News / Africa
Zimbabweans whipped at a Botswana customary court
06 May 2013 at 07:02hrs | Views
Two Zimbabwean men who were recently arrested in Gaborone West sobbed like babies as they were being caned at the Old Naledi customary court after being convicted of "intention to commit crime".
The Voice newspaper reported that Caiphus Moyo (32) and Blessed Mabondeni (36) shed tears in public early this week when they each received five lashes of the cane for an "intent to commit crime" conviction.
The unemployed Zimbabweans were nabbed by police officers at the Gaborone bus rank after they were found in possession of an iron bar, suspected to be a tool they intended to use to break into cars.
They both pleaded guilty to the charge when they appeared before the Old Naledi customary court president Charles Koitsiwe.
"Gentlemen, you can either be sent to jail for committing this crime but I shall however be lenient and order that each of you receive five strokes on bare buttocks and hope that you won't be caught on the wrong side of the law next time," said Koitsiwe.
Weeping like damsels in distress, Moyo told the media in between sniffles that he found the law in Botswana brutal.
"This is not fair at all. How can I be whipped just because I was caught holding a simple metal rod. Some people carry weapons and just because I am a Zimbabwean the law found it fit to humiliate me like this," said Moyo.
Moyo said he would let God be the judge insisting that he did not intend to commit any crime.
Mabondeni said he had no clue why he was lashed.
"I guess my sin was to be found with Moyo who had the iron rod. They searched me and found nothing.
"The metal rod was in Moyo's pocket, so I was basically lashed for nothing," he complained.
When told that he was convicted on his own plea of guilt, Mabondeni said, "I just wanted to save my time and energy."
The Voice newspaper reported that Caiphus Moyo (32) and Blessed Mabondeni (36) shed tears in public early this week when they each received five lashes of the cane for an "intent to commit crime" conviction.
The unemployed Zimbabweans were nabbed by police officers at the Gaborone bus rank after they were found in possession of an iron bar, suspected to be a tool they intended to use to break into cars.
They both pleaded guilty to the charge when they appeared before the Old Naledi customary court president Charles Koitsiwe.
"Gentlemen, you can either be sent to jail for committing this crime but I shall however be lenient and order that each of you receive five strokes on bare buttocks and hope that you won't be caught on the wrong side of the law next time," said Koitsiwe.
Weeping like damsels in distress, Moyo told the media in between sniffles that he found the law in Botswana brutal.
"This is not fair at all. How can I be whipped just because I was caught holding a simple metal rod. Some people carry weapons and just because I am a Zimbabwean the law found it fit to humiliate me like this," said Moyo.
Moyo said he would let God be the judge insisting that he did not intend to commit any crime.
Mabondeni said he had no clue why he was lashed.
"I guess my sin was to be found with Moyo who had the iron rod. They searched me and found nothing.
"The metal rod was in Moyo's pocket, so I was basically lashed for nothing," he complained.
When told that he was convicted on his own plea of guilt, Mabondeni said, "I just wanted to save my time and energy."
Source - The Voice
