Assaulted Magistrate drags Rannowane, Chief Registrar to court

APrincipal Magistrate, who was reportedly assaulted and verbally attacked by inmates at Molepolole Magistrate’s Court, has accused Chief Justice (CJ) Terence Rannowane and Chief Registrar of the High Court of ‘negligence’.

Magistrate Kefilwe Resheng, who is resisting a transfer to Mahalapye Magistrate’s Court on the condition that she suffered an extreme mental breakdown, has asserted her accusations following an alleged attack on her. Resheng said she is fearful after one of the inmates promised to follow her and murder her, saying the CJ and company have made it clear that her transfer still stands against the advice of her doctors.

In her court documents, Resheng said she was transferred and gladly accepted before the attack but now it was not ideal after being diagnosed with extreme Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with recommendations made that she should not be transferred away from her family as she still needs support.

“I have now come to the conclusion and/ or realisation that the respondent’s conduct amounts to a refusal to reconsider my transfer on medical grounds to Gaborone or surrounding areas within commuting distance as I am forced to report to Mahalapye,” she said.

She explained that the refusal was detrimental to her as she has issues of health as attested to by different doctors who attended to her and made recommendations for her wellbeing following the attacks.

She had two relapses in Molepolole and their extent of damage was not visible to the naked eye that her case was not just one of a threat to be attacked, but she has been attacked by the alleged murderer and an armed robber who threatened to follow her to Mahalapye for the sole purpose of killing her.

“If they are successful in coming after me and/or they do manage to send someone to complete their attack, I may lose my life which would never be redressed by any court sitting in due course,” she noted.

Resheng emphasised that the right sought to be protected was clear.

“I have a clear right in this matter for reasons that I have the right to work in a safe and secure environment that will have regard for my health and wellbeing.

Working in an environment that is most likely to regress my trauma healing is a clear contravention of my right to good health and life,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Magistrate’s resistance to being transferred is that on May 17 she was viciously attacked and assaulted by an accused named Mogorosi Korae whilst executing her judicial functions in open court.

She explained that events leading to the attack were documented in a police report and pointed out that during the attack she was rescued, not by any member of staff, police or prison officials but by a civilian in attendance at the court premises on the day.

“On the same date of the attack I sought medical attention and after consultation with the doctor, I was put on sick leave from May 18 until May 27, 2022.

This was due to the fact that I was diagnosed with acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The sick leave was from Dr [Aron] Mwiru a General Practitioner based in Molepolole,”

she said. She explained that her visit to Dr Mwiru resulted in a referral to a psychologist whom she started seeing on May 25 while she resumed duty on May 30.

Resheng said while still undergoing therapy on May 31, she sat in court and was again attacked verbally by two accused persons in two different cases. “To my disappointment and peril, all this time whilst I was being savagely threatened none of the prison warders and/or police escorts reprimanded the accused.

As if to add salt to the wound, up next to be heard was the case of an accused appearing for charges of robbery in a case where he is accused of robbing Payless Molepolole at gunpoint,” reads Resheng’s affidavit.

She emphasised that the proceedings could not finish fast enough because the attack caused her to relapse and she was attended to at Gaborone Private Hospital (GPH) where Dr Patience Monyatse, a General Practitioner referred her to Dr Abel Thula, a specialist psychiatrist for PTSD treatment.

The case is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) at Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court.

They didn’t even condemn the attack

‘Inmate promised to murder

me’