Sunday, February 16, 2025

House-maid disappears with employer’s property

Sebueng Mokibe, 31, of Tawana location in Gaborone, was on Tuesday advised by Extension II principal magistrate, Barnabas Nyamazabo, to desist from stealing her employer’s property.

Mokibe, who pleaded guilty to the charge of stealing by servant, was sentence to 18 months in jail, wholly suspended for 3 years on condition that she is not convicted of the same offence or any offence involving an element of dishonesty.

Delivering judgment, Nyamazabo warned the accused that the court is inundated with cases that involve an element of dishonesty and, as such, the trend should be nipped in the bud by imposing stern measures.

“It is evident that if the offence is left to entrench itself it will doom households and companies,” he said. He said Mokibe had benefited from her wrong doing, as the properties were never recovered.
Nyamadzabo said he had taken into consideration factors such as Mokibe being a first offender and that the property stolen was not substantial. He also noted that Mokibe was gainfully employed and caring for her children and those of her sisters.
To this end, he said, it is imperative to temper justice with mercy by not considering a custodial sentence.

In another case at the Extension II Magistrate Court, a 28-year old woman of Tshielo ward in Gabane pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining by false pretences.

According to the charge sheet read in court, between July 18, 2005 and September 13, 2005 at Gaborone, Fatima Keabetswe Gabatshwane, with intent to defraud, obtained cash amounting to P10, 400 from Namwinga Ngandu on the pretence that she was a consultant and that she would process an application for her to acquire a visa while, in actual fact, she was not a consultant.

The case was adjourned to January 29, 2007, to allow prosecution to bring and present more facts relating to the case.

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