Fight over ditaola ends deadly
The trial of a 57-yearold Tshimoyapula man, who is accused of fatally stabbing a man in his 30s during a dispute over divination bones or ditaola, continued on Friday before Justice Bengbame Sechele.
Oduetse Morukuru is facing charges of murdering Galethasane Koobonye at Sesase cattlepost near Tshimoyapula on September 26, 2018. Morukuru allegedly stabbed Koobonye with an Okapi knife in the chest.
The last witness for the prosecution, Detective Sergeant Daniel Diphala, the Investigating Officer in the case, recounted events when he and three of his colleagues responded to a murder report after one Odisitse Batsile called Serowe Police Station at around 5am.
Diphala testified that, upon arrival at the scene, they found the deceased covered with a brown blanket by the firepalce.
“I inspected the deceased and observed that he had a wound on his chest and we then took his body to the police van. We asked where the accused person was and we were told that he was at the back of the yard. I called the accused and he came to us crawling before he stood on his feet and came to us limping. I asked him about the incident and he admitted that he and the deceased fought over divine bones. The accused told us the bones belonged to him,” Diphala detailed. According to Diphala, the confrontation began when Morukuru asked Koobonye to return two borrowed ditaola. When an angry Koobonye refused and slapped Morukuru, a scuffle ensued and witnesses reported hearing Koobonye scream about being stabbed.
Under defence counsel Jost Isaac’s cross-examination, Diphala defended his recollection, stating that police statements often summarise events and additional details are revealed in court.
Isaac questioned Diphala’s omission of Morukuru’s mode of approach (crawling and limping) in the police statement, suggesting fabrication. Isaac also pressed on the absence of details about the missing divine bones, alleging bias.
“The accused told me that he did not know where his divine bones were because he probably did not want me to take them,” Diphala said in response.
This led Isaac to accuse Diphala of fabricating evidence against Morukuru.
Tshiamo Moilwa represented the State in the ongoing case.