Six times murderer Orelesitse Thokamolelo, was on the early mornings yesterday, (Monday), executed at Gaborone Central Prison. Botswana Prison Services (BPS), Public Relations offi cer Wamorena Ramolefhe, confi rmed the execution of the Letlhakane man. The latter has been awaiting a hang man at maximum prison since April after a panel of three Court of Appeal judges, Judge Justice Monametsi Gaongalelwe, Judge Justice Elijah Legwaila and Judge Justice Isaac Lesetedi condemned him for killing a family
of six in Phaephae cattle post near Letlhakane, following a misunderstanding over food.
His attorney Kgosietsile Ngakaagae who Monday night told this publication in a telephonic interview that he knew his client to be still alive, had during the appeal at the court of Appeal on April fought with everything possible to save the man’s life but to no avail. He had urged the judges to consider a variety of alternatives including: an acquittal, a reduction of sentence, a re-trial, a commutal of sentence to one of life imprisonment or a verdict of guilty but insane, but the three judges would not be convinced: They had thrown away the lawyers pleadings and stated that they he had found nothing that indicates that no reasonable court would have reached the conclusion that the trial court had in imposing the sentence. According to the information before court, Thokamolelo killed his brother Landane Thokamolelo, his brother’s wife Gakemoitatole Gabarebone, his brother’s motherin-law, and his brother’s three children Kemodiretse, Oreemetse and Chaena Lepadile when he had visited the family.
On his second day of his visit, Thokamolelo woke up and demanded to cook food where upon his brother’s wife and motherin- law refused. At the time, hisbrother had gone to collect fire wood with two of his children in the bush.
An argument erupted and Tlhokamolelo took a knobkerrie and beat his brother’s mother-in-law and his brother’s wife to death. He then took the knobkerrie and killed his brother’s four months old child. It is said that when his brother later returned from the bush he fought with him: the brother was overpowered and in turn Thokamolelo took a hammer and killed him as well. Devastated by what they were seeing, his brother’s two children tried to run for their dear lives; they sneaked into the bush but their uncle later followed them and killed them with a log before he left to Maphanephane cattle post.