Segametsi Mogomotsi (Unsolved Murder)

Segametsi Mogomotsi lived in the village of Mochudi, just outside the capital city of Gabarone in Botswana. On a Saturday in November 1994 the 14 year old disappeared while selling oranges to raise funds for an upcoming church excursion. Less than 24 hours later her dismembered body was found a short distance from her home. It appeared Segametsi had been been the victim of a ritual murder. This horrific crime was a catalyst for widespread protests across the country as many felt those in power were attempting to cover up the truth.

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Transcript

Segametsi Mogomotsi

This episode deals with a crime committed against a child. Please exercise self-care when choosing to listen.

Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, with the vast Kalahari desert engulfing 70% of the landscape. It shares borders with Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa and currently has a population of approximately 2.3 million. Its history can be traced back to the early Iron Age when the Tswana people migrated to the region from what is now South Africa. In the 19th century, the Tswana came under British rule and the country became known as Bechuanaland. The name Botswana came into use when the country gained independence from Britain in 1966. For the next thirty years, the country garnered a reputation for having a stable economy built on diamond mining and tourism. It fostered a tolerant democratic society in which the rule of law was respected and violence was very rarely seen. This all changed in the latter part of 1994 when the country witnessed widespread political and social unrest. The catalyst for this upheaval was the savage murder of a young teenage girl.

On Saturday November 5th 1994, 14 year old Segametsi Mogomotsi left the small one-roomed hut she shared with her parents and four siblings and headed for one of the main streets in Mochudi. With a population of 40,000 the village lies 40 km northeast of the capital, Gaborone. It is situated in the south east of the country and is home to the Bakgatla people who speak the tswana language. 

Studious and independent Segametsi was a devout christian and a keen member of a local church. That weekend, at the beginning of the summer, or the Green season as it is called in Botswana, Segametsi had a task to do. She was trying to raise money for a project the church was taking part in. Some reports mention that the money was to go towards a church trip (or possibly school trip) to Francistown, the second largest city in Botswana. Segametsi, together with a friend, set about trying to collect the funds by selling oranges around the village. The following details come from the account of an anonymous young person who talked with anthropologist Charlene Burke in 1996. The interviewee was a form 5 graduate from a local secondary school. Form 5 is the last year of school in Botswana, so the individual was at least 17 years old. 

According to the source a group of men approached Segametsi and proposed that they buy all her oranges. The teenager was obviously delighted with this turn of events and eagerly accepted the offer. There was just one snag, they didn't have enough cash on them to buy the oranges. The men left saying they would come back soon with the money. They instructed her to stay exactly where she was. They wouldn't be long. 

Segmesti waited for hours. The afternoon gradually faded into early evening and before long the sun went down. It was only now, under the cover of darkness, that the group of men returned, but they had no intention of buying the oranges. They had other, nefarious plans. The men blindfolded the frightened child, bound her hands and abducted her. They took Segametsi to a remote house in the bushland not far from the village. Here the young girl's life ended in the most depraved way. 

I will address what happened next in a moment, but just to note I came across a youtuber from Botswana who gives details of an alternative account said to have been shared by Segametsi’s best friend who was selling oranges with her. I’ll put a link in the sources. According to the video, the friend later retracted her account, so it's hard to know how much credence to put in the following story. I will briefly include the gist of this account here but do bear this fact in mind. I do not know how or whether this fits together with the account of events I have already described. 

The friend said when she and Segametsi were out selling oranges a man known to the girls waved at them from across the street. The girls did not respond in kind, as the man had made sexual advances towards Segametsi in the past. The next part of the story is difficult to ascertain but the girls ended up at the house of the girlfriend of the man who had waved at them in the street. Here the girls were hoping to sell some oranges but Segametsi’s friend had to leave. When she returned an hour later Segametsi was gone. Her friend looked for her at the church and at other places she was known to go but couldn't find her anywhere. Eventually the friend returned home sometime between 4-6pm.

Anthropologist Charlene Burke talked with another local person (referred to as interview number 12) who told of what happened to Segametsi in her final hours. Please be warned the following details are disturbing. I've included them as they are important to the case but skip forward 30 seconds or so if you wish

According to this interview, after Segametsi had been abducted and taken to a house, someone reported hearing her crying during the night. Segamesti was heard telling one of her attackers, whom she clearly knew, (referenced as “M” in Charlene Burke's field notes), to leave her alone. She pleaded with the person not to kill her and asked how they could do such a thing when she was known to them. Segametsi was then taken to a nearby hill and a piece of material was put in her mouth in order to gag her. According to this source Segametsi was killed by three men who cut her body into pieces. It is speculated Segametsi may have been alive when this happened. 

The perpetrators believed their crime would largely go unnoticed, as no one would kick up much fuss about a poor dead girl from a small village. On the contrary, the murder awoke an army of disaffected young people who banded together to confront the injustice they believed was at the root of this barbaric murder.

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When Segametsi did not return home that evening her family were not initially worried. It was common for her to stay out and sleep over at the houses of her friends from church. The following morning a person known by the family came to the hut to tell them that Segametsi had been murdered and her body had been found close by. 

Segametsi's remains were found in a yard overgrown with bush behind the International Pentecostal Church on the main road from Mochudi to the neighbouring village of Sikwane. It was near a fence bordering the local school. The first police officer on the scene was a man named Richard. Richard has long since retired from the force but what he saw that day must have stayed with him throughout his career. 

The body was naked and had been cut up into several pieces with the legs and arms stacked in a pile. Some body parts were missing and it was presumed they had been removed by the killer or killers. It is reported in many sources that Semetsi’s private parts had been taken. One local person  interviewed by the aforementioned Charlene Burke said one man took the anus. The other parts taken were the breasts, vagina and tongue.

The officer found a cardboard box to cover the remains until they could be collected by a police medical team. There had been little attempt to hide them by the killer and Richard was keen to shield local people from the horrific sight.

The body being left in such a state meant there were no doubts in the minds of the local police and other members of the community that Segametsi had been killed as part of a black magic ritual. This is known as “Muti” in South Africa or “dipheko" in Botswana. This type of ritual killing is a primitive tradition which involves a Sangoma (or witch doctor) mixing human flesh with herbs and maize in order to create a magic potion. While only a tiny minority of people engaged in such practices, in the mid 1990s there were several hundred such ritual murders committed each year across sub Saharan Africa. What was rare about Segametsi’s case, was that the body had been found. In most suspected ritual murders the remains of the missing person were never recovered.

The potion or medicine produced by the ritual killing is then taken by an individual with the belief that it will lead to success or favour in any number of fields. For example it will advance a career or business venture, produce more livestock on a farm or even help a politician win an election.  In her article titled “They Cut Segmesti into parts. Ritual murder, youth and the politics of knowledge in Botswana”, Charlene Burke states that young people are particularly desired for “Muti” killings. Teenagers are seen as the embodiment of untapped potential and aspiration. They have their whole lives ahead of them. By harvesting body parts from a young person, particularly a gifted one, it will capture and store this wealth of potential. Productive body parts  such as hands, brain and eyes and reproductive body parts, like the vagina, and breasts are particularly valued.

Segametsi was an extremely bright young girl who excelled in school. She was known as academically gifted and her own family had hopes she would go on to accomplish great things and raise them out of poverty. Segametsi herself aspired to be a teacher or nurse when she grew up. Segametsi had been specifically targeted due to her intelligence and poor background. Whoever had done this had banked on the murder being quickly forgotten about because of her humble background. The fact that her body was left so openly seemed to be a brazen taunt by  the killer or killers; they did not fear discovery or capture. 

The community in Mochudi were horrified at what had happened and rumours soon started about who was responsible for this evil act. Very early on two businessmen who were also local politicians were arrested. There were stories already circulating before the murder that both men were involved in occult practices. However, they were very quickly released without charge due to a lack of evidence against them. 

A day or so later another suspect, closer to home, came onto the investigators' radar. It was Segametsi’s own stepfather. The allegation put to him was that he had sold Segametsi to people wanting to commit a ritual killing. Several rumours were doing the rounds, one was that a friend of the stepfather had wanted the ritual killing to benefit his supermarket business. There were other stories implying that Segametsi's stepfather had been specifically targeted to help because those behind the plan believed he would get the blame for it. Segametsi's stepfather is referred to as being mentally disabled. It is not clear exactly how severe the incapacity was but there is little doubt he was a vulnerable person. Was his vulnerability exploited by people with evil intentions?

When the stepfather was first arrested he implicated three rich businessmen in the murder and gave a graphic description of what had happened to his step daughter. He also confessed his own involvement in the crime. (Though as we shall see he later recanted this confession). A year after the murder a newspaper, The Botswana Guardian, approached a government official involved in district administration and gave details of this alleged confession  by Segametsi’s stepfather, which he supposedly gave to police three days after the murder. Details of the alleged confession are found in an Ornulf Gulbrandsen article about the murder  in the journal “Social Analysis” from September 2002. 

According to the alleged confession a businessman had approached Segametsi’s stepfather offering him P1200 (at the time the equivalent of $220), to procure him a child for “Muti”, with the aim of enhancing his bottle business. The plan was for one of the businessman's employees to lure Segametsi away. The stepfather would then meet the businessman later and collect the money.

Botswana academic Wathuto Pearl David writes on her website that the rumour was that the agreed price was P1200 with a deposit of P600 when the child was handed over to the buyers. However the stepfather never received any of the money. 

 According to the stepfather’s alleged confession, when he went to meet the businessman and collect his money, Segametsi was in a car with five men. She was bound and restrained. The 14 year old was then led away from the car whimpering by three men also carrying canvas material. Segametsi was then killed and her body dismembered. The murder took place in the bush near some pools used as a sewage outlet.

As I mentioned It is speculated that her body parts were cut from her when she was still alive. The reason for this is a belief that they would be more potent when used in the Muti. After the murder the stepfather felt remorse and regretted what he had done.

As a result of this information, on November 10th, just four days after the remains were found, the police arrested a wealthy local business leader, who I will refer to by the initial, M (I believe this could be the same man said to have waved to the girls from across the street in the recanted account by Segametsi’s friend). If you remember the person that Segametsi was overheard pleading with in the house shortly before her murder was also referred to as “M” in that account. I can not say with certainty if they all refer to the same person.  

This man was released without charge after two days. At some point the two other men named by the stepfather were also arrested. They too were released without charge. 

These three men continued to be investigated and M was rearrested a few days later on  November 17th. This time he remained in police custody for almost two months. He was finally released without charge on January 11th 1995. The other two men had also been rearrested but they too were released again in January. 

The stepfather himself remained in custody but by now had withdrawn his confession. He claimed it had not been a truthful account and he had been coerced by investigators.  The stepfather denied having anything to do with the murder. He changed his story, now saying a traditional doctor (sometimes called a witch doctor) had told him that three men and a woman had killed Segametsi as they were about to embark on a new business venture. The stepfather said the traditional doctor had not named the people and he himself had wrongly concluded who the doctor was referring to. Essentially the stepfather had implicated the wrong people in the crime. He now said there was no evidence that these businessmen had been involved. Hence why the men were released. Despite withdrawing his confession the stepfather remained under suspicion and in custody.

The three business men held a celebration to mark their release from prison. In attendance was the Paramount Chief of the Bakgatla people, Chief Linchwe. The Paramount Chief is a tribal monarch. In the pre-colonial era they had powers of a king. Each of Botswana's eight tribes had a Paramount Chief as their leader.

The Paramount Chief's presence at this event caused great concern amongst locals and would later prove problematic for the investigation. There was a feeling within the community that the three men had been released too hastily and perhaps Segametsi's stepfather was being set up as the fall guy. People were suspicious of the authorities and wondered if they were trying to sweep the whole matter under the carpet. Anger and resentment began to build within the village of Mochudi. 

Friends and classmates of Segametsi were especially enraged by the perceived injustice. Pupils from Radikolo Junior secondary school, which Segametsi had attended, marched on the District Commissioner's office to present a petition calling for a full and thorough investigation into the murder. This charged atmosphere rapidly evolved into violence. The South African press association even reported that one of the schools in the village was raided by the police. Teenagers who had gathered there were beaten with batons. A riot broke out and protesters and police clashed in the streets. Taking the authorities by suprise, it was the protestors who won the initial battle. They then made their way to two of the suspect's homes and set the properties alight. 

Students from another local high school, Molefhi secondary, also joined in the upheaval. It was chaos on the streets. Boulders, tree branches and bins were used to block roads. While it was predominantly young people involved in the disruption, Ornulf Gulbradesen  says in the aforementioned article from 2002 that they were encouraged by their parents to get involved.

In response a “Kgolta” meeting or popular assembly of the Tswana people was called by the Paramount Chief Linchwe of the Bakgatla tribe to try and resolve the unrest and work out the best way forward in finding out who the killer or killers were.

Two government ministers and the Attorney General travelled from the capital Gaborone with a heavy police entourage to attend the meeting. They attempted to allay fears and convince the community that everything possible would be done to bring those responsible to justice. Local people present at the meeting were furious and did not believe the officials. They also accused  Paramount Chief Linchwe of influencing police decisions to allow the suspects to be let go. They pointed to his involvement in the celebrations following their release from custody. The Paramount Chief was also a known friend of one of the businessmen. The government officials ended up having to flee the meeting as a hail of stones rained down on them thrown by angry villagers. 

The Special Support Group (SSG) were called in to  restore order. The SSG are variously described as the paramilitary wing of the government or the Botswana Special Forces. The violence in the Mochudi did slowly subside, only for it to begin to heat up in the capital.

Violence reached Gaborone on February 16th. Students from the University of Botswana and teenagers from Naledi Senior secondary school were at the heart of the dissent.  The main business district was specifically targeted and people could not attend their places of work as the roads were blocked by stone throwing protestors. High schools and university buildings in the area were also forced to shut. Law and order had broken down and police set up roadblocks on the main roads into the city. Acrid smoke from burning tyres filled the skyline, and the sound of gunshots pierced the air. Soldiers on horseback galloped the streets in an attempt to corral the protestors. 

A group calling themselves the Revolutionary War Council was established and circulated leaflets throughout Gaborone declaring that justice would prevail for Segametsi, whether the state was in support of this or not. A mob of students stormed the government buildings and disrupted a sitting session of parliament forcing President Masire to make a quick escape. The retreating president was hit on the head by a stone thrown by a protester. 

The riot police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Several people died during the riots in the capital. One was a young boy and another a bystander who was not involved in the protests. Both were struck by rubber bullets. Another person was hit by a stray bullet and paralysed. A teacher hit by a live bullet died years later as a result of their injuries. Violence also  flared up again in the village of Mochudi when two police officers were attacked, leaving one with critical injuries.  

President Masire called an emergency cabinet meeting to work out a plan of action. He then addressed the nation in a live breakfast radio broadcast. He was unequivocal that law and order would be restored by the police and military. President Masire even threatened that rioters would be shot with live bullets if the situation did not improve.

Many people were worried that the response from the authorities to the rioting was exacerbating the situation and the government were demonstrating all the hallmarks of a police state.  Anglican Bishop of central Africa Walter Makhudu said the Botswana government should open an inquiry into the riots, as if not properly dealt with the incident could damage the country's reputation internationally. 

It was then mooted that the Botswana authorities should reach out to London's Scotland Yard to assist in Segametsi’s case. It was a natural choice as Botswana had been a British colony until 1966 and the Yard was held in high esteem. According to a Daily Telegraph piece from April 1995 the idea was first suggested by Paramount Chief Linchwe. 

The Attorney General approached the British High Commission in Botswana who in turn contacted the UK Home Office. Arrangements were then made for detectives to fly out to Botswana. In the meantime the leader of the government opposition Dr Kennth Koma went on tv to ask the rioters to refrain from further protests and wait for the findings of the Scotland Yard investigation. The situation did begin to ease.

Ten days after the riots began, two detectives from Scotland Yard arrived at Sir Seretse Khama airport in Gaborone. Superintendent Douglas Campbell and Detective Inspector James Marshall got to work making inquiries in the village of Mochudi. For Superintendent Campbell it was to be his swansong, one last big case before he was due to retire the following month. The detectives had entered into a heated and politically sensitive situation but they told the media they would be looking to treat the investigation in the same way they would tackle a case in London's East End. The pair were aided in their efforts by their interpreter “Pro” and driver “Oats”. 

At first the villagers of Mochudi were reluctant to cooperate with the British detectives. Local chief Pilane Mmusi complained that he had not been consulted about the decision to obtain support from Scotland Yard. They were deeply suspicious of the motives of Paramount Chief Linchwe in suggesting the idea of including Scotland Yard. Village elders and members of the community feared their involvement was part of a ploy by the government to cover up the whole affair. At one point Paramount Chief Linchwe was said to have been brought to tears during a heated meeting about the issue. Family members said they did not trust him. Violence in the village flared up again and business premises owned by the suspects were attacked and set on fire.

After a few days things settled down and local chief Mmusi was persuaded to change his mind regarding the Scotland Yard detectives. Both DS Campbell and DI Marshall were allowed to go about their work freely and local people were encouraged to participate in the investigation.

DS Campbell and DI Marshall met with the local tribal council to share ideas and theories about the murder. Paramount Chief Linchwe was present, along with around 200 inhabitants of Mochudi who were seen as clever and wise. Very little is known about the detectives’ findings but it was confirmed in the Birmingham Post in March 1995 that Segametsi had been stabbed to death and her body then moved to the yard where it was found. Addressing the rumours that several body parts had been taken by the killer, the detectives said only one body part was missing. They did not elaborate on this.

It was the detectives’ belief that local police had hindered the investigation due to incompetence and inexperience. It seems a lot of rumour and hearsay had determined police actions rather than following evidence. Apparently a local bricklayer was arrested purely based on the fact that members of the community had told police that his business was failing and he would therefore be in need of “Muti”. I believe another person became a suspect after they purchased a Landcruiser, 4x4. It was perceived that this show of wealth had come out of nowhere and locals suspected the man of using body parts to bestow favour on his business.

After only a few weeks the detectives returned to the UK, saying  they had developed some leads. They compiled a report of their findings which was later sent to the Botswana authorities. The report was received by President Masire but was not made public. After he left office in 1998 it was hoped that a concerned public would finally get some answers. After hearing nothing on the matter the new President Mogae was specially asked by student protestors  about the unreleased report. He told them to go and ask Scotland Yard themselves!

Over the last three decades there have been consistent calls for the details contained in the report to be made public. As of the writing of this podcast episode this still has not happened. The failure of the Botswana authorities to do this has led to conspiracy theories that perhaps those who orchestrated Segametsi’s murder and aimed to benefit from the “Muti” were actually high government officials rather than local businessmen. 

When the Scotland yard detectives left in March 1995, Segametsi’s stepfather remained in police custody. He was eventually released without charge and was declared insane by authorities. His confession was completely disregarded.

A few months after Segametsi’s murder a 25 year old man from Kanye, a two hour drive from Mochudi, was prosecuted in the High Court for the ritual murder and dismemberment of a 6 year old child. When police raided the man's house they found the forearms of the child behind the mans sofa. He had committed the murder in order to enhance his liquor business. This raised fears amongst parents that their children would not be safe until this evil practice had been eradicated. It also spurred people on to continue to fight for justice for Segametsi. 

The intensity of the protests on behalf of Segametsi did decrease. Many of the student protest leaders were arrested and there was resignation that the fight to see answers in the case was going to be a long haul. University of Botswana students did continue to organise protests and petitions until the late 1990’s but slowly the tragic story faded from prominence, though it remained very much in the collective memory of the nation.

In 2004 it was reported in the newspapers that one of the businessmen taken into custody in connection with the murder in 1994 who I referred to by the initial M,was suing the state for unlawful arrest. He was eventually successful in obtaining compensation for his ordeal. In 2009 he was awarded P300,000. The equivalent of $22,000 us dollars today.  He had originally asked for P500,000 but only ended up receiving P100,000 as P200,000 went on legal fees from five years of fighting the issue in court. By 2009 M was in extremely poor health and he passed away just two years later. Despite the fact he had won his battle with the government, many people continued to view M as a suspect until he died.

Over the years the family have fought hard for Segametsi within a system in which they find themselves largely powerless. In 2014 Segametsi’s mother Ninie Mogomotsi talked to the African news website Mmegi. She came across a person who had been worn down by the trauma of what had happened. She said she’d had no communication with the police since 1994.

A year before the interview Ninie had lost another of her children prematurely and she was no longer married to her husband (Segametsi’s stepfather). Ninie had worked hard as a cleaner for the district council and had saved enough money to move to better accommodation. She was now retired and spent much of her time volunteering at a pentecostal church. She had all but given up finding out who had killed her daughter but still hoped that one day the Scotland Yard report would be released. Her faith and her church community enabled her to keep going from one day to the next. 

7 years later in 2021 Ninie, now in poor health, met with elders from the Mogomotsi family including Segametsi’s uncle Thebe Mogomotsi. They came together to remember Segametsi but also to draw a line in the sand. They were tired and had lost all hope of finding out the truth, they no longer wanted to revisit the murder. They just wanted to celebrate and honour Segametsi's short life which they did with the playing of trumpets.

Others in the Mogomotsi family do seem to be continuing to pursue answers from the authorities. In 2019 a petition was set up on change.org for the attention of the Botswana Government and in particular the office of the president. The petition is still live and I signed it myself recently. It was established by Segametsi’s brother Tlhabane Mogomotsi, or Shakes as he is commonly known, and a woman named Betty Knight. The petition calls upon the Botswana government to reopen Segametsi’s case and release the findings of the Scotland Yard report and for the police to commit to regularly communicating with the family. The petition also asks for an apology for the lack of care shown by the police towards the grieving family. No one in the family received any bereavement counselling or support of any description from the police or government authorities. 

The yard where Segametsi’s body was discarded has now been developed. A family home is situated on the land. There are stories that the ghost of Segametsi can be seen there from time to time. When something awful happens perhaps a trace of that remains in the place. It is undoubtedly true that the unsolved murder of Segametsi still haunts the community of Mochudi and indeed the whole country still grieves. Segametsi has become an icon for the pursuit of truth and justice. Her story has inspired at least three novels. ‘The Screaming of the Innocent’ by Unity Dow, ‘Deadly Harvest’ by Michael Stanley and ‘The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency’, the first book in the popular series by Alexander McCall Smith. 

As it stands there is no resolution to Segametsi’s case but there still might be an ending. Please go to the link in the show notes and sign Shakes’s petition to reopen the investigation and find the answers the community of Mochudi so desperately needs.

Sources

https://tinyurl.com/2ktwr66v