The Voice, Francistown, 1 March 2013

Three lashes for three slaps

Man lashed thrice for slapping cop in court

A police officer who was slapped three times acrossthe face by an accused person in court has dismissed the incidentas part of the hazards of the job.

"I don't have any hard feelings, nor do I feel unsafe.It's one of the things I expect from mentally unstable accusedpersons like him," Said Inspector Alexander Phale after hewas assaulted in court by Graciano Philinious Chilume.

22-year-old Graciano appeared in the Francistown Magistrate'scourt last week for destroying his parents' property withInspector Phale prosecuting.

The mentally challenged man lost his cool when the Inspectorobjected to his bail application.

"The accused has no alternative place to stay. Hisparents are not comfortable to take him in because he refuses totake his medication.

They suspect he is mentally unstable even though they have nottaken him to Serowe Hospital for testing", Phale had saidin a statement that earned him Graciano's fury.

Within seconds Graciano had not only stated that he was notgoing back to prison but had also shot out of the dock , walkedacross to the prosecutor and slapped him three times before hewas restrained by police officers.

Sentencing the young man to three strokes of the cane forcontempt of court, Magistrate Ntwayapelo asked Graciano if herecalled what transpired the last time he appeared in court.

In response Graciano who was in leg chains this time aroundsaid: "My mind is not working properly.

I didn't intended to misbehave. I remember that guy insistingthat I wasn't taking my medication although I told him that I wastaking it. I don't remember assaulting him. "

The Voice, Francistown, 29 March 2013

Wrongly lashed Zim man to sue

By Chenjenali Baraedi

LASHED: Khulekani

A Zimbabwean man who was wrongly lashed after he wasmistaken for an illegal migrant was contemplating a lawsuitagainst the state for the unnecessary pain infliction and trauma.

Khulekani Ndhlovu, 26, from Tsholotsho had five lashesadministered on the buttocks at Tati-siding customary courtdespite his pleas that he was not a border jumper.

"The police arrested me while on my way to Tati-sidingand when I told them that I came into the country legally andthat my valid passport was at home, no one listened to me,"Khulekani said

Instead he was lashed and deported back to Zim immediatelyafter the beating.

His father who works in the country later followed Khulekaniat the Ramokgwebana border and brought him back in the country todemand an explanation.

"My father took me to Tati siding the following day wherehe produced my valid passport and asked demanded an answer.

To my shock the officers merely apologised without evenconsidering taking me to the hospital since I had told them thatI was not well," Khulekani said: "It was then that mydad decided to consult a lawyer seek justice.

The young man's fuming father Alexander Ndlovu, 62, told TheVoice that he was contemplating legal action against the Police,the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and the Tati-siding chief forunlawful prosecution and unfair treatment which his son wasforced to go through.

Chief Simon Nkgageng of Tati-siding however said he was notaware that anyone was mistakenly tried and punished before hiscourt.

"Truly speaking I would hardly know anything because mostof the cases are investigated by the police before being broughtbefore our courts.

I should think the police would be in a position to knowbetter if any mistake indeed occurred," Nkgageng saidencouraging foreigners to always carry their travelling documentswhen moving from one place to another.