Bailed ‘ massacre’ survivor returns to court April 13
Extension II Magistrate Court early this week granted conditional bail to the sole surviving Gaborone Main Mall armed robbery suspect, Tsaone Reboeleng.
Reboeleng survived the controversial February 23, 2022 Phase II fatal shooting, which claimed ten ( 10) lives that followed a cash- in- transit at Main Mall. Ten other suspects died in what the police say was exchange of fire between themselves and the suspects.
Extension II Magistrate Kamogelo Mmesi, stated that the accused person must bind herself with P5 000 and provide two Batswana sureties who would also bind themselves with the same amount. Reboeleng, according to the magistrate, will be expected to report to Central Police Station on the last Friday of every month as well as not leave the country without informing the investigating officer. The prosecution did not contest the bail application made by the accused’s lawyer, Kgosietsile Ngakaagae. Sub Inspector Modisaotsile Seratswe of Botswana Police Service told the court that the state was not opposing the bail application even though investigations were still ongoing.
Reboeleng who faces a single count of armed robbery, was arrested at Phase II, after she was found in the company of the male suspects, who allegedly robbed Security Systems cash- in- transit vehicle over P986 000. The accused person Reboeleng, will appear again before court on April 13 this year.
This week, the police revealed that it has identified four ( 4) of the remaining five ( 5) deceased persons from the shoot out incident, bringing the number of the identified to nine. They have been handed over to their families except one who is still to be identified. According to the police three ( 3) are South African males: Thabang Tjao ( 42), Sifiso Mahlalela ( 31) and Aubrey Ngomeni ( 28) while the fourth has been identified as Alfred Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean male citizen aged 39.
Early this month, Reboeleng’s attorney launched an application with the High Court arguing that Tsaone is unable to appoint a lawyer for herself as she is in police custody and no one is allowed access to her by the police.
In her founding Affidavit, Tsaone’s counsin, Kutlwano Reboeleng said Tsaone was unlawfully denied access to her lawyer, legal representation and assistance of family. She explained that Tsaone’s detention followed upon a raid on Plot 18515, Phase 2, which was her residence at the time of the raid. She stated that the reasons for the Police raid are unknown to her.
Central Police Station Commander Superintendent, Mothusi Phadi on the other hand, denied that Tsaone Reboeleng has been denied legal representation as claimed by Kutlwano Reboeleng in her affidavit. He said this has been explained to Tsaone at the Extension II Magistrate Court on the 25th February 2022 when she was arraigned on a charge of armed robbery.
He stated in his affidavit that the accused was arrested on the 23rd February 2022 and therefore was still within the 48- hour period. According to Phadi the accused was on the 25th February 2022 taken before court wherein a warrant of further detention was issued.