A CRY FOR HELP
‘Bamangwato Coach Tours bus crashed into my car.’ Man wants bus owner to compensate him His car was wrecked beyond repair
Kelebileone Ontefetse (35) wants travel company Bamangwato Coach Tours to compensate him for wrecking his Volkswagen model car beyond repair back in 2020. Ontefetse shares that he is tired of running after the travel company - it has been two years of excuses, empty promises and dilly-dallying, he is now fed up. Speaking out this week, Ontefetse said that sometime in January 2020, just by Phakalane traffic lights in Gaborone, a Bamangwato bus came speeding towards him. He could sense danger coming but was hopeful that the bus driver would take control of his vehicle but he did not, leading to the bus crashing into the back of his car. “I remember how I hit the roof of the car with my head, the car was shoved out of the road, further crashing onto the roadside kerb stones traffic lights. The front was entirely destroyed, I am actually lucky to have come out alive,” he said. A few days later, Ontefetse says he met with Bamangwato Coach Tours owner Letsweletse Dichaba Tangane and he promised that he would compensate him. The promise was not honoured, leading to Ontefetse seeking legal advice. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw courts prioritize only urgent cases, his matter was never heard in court. “It seems the lawyers I engaged were too busy with other cases and never gave mine attention. I really do not know why,” he said, adding that he is pleading for help, he is ready to do anything that will help him get his money or car back. Although he has no legal representative at the moment, it did not stop him from pursuing the matter with Tangane and at one point, he was offered P15 000 as compensation. Ontefetse refused the offer believing it to be too little, he then did an evaluation of the car and the report said at the time of the accident, his car was worth P31 000. “We did not agree on the amount until today, I have been suffering, I hire cars when I have to travel out of Gaborone,” he said. When reached, Tangane referred this publication to Thato, his son, saying he had spoken to him about being unavailable for comment. “My father cannot comment on the matter today, he has asked that he be given time,” Thato said on Tuesday afternoon. Thato did not deny owing Ontefetse saying he would remind his father to pay him.