‘I saw soldiers with naked Zimbabweans’

‘I saw soldiers with naked Zimbabweans’ - police officer

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By Senzeni Ndlovu in Gaberone

THE Zimbabwean group sex trial of Botswana law enforcement agents has pitted two security forces against each with a police officer testifying that he saw soldiers with naked Zimbabwean men and women.

One of the patrol team members who allegedly forced Zimbabwean nationals into sexual acts exposed his former friends and colleagues when giving evidence in court this week.

Gaamangwe Marope, a trainee at the Botswana Police College, told a court that on the night in question he was on patrol with others and members of the Botswana Defence Force when they went to a house in Sepitswana ward, a poor township in the capital, where they found three women whose passports they inspected and found to be valid.

He said they continued in their duties until they got to another house where another group of officers went inside a house and came out with three Zimbabwean men.

Marope said they were driven back to the first house where a group of soldiers disembarked with the three men.

"We were waiting with the other soldiers until one of them complained that his colleagues were taking too long. I concurred with him because we had already checked the passports and was wondering what was causing the delay,” he said.

He told the court that they went to enquire about the delay only to find naked men and women lying on the floor with the soldiers standing.

"I did not wait to watch what was going on but I requested the officers to leave the Zimbabweans alone and went back to the vehicle," he told a court this week.

He said when he was almost at the vehicle he saw two women, one totally naked, while the other was just putting on a panty coming out of the house screaming with the soldiers behind them.

The soldiers allegedly got into the vehicle and ordered the men to run in front of the car. They parted ways at a junction when the police officers went to their station.
Under cross examination, Marope said he could not include everything in his statement because he felt he has to summarise the events that unfolded on that day and speak later in court.

Zimbabweans involved in this case have already told the court of how they were forced to masturbate and have sex while the soldiers stood by and watched.

One of the men also claimed that he was forced to have sex with one of the women who was menstruating at that time.

Five soldiers from the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and two police officers are charged with indecent assault.

The five soldiers -- Samuel Seshabo, 21, Pako Tlhabaki, 23, Thato Bojosi, 24, Moagi Samson, 28 and Koziba Balopi, 25 -- all of them based at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks, deny the charges.

They are charged jointly with special constables Sydney Ntope, 28, and Phetogo Ganakobo, 20, who are stationed in Ramotswa.

The case continues.
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