‘Rramenchisi’ torches three houses in Kanye
Ratanang Raloka (24) accused of burning people‘s properties in Kanye has been sent to Sbrana Hospital in Lobatse for psychiatric assessment.
The lanky suspect appeared before Magistrate Daniel Nkau of Kanye last week and will be back in court early next week.
According to the charge sheet, Raloka faces two counts of arson: On or about the 21st September 2020 at or near Modutlwa ward, Kanye Village, in the Southern Administrative District of the Republic of Botswana, the accused wilfully and unlawfully set fire to two houses belonging to Ikgopoleng Malesela. On the same day, he set fire to a house belonging to Phemo Komanyane at or near Tsopye ward in Kanye.
In court it was said that Raloka will be committed to Sbrana until his next mention scheduled for 20th October 2020. Hopefully the psychiatric assessment report will be ready at the time.
Kanye Police Station commander Mmoloki Mogale said they are still investigating other fire incidents involving three vehicles and another house. The police are still trying to establish if the incidents are connected or not.
He said they have been hunting for Raloka since the 21st September and he was only apprehended on the 1st October 2020.Villagers allege that the arsonist is a great runner hence it took long to catch him. However, they can now rest knowing that he will be locked up temporarily.
They were forced to sleep with one eye open not knowing when ‘Rramenchisi’ as they call him in Kanye, would strike again.
“We spent weeks looking for him, it was not an easy undertaking, we had to extensively search until he was nabbed. We suspect he was hungry and searching for food, that is when we were tipped of his whereabouts,” Mogale said.