Samuel Seshabo, 21, Pako Tlhabaki, 23, Thato Bogosi, 24, Moagi Samson, 28 and Koziba Balopi, 25 and special constables Sydney Ntope, 28, and Phetogo Gabanakobo, 20, have been told they face up to 10 years in jail when they are sentenced later next month.
The soldiers and the two special constables were convicted of unlawfully and indecently assaulting one male, Ramusi Chigudu, and a female, Sarai Sibanda, by forcing the two to undress, remain naked and at the same time trying to coerce them to have sexual intercourse in their presence.
They were also found guilty of indecently assaulting Brighton Mapokotera, Willies Mbwanda and Cornelious Mhosva – all men — by forcing them to show their sexual organs and masturbate in their presence.
The men were also guilty on a third count of assaulting females, Tafadzwa Masaisai and Pedzani Ranganai, by forcing them to undress, remain naked and at the same time trying to coerce the two to have sexual intercourse with Willies Mbwanda and Cornelious Mhosva in their presence.
Serowe magistrate Monashe Ndlovu, also a Zimbabwean, praised the prosecution team for a good job in leading evidence against the men who were all picked out by their accusers during an identification parade.
Ndlovu singled out Phetogo Gabanakobo and Thato Bogosi as the key instigators of the abuse.
After the guilty verdicts, the men were led away in leg irons to wait for sentencing on November 21.
The court heard how the three women and four men, all Zimbabweans, were captured by the soldiers on night patrol of the Zimbabwe/Botswana border while trying to enter Botswana illegally on November 25, 2005.
The soldiers took the Zimbabweans to the home of one Ipelegeng Moatlhodi, in the Lesetlhana ward in Ramotswa.
In court, Willies Mbwanda told how he was ordered to unzip his pants and was shown by one of the soldiers how to masturbate. He failed to orgasm, he said, drawing the ire of the soldiers.
He told the court: “I could not reach sexual gratification because it was forced and they were assaulting me at the same time.
“They did not take it kindly and took us onto their van to an unknown area (Moatlhodi’s residence) where we found other Zimbabwean ladies.”
Once there, according to Mbwanda’s testimony, the men were allocated rooms and each served with a naked woman while the officers watched.
The women — identified in court papers as Tafadzwa Masaisai, Sarai Sibanda and Pedzani Ranganai — had been assaulted and were told to lie down with their legs spread apart, Mbwanda testified.
Mbwanda said while in the room, the lady he had been paired up with managed to escape. One of the soldiers, he said, then lashed him with a whip.
“The lady managed to escape and ran towards the police station while we (Mbwanda and other Zimbabweans) followed, and the officers also left the scene,” he said.
Mbwanda identified Gabanakobo as the officer who forced him to masturbate
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