The Voice (Francistown)
Nomsa Ndlovu
13 January 2009
A Maun police bullet tore through the chest of a Tati River lodge employee and killed him instantly inside his family yard at Sanyedi ward, Maun.
Now the family is gearing for a law suit against the Botswana Police As the grief-stricken, and answer seeking Sephiri family mourn their son, Mothusinyana Moagi Sephiri 27, tiny splashes of his blood remain unwashed on the wall of a two roomed house facing the residency's small gate.The bullet that ended Moagi's life also dug a small hole as it landed at the back of the house, leaving a window with a slight crack. According to the Sephiris, a tenant and his family were sleeping inside, thank God the bullet did not penetrate the wall.
Twin brother Mothusi Sephiri, who was with his brother half an hour before the incident last Saturday, revealed that Mothusinyana left their room after 10pm to go bid farewell to a friend who stays close by. "It had been raining before so he had to wait for the rain to stop," he said.
Mothusi said when he first heard the bang "I thought that it was a cricket. But suddenly there was a thud and a lot of running inside the yard. Upon peeping through the window, I saw the lifeless body of my brother lying sprawled on our bedroom doorstep. Policemen were running towards it. Blood was gushing from a wound that cut from the back through his chest. He had fallen face down."
He said when he opened the door, he was asked to identify his dying twin.
" They then picked up his body and sped away without even saying a word. I remained to wake up the rest of the family and we followed them to the hospital where he was certified dead."
The deceased's aged father, Sephiri Sephiri 78, described his son was a responsible young man, who did not smoke or drink smoker and had maintained a clean criminal record throughout his life.
"Se ke se dirilweng ke mapodisi ke lenyatso le tshotlo e kgolo (what the police have done to me is a great disrepect and abuse," he said.
Approached for a comment, Officer Commanding District No5 Robert Masebe of Maun Police Station referred The Voice to the Botswana Police Public Relations officers in Gaborone. "I can only confirm that the incident took place but I can't comment any further because it is my house that is being investigated", he said.
Mothusinyana is survived by his father, five siblings and a year-old daughter. His funeral has been schedule for tomorrow (Saturday).
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