Wrong choice of victim: youth charged after police chief office break-in
A 20-year-old youth accused of breaking into a district police chief’s office in Molepolole and stealing a laptop faces continued detention. The case is set for mention on 25 May.
A 20-year-old man accused of targeting a police chief’s office in Molepolole is now facing serious charges that could keep him behind bars well into May.
Loago Motswakhumo, a Mokgalo ward resident with a history of clashes with the police, appeared before the Molepolole Magistrates Court this week, accused of breaking into the No 11 District Police Headquarters and stealing from Senior Superintendent Kitsiso Lemogang’s office.
The police allege the break-in happened in the dead of night on Sunday, 29 March. According to investigators, the senior officer only realised the office had been burgled when he arrived for duty the following morning. When he entered, he found the room in disarray, with items scattered.
Authorities say the window had been broken to gain entry.. Among the items allegedly taken were the police chief’s laptop, described as valued at P5,000, along with a Samsung cellphone and a Botswana Police radio pouch and charger.. The laptop remains missing, and prosecutors say the matter is still active—one reason the accused person has been warned he may interfere with the investigation if released.
After his arrest “a few days later,” Motswakhumo was detained in Letlhakeng Police holding cells. In court, the police also raised an alarming development: they say he attempted suicide by hanging using a cut piece of blanket. He was then taken to Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital.
When he was released from hospital, he was arraigned and remanded in custody at the request of the prosecution. Denied bail, he will stay behind bars until his next court mention on 25 May.
While the criminal allegations are the focus of the case, the details around Motswakhumo’s past and the suicide attempt underline a wider concern for law enforcement and families.. A pattern described by police—harassing his mother, stealing money, and prior escapes from police cells—suggests that repeated encounters with the justice system have not changed the trajectory of his behaviour.
There are also practical questions that many residents will likely be asking: how did someone manage to get into a secured police office, and what does it say about safety during the night hours?. Superintendent Jacob Molapong pointed to conditions on the ground, explaining that Molepolole is dark outside the offices even when internal lights are on, and that criminals can use the darkness to hide and monitor patrol routines.
Molapong said officers are encouraged to conduct intensive patrols, noting that criminals may take advantage of lighting shortages—even during night patrols, when officers illuminate through passages that can still offer cover for someone trying to slip away.
The court case also sits within a broader security picture.. Police say this is the second break-in reported in Molepolole within two years.. In April 2024, Kabelo Skhebo Paul allegedly broke into the Molepolole police armoury and stole an AK47 rifle, magazines, a .22 rifle and live ammunition.. He was sentenced to two years in jail plus two strokes of the cane.. Police have since said the armoury is secure, pointing to changes in how patrols and protection are handled.
For now, the immediate issue for the courts is whether the accused can be allowed to rejoin the community while the laptop and related items are still unaccounted for.. For many people watching the case unfold, the message may be simple: the “wrong choice of victim” doesn’t just bring criminal charges—it can lead to a long period of custody, medical consequences, and the strain of a legal process that affects more than just the person accused.