GABORONE – A Zimbabwean national, Gerald Dube, who killed his employer, two children and a maid eight years ago, has become the first man to be hanged under the leadership of President Ian Khama.
The Department of Prisons and Rehabilitation spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Mr. Wamorena Ramolefe, confirmed in an interview with The Gazette that Dube was hanged on December 18.
“Yes I can confirm that he was executed on the 18th of December and he was buried in the vicinity of the Maximum Prisons. Normally that is where death row in mates are buried,” said Ramolefe.
The execution of Dube follows his death sentence was passed on June 14tth, 2007 by the Francistown High Court. He had pleaded not guilty to all counts murder. He appealed but the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling.
Dube was charged with four counts of murder after he had murdered Ms. Patricia Majoko, who was also a Zimbabwean, her two sons, Amotjilani (5) and Dumisani (7) and Majoko’s maid, Lindiwe Ncube.
Majoko had employed Dube, who was her cousin, at her law firm as a filing clerk; he lived with the family at their residence in Francistown. He was said to have become embittered after Majoko had fired him from the job, and the result was that he murdered her, her children and the maid on September 13th, 2001.
Botswana has executed at least 43 death row inmates since gaining independence in 1966. Though Ramolefe was not ready to reveal the number of people currently on death row, reports indicate that three or four face execution. The Botswana Gazette