Jabulani Dube, a Zimbabwean national, has been convicted for the 2018 murder of Isaac Davids, a former Member of Parliament from Mochudi East. Dube and his accomplice, Mokgalemi Malea, who was a Motswana national, were employed as herd boys by Davids at the time of the crime.
The murder took place on January 13, 2018, at Sorilatholo village. The two men were reportedly caught by Davids while drinking a traditional brew. An altercation ensued, leading to the fatal stabbing of Davids.
In his ruling last Friday, Justice Michael Leburu of the Gaborone High Court found that the State had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Dube and Malea intentionally killed Davids. Despite the defendants’ claims of provocation, the court found that Dube had insulted Davids before the confrontation. Furthermore, the court rejected the claim that they acted in self-defense, noting that Dube had stabbed the victim multiple times with two knives while Davids attempted to flee.
Justice Leburu emphasized that there was no evidence to support Dube’s assertion that Davids had a gun in his vehicle. This claim was contradicted by the police, who found no weapon at the scene. The judge ruled that the violent response by the defendants to the alleged provocation was excessive and unjustified.
The court also noted that Dube’s actions, which included using a belt to smash the windscreen of Davids’ vehicle, amounted to malicious damage to property. Dube has been in prison since his arrest, and Malea had his bail revoked.
Both men are set to be sentenced on November 6 after being found guilty. During their trial, they had argued that Davids had assaulted them with a log, leading them to kill him in self-defense. However, the court found their version of events unconvincing.