Due to lack of evidence, the prosecution has abandoned threats-to-kill criminal proceedings against former Letlhakeng Sub-District Council chairperson and also councillor for Mantshwabisi, Meshack Tshenyego.

For a while now, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Letlhakeng-Lephephe Constituency, Liakat Kably and Tshenyego have not been seeing eye to eye after Kably had laid threats-to-kill charges against the latter in what was viewed as a political fight.

On Monday, the Molepolole Magistrate’s Court heard that prosecution has decided to discontinue criminal proceedings against Tshenyego due to lack of evidence.

Initially, the prosecution had indicated that Councillor Tshenyego had on July 8, 2022 threatened Kably by indirectly uttering the following words to nominated councillor, Anderson Mathibe: “Mosadi wa ga Liakat le bana ba gagwe ba tsile go lela, mosadi wame le banake le bone batla lela.

E tlare rele mo meeting, ka re tsena meeting mmogo, ketla mo tlolela a bo ke mmolaya (Liakat’s wife and children are going to cry and my wife and children will cry, too. We will be attending a meeting together and I will jump on him and kill him).

Then, it was alleged that Mathibe recorded the conversation and forwarded it to Kably who then reported the matter to the police.

The duo (Tshenyego and Kably) had reportedly had a misunderstanding following allegations that Kably had lodged a complaint before the Letlhakeng Sub-District Council authorities complaining that Tshenyego was misusing an official vehicle after it was allegedly found parked at one of the local bars.

There were further allegations that Kably had also gone further to inform the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse that Tshenyego was misusing a government motor vehicle.

Nonetheless, all along Tshenyego has been adamant that their fight was a political fight because he had expressed desire to unseat Kably in the coming general election.

However, Tshenyego had conceded to have phoned Kably and asked him about the allegations and denied to have ever discussed the issue and decided to phone and share his frustrations with Mathibe since he and Kably were close friends.

“I had told Mathibe that the issue will end with my family and Kably’s family crying because they will both lose the 2024 General Election because of our misunderstandings,” said Tshenyego then.

There are reports that Tshenyego assisted Kably to win the 2019 General Election with an understanding that it was his last term but it is rumoured that Kably has since decided otherwise and will be contesting the upcoming general elections something that has caused friction between the BDP members.

As preparations for BDP primary elections unfold, one would say this is going to be one of the interesting constituencies to look out for ahead of 2024 General Election.