The Christian community reeling from shock after the Evangelist Lutheran church pastor in Extension 12 in Gaborone Central was found in a pool of blood inside the church following her brutal attack by her boyfriend.
The boyfriend allegedly committed suicide soon after the incident.
Reports from the already troubled Lutheran church suggest that it is deeply divided over the recent incident.
Some congregants suggested that the pastor could have long been removed from pastoral position while others believe the church failed to assist and protect the pastor.
Sources say sometime last week around lunch time the boyfriend arrived at the church where the two had a heated argument.
The argument allegedly ensued after the pastor had asked her partner to end the affair due to her position in the church but the boyfriend maintained that they should continue with the relationship.
It is alleged that matters came to a head when the boyfriend lost his temper and pulled out a knife from his pocket and stabbed the pastor eleven times over her body. She sustained deep wounds.
It is further alleged that after the brutal attack the pastor collapsed and the suspect fled the crime scene after he allegedly called one of his church mates to rush to the church.
Police were then called and the pastor was rushed to Princess Marina hospital where she was hospitalized.
Botswana Police Service spokesperson Senior Superintendent Diphoko Motube said Gaborone central police station is investigating a case in which a Lutheran church pastor in extension 12 in Gaborone is hospitalized after she was attacked while in church by her boyfriend.
He indicated that the female pastor aged 32 from Tsabong was stabbed several times all over her body by the alleged boyfriend aged 33 from Manyana village who later committed suicide in Tsholofelo inside his house.
Motube said the police have not yet established the motive behind the attack and investigations are still continuing.
He indicated that as police they are worried by increasing number of violent crime.
When contacted for comment the church Bishop declined to comment.
Professor Joseph Gaie of University of Botswana at department of Theology and Religious Studies expressed shock saying it is unfortunate that such a terrible incident happened inside a church.
He said the Lutheran Church has in the recent past been troubled by internal divisions that eventually led to violence in Gaborone and Ramotswa.
Gaie said the Christian community has failed Lutheran church dismally as nobody wanted to assist during the trying times saying the most disappointing thing was that even Botswana Council of Churches (BCC) did not intervene. He said such acts are unholy and the nation should go back to the basics of Christianity as well as culture which plays a vital role in our lives.
But pastor Skate Skate, vice president of BCC said he is not able to comment on the matter stating that only the Lutheran leadership is in better position to comment.
