I continued making noise. He then tied my hands and feet behind my back and I kept quiet," Pinetown told the court adding that she lost a tooth in the attack. She said that during the attack, she never heard her dog barking or the maid screaming.
She said that the noise went down and she untied herself with the belief that the attackers were gone. She went downstairs and upon arrival in the kitchen, she found the maid (Masawu) lying in a pool of blood and she supported her to her feet and together they went to seek help from neighbours.
The two were taken to hospital where Masawu was treated first since she was badly injured, Pinetown told the court that was packed with mostly Zimbabweans. She said that she enquired from Masawu why she had opened the gate and she answered that she thought it was meter readers coming to do their work. She added that she enquired from Masawu if she knew any of the attackers and she denied. Upon arrival at home, Pinetown said, her husband wanted to clean the blood that was spluttered all over and Masawu insisted she would do the cleaning. "I became suspicious when she picked a blade wrapper that was on the floor and putting it in her pocket," she said.
After the maid was gone Pinetown said she shared her suspicions with her husband who disapproved them on grounds that the maid was more injured than her. Pinetown said that she also studied all events in the attack and shared them with CID officers. The police went to search Masawu where they found a laptop and two rings, which Pinetown said belonged to her and went missing a few days earlier.
The court heard that Mbayago and Jozi were arrested at the border gate in Ramokgwebana with the stolen goods and that they had sold Pinetown's stolen phone at the station to get bus fare. However, the accused persons had a story to tell.
Siziba who is accused No2 told the court that the attack was a deal between them and Pinetown to beat her husband and that she had paid them with the goods. He claimed that the complainant delayed reporting the matter to the police because she had hoped they would come at night to do their job and they did not do so. Pinetown denied all the allegations.
Accused one (Mbayago) and Accused three (Jozi) did not cross-examine the Pinetown saying they were not at the scene.
However, the maid - Masawu (accused 4) said that Pinetown had informed her about their failing marriage and that she needed some boys who could assault her husband. She said that the plan was that they mess up everything in the house and wait for the husband at the gate where they should break the windscreen and attack him while inside the car. Pinetown denied the allegations but confirmed that she confided in Masawu about her marriage problems. She said that she treated her as a sister and they shared their frustrations. She wondered why she would report the matter to the police if indeed she were part of the said conspiracy.
But presiding magistrate Nehemiah Moguni was not satisfied with a few things among them why the matter was reported to the police a day later. Pinetown responded that Masawu was an illegal immigrant and they (her family) could also face charges for harboring an illegal immigrant.
The magistrate subpoenaed the husband to come and testify after he learned with shock that the police had left him out. Sub Inspector Shattered Magola is prosecuting and he indicated that four more witnesses will be called to the dock.
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The hearing continues today. Six bags full of goods were brought before court for exhibits.
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| Copyright © 2008 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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