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Thread: Botswana

  1. #1
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Botswana

    Death row inmate hanged

    The Department of Prison and Rehabilitation confirmed that death row inmate, Zibani Thamo, hanged yesterday morning.

    In a statement the department says that the execution was carried out on Tuesday morning but did not state who carried it out and where the body was buried. However, it is common knowledge that prison warders are the one who carry out the execution and burial in the prison compound.

    Thamo was convicted of the 2007 murder of his girlfriend Sihle Dube. The Francistown High Court learnt that Thamo mutilated his girlfriend and scattered her pieces along the Tati riverbank. He was sentenced to death in March 2011 and immediately sought the intervention of the Court of Appeal in September, which upheld the sentence.

    His execution leaves three death row inmates being, Modise Tlhokamolelo, Mangombe Tadubane and Gatlhalosamang Gaboakelwe. Thamo's execution brings the number of hanged convicts to two since President Ian Khama took office in 2008.

    The first one was Modise Fly in 2010, who was convicted of the murder of his son in Francistown while he was avenging the sour relationship between him and the mother of his son. Meanwhile former death row inmates Brandon Sampson and South African Michael Molefhe are due for release this year. Prisons spokesman Wamorena Ramolefhe would not disclose when the duo is going to walk free nor would he reveal where they are currently kept for security reasons.

    http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&...ary/Wednesday1

  2. #2
    Banned TheKindExecutioner's Avatar
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    I wonder if they give special last meals there?

    Probably so but they're probably not that great.

  3. #3
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    Out of curiosity, TKE, is your dayjob a chef or something of that nature?

  4. #4
    Banned TheKindExecutioner's Avatar
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    No. Just curious about their traditions.

  5. #5
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    I don´t think they get a last meal - if they would eat what some us inmate orders the hangman has to re-calculate the length of the rope. :p

  6. #6
    Banned TheKindExecutioner's Avatar
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    I don't see why they wouldn't get a reasonable request of one or 2 last items. The food quality might not even be as good as our horrible fast food though.

  7. #7
    Senior Member CnCP Addict Stro07's Avatar
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    Botswana man on six death sentences executed

    A Botswana man who was handed six death sentences for murdering his family after a misunderstanding over food has been executed.

    The Botswana Prison Service confirmed that Orelesitse Modise Thokamolemo’s hanging was carried out early Monday morning at Gaborone Central Prison.

    The capital punishment came after a death sentence was imposed on him on December 9, 2010 by the Francistown High Court for the offence.

    The Court of Appeal last month struck out an appeal against the sentence.

    Thokamolemo had approached the Court of Appeal for both conviction and death sentence.

    The trial court found that Thokamolemo killed six members of his family, among them his brother and a four-month-old baby using an axe in January 2008.

    “After anxious inquiring of mind of this matter, I also find no misdirection by the trial court in considering the effect of dagga taken by the appellant and giving it weight,” Judge Isaac Lesetedi said last month.

    http://www.africareview.com/News/Bot...z/-/index.html

  8. #8
    Senior Member CnCP Addict Stro07's Avatar
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    Death row inmate’s attorney fails to impress CoA

    Yesterday before the bench of three judges, Martin Dingake argued that Patrick Gabaakanye was convicted purely based on circumstantial evidence.

    The 55-year-old Gabaakanye was convicted and sentenced to death by the High Court in 2014 for the murder of an elderly couple at Ga-Mosu Lands in 2010 that left an old blind man dead and his wife wounded.

    He was also sentenced to five years for unlawfully wounding. Dingake submitted that in the absence of solid evidence, his client was entitled to an acquittal.

    “My client’s conviction was largely based on circumstantial evidence. This is so because none of the state witnesses said they saw Gabaakanye commit the crime in which he stood charged and subsequently convicted for,” he said.

    He argued that the stolen items that were found in his client’s possession and used to link him to the murder could have changed hands in a short space of time.

    Dingake said the trial court disregarded the evidence of recent possession given the nature and value of the alleged stolen items that they can change hands much quicker.

    “The trial court failed to consider the doctrine of recent possession and nature and value of items stolen in the context of the passage of time from the date of the alleged offence and when they were found in my client’s possession,” he said.

    He further argued that a conviction could not be based purely on the doctrine of recent possession especially where interference is possible. However, when the judges pressed hard on the submission of circumstantial evidence, Dingake changed tune and said that if indeed it was his client who attacked the old couple, the act was not premeditated.

    Justices Monametsi Gaongalelwe, Justice Isaac Lesetedi and Justice Elijah Legwaila were adamant that circumstantial evidence was still admissible in court; he did not challenge most of the evidence put before him, and therefore he should not push for acquittal of Gabaakanye.

    Dingake said his client was not a murderer and that given a second chance he can change for the better.

    “It is respectfully submitted that this is not a proper case where the death sentence should be imposed and in the solemn circumstances, we beg for mercy and for a second chance and for a custodial sentence other than death penalty,” he said. However, the judges insisted this was a premeditated murder. The bench questioned why Gabaakanye went to the old couple’s place armed and concealing his face.

    “He was armed with dangerous objects, the old man was reported to have died from deep head injuries. He had many blows to the head and when he thought the couple was dead, he proceeded robbing them. That is premeditation,” the judges said.

    Justice Lesetedi also indicated that he was not impressed with the manner in which the state handled the case, especially not marking and identifying exhibits. “This case looks like it was handled by someone who did not do law and procedure. This is disappointing because here we are dealing with a case where someone was murdered and the other’s life (the appellant) is hanging in the balance.

    “You ought to do a proper job,” he said.

    http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=52....wlE7Fftj.dpuf

  9. #9
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Murderer Patrick Gabaankanye Executed

    The European Union (EU) has called on the government of Botswana to reinstate a moratorium on executions to ensure that the country progresses towards the universal abolition of the death penalty.

    The EU issued the statement after the execution of Patrick Gabaankanye following his March 2014 conviction for the aggravated murder of a 75-year old blind man during a robbery in 2010.

    The victim was axed five times during a house robbery in which Gabaankanye stole cups, cutlery, a pocket radio and a Nokia cellphone.

    A statement from the Botswana Prison Service (BPS) said Gabaankanye, who had several other previous convictions which included murder, robbery, theft and rape dating back to 1983, was executed early on Thursday morning at the maximum security prison in Gaborone.

    His appeal against the death sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on July 30, 2015. However, the EU has called on Botswana to reconsider the death penalty

    https://www.enca.com/africa/eu-calls...-death-penalty
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

  10. #10
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Tselayarona executed

    Mmegi Online

    Press Release: The Botswana Prison Service wishes to inform the public that the execution of the death penalty passed on Joseph Poni Tselayarona, 28 years, of Magokotswane ward in Molepolole, was carried out today, Saturday February 17, 2018 at Gaborone Central Prison in the early morning hours. This follows a death sentence which was imposed on him by the Gaborone High Court on the March 10 2017 for the offence of murder.

    The High Court convicted Tselayarona for the murder of his girlfriend, Ngwanyanaotsile Keikanne and her three-year-old son, Miguel Keikanne in 2010 at Molepolole.

    He was sentenced 20 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend and handed a death penalty for the murder of the son.

    He later appealed the judgment but was dismissed on the November 23, 2017 by the Court of Appeal.

    Wamorena Ramolefhe

    Assistant Commissioner of Prisons

    http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=74...18/february/17

    More on this crime

    November 27 2017

    Murderer’s chilling confession

    The Patriot

    Barely a month after the world commemorated the World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10, the Court of Appeal on Thursday added to the list of inmates queuing for a date with the hangman. Three CoA judges unanimously rejected an appeal by one Joseph Poni Tselayarona and confirmed the death sentence imposed by the high court for the murder of his girlfriend's three year old child. "On the murder of Miguel Keikanne (3), the appeal is dismissed and the conviction and the death sentence confirmed," said the judge as family members of the young killer brokedown in tears in the public gallery. It would probably be the last time they catch a glimpse of him in full health. Such was the pronouncement by Court of Appeal judge Lakhvinder Singh Walia on Thursday morning condemning Tselayarona to the gallows following a gruesome murder of his girlfriend and her three year old son in Molepolole. Shortly before then Justice Walia, whose decision is supported by Judges Isaac Lesetedi and Zibani Makhwade, had also confirmed conviction and sentence of 20 years for the murder of Miguel's mother -Ngwanyanaotsile Keikanne. The young Tselayarona stood motionless betraying any emotions, frozen inside the wooden dock like a lifeless pillar while Justice Walia -in an uncharacteristic loud voice- condemned him to hang until the hangman's noose chokes the last breath from his small body frame. It now remains for President Ian Khama to sign off on the dotted line to send Tselayarona to meet his maker or exercise powers bestowed on him by the prerogative of mercy to spare the life of the ruthless killer, an unlikely occurence by precedent. In declining to invoke such powers, former Presidents have expressed confidence in the justice system and that judges of the high court and the court of appeal perform a thorough scrutiny and apply themselves before imposing capital punishment prescribed in statute. The high court convicted Tselayarona largely on the basis of a confession statement he made in November 2010 before a judicial officer. Although infidelity on the part of the girlfriend was found to have caused emotional stress which qualified as an extenuating circumstance, none was found in the case of the little child. In his appeal Tselayarona had argued that the high court erred in convicting him on the basis of a confession statement, which was not voluntarily done by him. He also submitted that the high court erred in convicting him based on one report submitted by a single doctor without seeking a second opinion of another doctor to ascertain validity. Further, he posited that the court erred in convicting him by disregarding his anti-social personality disorder (AsPD) and psychotics' disorder which caused him to kill mercilessly. He also accused the lower court of disregarding externuating circumstances of substance abuse as stated by Dr Sreekanth Davu -a specialist psychiatrists at Sbrana hospital- during cross examination, and on his report that Tselayarona uses dagga. Tselayarona had chosen to remain silent when put on defence during trial. Dr Davu had concluded in his assessment that although Tselayarona suffers from AsPD, his clinical history does not suggest that at the time of the murders he was suffering from any psychiatric symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations or disorganised behaviour, lack of judgment or any symptoms of drug intoxication. Justice Walia then cited a raft of judgments wherein it was judges have repeatedly pointed out that the presence of a health defect does not automatically qualify as an externuating circumstances, which reduces responsibility of the convict. He then dismissed the appeal and confirmed the death penalty in the murder of three year old Miguel after Tselayarona contradicted himself and in most cases was found to be lying to court.

    In a chilling confession the double murderer narrates:

    "Before I decided to kill my girlfriend I called my sister Mpho and requested her to come to Molepolole as I have problems. She requested that I tell her about my problems over the phone as she cannot manage to come to Molepolole. I indicated that I cannot tell her my problem through the phone so I will decide what to do. I then called and told my girlfriend's elder sister Diteko who promised to meet and talk to us (myself and my girlfriend) on Tuesday to ask her about my complaint. Unfortunately Diteko did not manage to meet with us on Tuesday as promised. I spent Sunday 6th November with my girlfriend at her place. I left around 1400hrs and at around 7 pm her sister called and asked me about her whereabouts. I told her sister that I left her at their place around 2 pm. I then decided to go over to their place only to find her sister alone. We both called her but her number was unavailable, I then called her friends who said they were with her at her auntie's place. One of his brothers came and suggested I go with them to get her as they wanted her home. We found her drunk with some boys that she claimed were her friends. I remained in the car when her brothers went to call her but after some time I went out to her. I asked her to take me half way as I wanted to go home and she agreed. On the way she told me she wanted to go back but I refused to allow her to go back. She insisted but then I slapped her and that's when she agreed to go home with me. By then I was very angry and during the night I had a strong urge to kill her. So I woke up and fetched a trimer/ slasher and a screw driver from another room which I used to stab her. She begged me not to kill her and that she will show me the boy she is cheating me with. I just couldn't control myself to stop so I kept on stabbing her until I killed her. In the morning (Monday) I killed her three year old child who was sleeping with us, by suffocating him with a pillow. I could not imagine his life without the mother. On Tuesday, I woke up and bathed for the first time since Sunday and visited some friends in Newtown. They asked me if I was OK and I told them everything was fine. I stayed with my friends until Friday when I saw my cousin coming with police officers. I dodged them before they saw me. I took a vehicle from my friend's home and drove to Mahetlwe where I took a friend and asked him to go to Mochudi with me. Along the way the vehicle stopped as the fuel was finished. I sent my friend to go and buy fuel but he was caught by the police before he arrived back with the fuel. They arrived with him and found me still waiting in the vehicle and arrested me that Saturday. When I killed the girl, I also tried to kill myself with a screw driver and by cutting my neck veins with a glass but I did not die."

    http://www.thepatriot.co.bw/news/ite...onfession.html
    Last edited by Mike; 02-17-2018 at 03:10 PM.

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