MASERU

THREE young men suspected of killing a woman and her two children and setting their house in flames have been remanded in custody.

The younsters from Kholokoe in Matsieng are the 19-year-old Thapelo Mokete, Sechaba Fari, 24, and Phetetso Thota, 21.

They appeared before the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face six counts of murder, arson, and illegal possession of guns and ammunition.

The prosecution says the trio attacked a 47-year-old woman and her children aged 13 and seven years with 9mm and 7.65 pistols, shot them dead in Mahloenyeng Ha-Mafa, in Matsieng, on April 28.

The deceased were found with multiple gun wounds on their bodies.

They accused will be back in court on May 14.

The court said they have a right to apply for bail at the High Court.

Two of the accused were arrested on April 30 while the third suspect handed himself over to the police at the beginning of this month.

Police said Fari plotted the killings after his mother died in 2022 and he believed that she had been poisoned by the woman he later killed.

Majara Molupe

MASERU

LESOTHO performed well in the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine roll-out from 2022 to this year, Queen ’Masenate Mohato Seeiso said on Tuesday.

HPV is a group of viruses that infect the cells on the surface of the skin or on the moist surfaces or inner lining of some organs and body cavities, such as the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, mouth, and throat.

The country has had a successful campaign to vaccinate girls between the ages of nine and 15 years against HVP infection to save them from cervical cancer.

Speaking at a ceremony in which best performing districts of Butha-Buthe and Berea received awards for the 100 percent roll-out, the Queen exhorted Health Minister Selibe Mochoboroane to do more.

The Queen said the districts’ 100 percent coverage is “indeed exceptional and it would have not been possible without the support of parents and caregivers for their participation”.

She applauded them for working hard to alienate the risks of cervical cancer to women and children.

“Even though the immunisation has not reached everyone in the country the Minister of Health should keep up the campaign programs and protect the girl child,” Queen ’Masenate said.

Parliament Speaker Tlohang Sekhamane said girls in the country’s 10 districts were vaccinated during the campaign in which Butha-Buthe and Berea reached 100 percent immunation.

All 10 districts were given certificates for the improved HPV vaccine according to their percentage of improvement but Berea and Butha-Buthe were awarded champions trophies.

“As a way to improve the health outlook of mothers and daughters the HPV success story in Lesotho was taken into action to alienate cervical cancer for a girl child,” Sekhamane said.

Accountant General ’Malehlohonolo Mahase remarked that the initial HPV programme in Lesotho was introduced in 2012 and due to lack of funding it was not sustained then later the program was abandoned in 2015 due to financial constraints.

“The Lesotho government reintroduced the HPV vaccine from 2022 to 2024 offering the vaccine in schools and in communities to alienate the risk of cervical cancer for women and children aged nine to 15” Mahase said.

Mahase also said that the HPV vaccination campaign was successful because the Ministry of Health received funding from GAVI Vaccine Alliance, World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with over M6.3 million.

Expand Programme Immunisation (EPI) manager, ’Malefaso Mosese, added that around 125 countries also introduced HPV vaccine offering accessible to women and children from nine to 25 years.

Khahliso ’Molaoa

MASERU

POLICE Sergeant ’Mankata Mananabela who works at the Radio Room at the Police Headquarters appeared in court on Tuesday charged with housebreaking.

She was granted a bail of M800 that she managed to pay.

Sgt Mananabela was also supposed to appear in court yesterday to face a charge of defeating ends of justice.

But that could not happen because there were many cases in the magistrate courts.

Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Kabelo Halahala said Sgt Mananabela will appear in court next week Thursday to be charged with defeating the ends of justice.

S/Supt Halahala said the accused had a boyfriend who is now dead, who committed crime in Ha-Seoli by stealing air time and tinned stuff at a shop.

He said the late boyfriend also tried to rob a bar around the same area where he exchanged fire with the guards on duty.

Unfortunately, he was shot and injured by the guards.

S/Supt Halahala said an accomplice of the deceased who is still at large informed Sgt Mananabela that her boyfriend has been injured.

Then she rushed to the scene to pick him up, bringing him to their home.

However, she did not take him to a hospital and tried to nurse him at home.

“But he later died in the hands of the accused,” S/Supt Halahala said.

Police nabbed Sgt Mananabela on Sunday.