March against abductions, ritual murders

Activities held in remembrance of Segametsi and other victims of ritual killings

A series of activities have been lined up in remembrance of Segametsi Mogomotsi whose life was mercilessly cut short when she was killed in a ritual murder in 1994.

The remembrance events kick-started with a prayer session this past Sunday in Boseja ward, Mochudi, and will culminate in a protest march and discussion session on Saturday and Sunday November 5 and 6 still in Mochudi.

Event organiser Michelle Teise, told The Midweek Sun that they decided to hold this event in light of the growing concern over incidents of abductions and ritual murders across the country.

She said that the event is also meant to extend comfort and support to the families of those who have lost loved ones to ritual murders, as well as to raise awareness of the gravity of the problem.

“We are coming together to speak up in one voice and say, ‘Enough is enough,’ we have had it with lives that are taken for granted, and we are tired of all these killings. Everyone deserves to lead a dignified life without it being brutally cut short, especially for evil purposes such as ritual murders.

“We also want to bring people together to pray and discuss this matter in a safe space because it is not often that people discuss ritual murders,” she said.

Teisi said they decided to include churches and church leaders in the events because it is sometimes important to seek spiritual intervention and guidance.

“We want to come together and pray and ask God, ‘What can we do to solve this problem, why is the world so sick and people can kill just like that?’ We also want to pray for protection and that these incidents come to an end.” Mogomotsi was just 14-years-old in 1994 when she was abducted and killed in a brutal ritual murder in Mochudi. The incident caused outrage and sparked riots in Gaborone and Mochudi which continued into 1995.

Nearly three decades later, memories of the unsolved murder still bring a bitter taste in the mouths of many.

In 2011, the prime suspect in the case, Mokgalo Sekobye, who had in 2009 sued Government for wrongful arrest in relation to the case and won, passed on after a long illness.

Since then, nothing else was mentioned of the matter and the family and community have just gone on with their lives with wounded hearts, remembering the brutal murder when tragic tales of ritual murders occur.

In recent years the number of missing people who are later found with missing body parts, and cases of suspected ritual murders have gone up raising concern and worry among the public.