Africa-Press – Botswana. When Itumeleng Thapane crossed the South African border into Botswana to bury his father, who was an accomplished businessman, her plan was to go home, sleep and the next day look into his father’s closet to select befitting attire for the gentleman that the late Solomon Thapane was. Alas, that never happened as she was barred from entering the house she understood to be home.
“I pressed the motor gate and the gate did not open, I then used the intercom,” she said during her testimony before Magistrate Kamogelo Mmesi of Extension II court.
Unbeknown to her, she was greeted by a stranger who confirmed to be owning the house and that she was not welcome.
‘’I then called Inspector Sergeant Marapo, who told me to look for a place to sleep. He said he would address the issue the next day,” Ms Thapane said.
As the sole family estate executor and his father’s legal caretaker, since the old man was deemed unfit to make some decisions due to illness, she could not understand how the family lost the house, hence she is adamant that the former family gardener and driver, Bhekizwe Nkomazana alias Khaya Bheki Mazibuko mastered the whole transfer and sale of the house as well as other property.
She said Mazibuko grew up working for the family as a garden boy and later became his father’s trusted driver, adding that in 1993 she moved to South Africa to work in the travel industry, but she would often come home to check on her ailing father.
However, a family conflict erupted when her sister swindled her father about P12 million and fled to the US.
Ms Thapane told the court that the matter was reported to the police, but it put a strain on her relationship with her sister and their father. She narrated how, at a later stage, Mazibuko told her that her life was in danger from her sister, hence she stopped coming to Botswana fearing for her life, but she habitually telephoned her father to check on him.
She said during one of the days while in South Africa, she received a call from a person who identified himself as Inspector Marapo, who informed her about the death of her father.
“It was a bit odd because I did not know this gentleman. He asked me if I was alone and I said yes, then he asked me to call him back when I am with someone,” she shared.
Ms Thapane said she managed to call her cousin and it was during further engagements that she became aware that his father had been in a mortuary for about three months. She told the court that she was surprised that Mazibuko never informed her of her father’s passing despite the fact that they constantly talked over the phone.
She told the court that apart from the house and the farm, the household furniture estimated at the cost of P1.2 million was missing from the house, alleging that Mazibuko was responsible for facilitating the family property looting.
“I am sorry that the house is gone, this is so sad! If you had been around, maybe you could have helped Rre Thapane make a better decision,” defence attorney, Mr Kgosietsile Ngakaagae said during cross examination.
He further accused the witness of neglecting his father for seven years, adding that her testimony was a cover up for her negligence and irresponsibility.
“Your father is your father, you ought to have looked after your own father. You should be ashamed of yourself,” he further remarked, as confrontation between him and the witness ensued.
“I waited for nine years for all this to come out?” said Ms Thapane, seemingly losing her composure and further telling Mr Ngakaagae that he should be ashamed of defending lies before the court.
The attorney told the witness to own up to the indignity that befell their late father as Mazibuko was not responsible for such, adding that in any case, the family should thank him for caring for their late father to the point of death.
He further refuted that Mazibuko played a role in the transfer and sale of the late Mr Thapane’s house and farm. The Zimbabwean national, Mazibuko, is charged with failing to disclose the death of Mr Thapane to his family and subsequently obtaining over P4 million through selling his property.
Mazibuko, who worked for the late Thapane as a gardener until the latter’s passing in 2016 is charged alongside the trio of Othusitse Seoke, Daniel Gasefiwe and Levy Mosweu, for official corruption in abetting him to obtain a birth certificate, national identity card (Omang) and a driver’s license.
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