FRANCISTOWN: Member of Parliament for Nata – Gweta Constituency Polson Majaga who is facing a charge of defilement after allegedly impregnating a 16-year-old girl has been exonerated by a DNA test.
According to the charge sheet, on or between September 2019 and May 2020, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Member of Parliament allegedly defiled the teenage girl (name withheld) at Malelekwe Cattlepost near Nata village in the Central District. A warrant of his arrest was issued. Majaga handed himself to the police. He was detained at Kutlwano Police station in Francistown. He was then arraigned at Nata Magistrate Court where he was granted bail.
The state represented by Kefilwe Jeremiah of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) did not oppose the accused being granted bail.
During trial Nata Senior Magistrate Keabetswe Majuta ordered that a paternity test be done on Majaga to prove if he is the father of the child or not. The baby was born in July 2020.
Information reaching the Sunday Standard suggests that the DNA tests results which came out before the independence holidays show that Majaga is not the father to the child.
The accused has since pleaded not guilty to the charge and has pointed a blaming finger at his political rivals for an ulterior motive to blemish his image and ruin his political career. The controversial politician has been suspended from the BDP pending conclusion of his court case. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) advocating for children rights including some opposition politicians have called for the BDP to suspend Majaga from participating in parliament proceedings as he is facing a serious offence. The BDP has however ignored the calls.Majaga’s assertion is that he will continue to participate in parliamentary proceedings as part of his mandate to advocate for his constituents. He maintained that the responsibility lies with the court to prove that his guilt or innocence.
Reached for comment his lawyer Mishingo Jeremia of Francistown based law firm Jeremia Attorneys confirmed to Sunday Standard last week that it is true that the DNA results proved that Majaga is not the father to the child.
“What I can only reveal now is that the results came out and proved that my client did not impregnate the complainant as per the charge,” he said in a telephone interview. He however could not divulge more information stating that the matter is still before court.
Majaga will appear again at Nata Magistrate court on the 3rd of November 2020 for continuation of trial and the prosecution is expected to avail the DNA results and bring witnesses.
Majaga is not new to this kind of controversies. In 2016 there were also reports in the media about Majaga having an affair with a 17-year-old school girl. He denied the allegations.
