Woman acquitted after allegedly insulting elderly neighbour
A woman from Moeti ward in Maun was acquitted by the Maun Customary Court on Friday after allegedly insulting her elderly male neighbour over a goat dispute.
Keene Abram (35) was charged with the illegal use of insulting language following a domestic gender-based violence (GBV) case filed by Maun Police.
The complainant, Gaboileope Rakgopa (69), claimed that Abram unleashed a vulgar tirade at him, allegedly saying, “Wena monnamogolo ke wena o ma%#te ke tla a go nye*&sa,” loosely translated as “You old d*ck, I’ll beat the s#*t out of you!”
Despite Abram denying the allegations, Rakgopa dragged her to court accusing her of insulting him.
The elderly man testified that on January 28, 2025, he found Abram’s billy goat inside his kraal and rattled the fence to scare it away.
However, Abram allegedly stormed into his yard, accusing him of hitting her goat and hurling the insults.
He said to avoid any further confrontation; he ran to the neighbour’s where he met 48-year-old Gosalamang Samunyeka who advised him to report the matter to the police.
Samunyeka, testified in court as a hearsay witness, claiming he heard the commotion but initially admitted he didn’t make out the words.
However, during cross-examination, he contradicted himself by saying he actually heard Abram spitting the insults, prompting Presiding Chief Kgosi Oleyo Ledimo to dismiss him as an unreliable witness.
“You are an unreliable witness therefore I cannot admit your testimony. In fact, you are a liar.” Ledimo ruled.
Both Rakgopa and Samunyeka described Abram as an ill-tempered troublemaker who often verbally abuses neighborrs without leaving any incriminating evidence.
Abraham, however, hit back, claiming Samunyeka was lying as revenge for rejecting his romantic advances- an allegation he denied in front of his wife.
Without any concrete evidence, the court dismissed the case, setting Abram free.
A conviction for the charge could have carried a fine of up to P1,000, imprisonment, or both.
Following the ruling, Kgosi Ledimo urged all parties to resolve their differences and live in peace, reminding them that they will always need each other as neighbours.Top of Form
Bottom of Form
