News

Family wiped out in ghastly attack

Published

1 year ago

January 9, 2024

Seventy-two-year-old Stemmere Ishmael Haraman was axed on the neck and his lifeless body was then dragged into a nearby hut.
Four others, including the Harmans’ son and his two children and a herdboy were also murdered in the mayhem in a small village of Ha-Ratomo in Mafeteng.

Twigs that had been gathered around the five showed that their attackers had wanted to set the hut alight and burn their bodies.

The incident happened three weeks ago.
Chief Ramatheola Mojela told thepost that he was shocked when he went to the home of the Harmans’..

The chief said when he entered the house he was met with disfigured bodies thrown in a hut, twigs gathered around them.

“It seems like there was an attempt to burn the bodies,” Chief Mojela said.

He said he got a call on Saturday morning informing him of the brutal killings.

“I met the shock of my life as I entered the hut and saw lifeless bodies sprawled on the floor,” Chief Mojela said.

The village chief told thepost that he suspects the gunmen were related to the slayed family.
The gruesome killing happened around 9pm while the deceased were already asleep.

Chief Mojela said the bodies also had open wounds, showing that an axe could have been used to finish them off after they were shot.

“They were butchered. They were killed in cold blood,” he said.

Around the homestead, an undisclosed number of bullet shells were found.

“This is not the work of two people. It looks like there were many people attacking the family,” he said.

He said all the windowpanes of the family’s five-roomed house were broken.
He said their preliminary investigations showed that some items in the house were also looted.

“Furniture inside the house was also vandalised,” Chief Mojela said.

However, they are yet to know from some family members who might have some information.
Chief Mojela said the family’s Honda Fit car that was parked in front of the house was also smashed with stones.

“This car was used to transport students to and from school,” he said.

He said the police and army were informed and were able to come to the horrible scene.

“The army were the first to come,” he said.

Soldiers based in Mafeteng and Tšupane barracks were able to rush to the scene to also witness what had happened.
And later the police arrived.

The bodies were collected by the police while the army arrived after being informed of the horrible incident.

Chief Mojela said from their observation, the lifeless bodies of both the 72-year-old man and his son were dragged from the main house to the hut so that they could be set on fire together with the two children and the herdboy.

When the sound of guns was heard, people tried to come to investigate what was happening but had to retreat when the attackers shot at them, the chief said.

“People only came in the morning to see the horror scene,” Chief Mojela said.

He said the suspects are known as they are from the same village.
He said the family of the deceased was embroiled in an altercation with relatives last month during an initiation school ceremony while they were drunk.
They thought the issue had been resolved, he said.

Chief Mojela said it seems like the suspects were still holding a grudge against the family.
He said murders are common in his area where illegal guns are usually used.
Chief Mojela said this is highly regrettable because Harmans once approached him to mediate between him and the suspects.

“I summoned the two warring sides for mediation,” he said.

The suspects at that time were allegedly accusing Harmans of inviting the army to the village to harass them.
One of the relatives, Ralebote Harmans, said his brother’s family was once accused of having invited the army to the place and that caused commotion in the village.

He said his brother took the matter to the chief where those who suspected him of inviting the army failed to produce evidence to support their claim.
Ralebote Harmans said those who were accusing them of inviting the army asked for forgiveness.
He said they demanded answers from their accusers why they had thought they had invited the soldiers into the village but there were no answers.

“We thought we had buried the hatchet,” he said.

He said they discovered about six bullet shells in his brother’s room.

“My brother was also axed around the neck. He was killed in his room and his body was dragged to the hut,” Ralebote Harmans said.

The wife of Stemmere Harmans died five years ago.
This means there is no one left in the family.

“The family has been wiped out within minutes,” Ralebote Harmans said.

The MP for Thaba-Phechela, Mohau Hlalele, said they rushed to the scene to witness what had happened.
Ha-Ratomo is not within his constituency but it is adjacent to it.

Hlalele said what happened in the area is a serious concern in the country.

“People just commit murders with impunity,” Hlalele said.

He said the law enforcement agencies have to up their game so that murderers are deterred.

“There is a law that allows the courts to sentence murderers up to 30 years but that law is not being applied,” Hlalele said.

There is a mounting fear in the area that the killers might come back.
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Kabelo Halahala confirmed the ghastly crime.

“No arrests have been made at this juncture,” he said.

He said their investigations are still continuing.

“There was an attempt to set the deceased alight after fatally shooting them,” S/Supt Halahala said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sam Matekane, Finance Minister Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, and Minister Limpho Tau paid homage to the five murdered people in Mafeteng yesterday.

Four of the slain were a father, son, and two grandchildren while the fifth was their herd’s man whose home was in Machache, Maseru.
The government is assisting in the burial of the five.

Paying his condolences to the bereaved, Matekane said the government is “working aggressively and tirelessly to make Lesotho a home for all to live in peace and tranquillity”.

Matekane said Mafeteng district is notorious for murders.

“If people have misunderstandings, that does not give them a ticket to kill each other,” Matekane said.

“We have bought cars for the police so that they should be able to attend crime scenes on time,” he said.
The deceased will be buried this Saturday.

Majara Molupe

[/membership]

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

18 hours ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

KNORX Molelle’s appointment as the Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) in February 2023 could have been illegal.

The Law Society of Lesotho has told Prime Minister Sam Matekane that Molelle was appointed without being admitted as a legal practitioner in Lesotho, as required by law.

The society claims the information came from a whistleblower on January 2 and was corroborated by its roll of legal practitioners in Lesotho.

The society says the appointment violates section 4 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act 1999 which states that a person shall not be appointed as the DCEO director general unless they have been admitted as a legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act.

In the letter, Advocate Ithabeleng Phamotse, the society’s secretary, tells Matekane that this requirement “is not a mere procedural formality but a substantive qualification essential to the lawful appointment of the Director General”.

“The absence of such qualification fatally impairs the appointment ab initio, rendering it null and void from the outset,” Advocate Phamotse says in the letter written on Tuesday.

The society argues that if left unaddressed the illegality undermines the credibility, effectiveness and legality of the DCEO’s operations and exposes the kingdom to serious risks, including challenges to the lawfulness of decisions and actions made by Molelle.

“Should it be confirmed that the appointment was made in contravention of the mandatory legal requirements,” Advocate Phamotse said, “we respectfully urge you to take immediate corrective action to rectify this glaring irregularity”.

Advocate Phamotse tells the prime minister that if the appointment is not corrected, the society would be “left with no alternative but to institute legal proceedings to protect the interests of justice and uphold the rule of law in Lesotho”.

“We trust that you will accord this matter your highest priority and act decisively to avert further damage to the integrity of our governance structures.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman, Thapelo Mabote, said they received the letter but Matekane had not yet read it yesterday.

Matekane is on leave and is expected back in the office on January 14.

Questions over the validity of his appointment come as Molelle is being haunted by the damaging audio clips that were leaked last week.

The clips were clandestinely recorded by Basotho National Party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.

In some of the clips, Molelle appears to be describing Matekane and his deputy Justice Nthomeng Majara as idiots. He also appears to be calling Law Minister Richard Ramoeletsi a devil.

In other clips, he seems to be discussing cases. thepost has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio clips.

Staff Reporter

News

Massive salary hike for chiefs

Published

18 hours ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

THE government has increased the salaries for traditional leaders by a massive 88.5 percent.

This means that a village chief not appointed by a gazette will now earn M3 001 a month, up from the previous salary of M1 592. That means village chiefs will now earn an extra M1 409 per month.

A village chief, or headman, appointed by a gazette has moved from M1 966 to M3 567 per month.

Above a village chief is one with jurisdiction over a small cluster of villages, a category three chief, who now moves from M3 768 to M5 181 per month.

A category four chief, known as ward chief, has moved from M4 455 per month to M7 993.

The category five chief, who reports directly to a principal chief, will now earn M10 674, up from M9 939 per month.

There is no increment for principal chiefs.

The government says the budget for chiefs’ salaries has moved from M129.4 million to M208.3 million annually.

The hike follows a series of discussions between the Lesotho Workers Association, representing the chiefs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship.

The revised salaries will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2025.

According to the settlement agreement, a discussion about raising the lowest salary of M6 000 for the lowest-ranking chiefs will be revisited in October 2025.

Chiefs who spoke to thepost have expressed satisfaction with the hike, saying it will significantly improve their lives.

Chief Mopeli Matsoso of Ha-Tikoe in Maseru said his previous salary of M1 500 per month would now be doubled, which would improve his life and help provide smoother services to the community.

He stressed that they used to close the offices while going out looking for jobs to compensate for their little salaries.

“Now the people will get smoother services,” Chief Matsoso said.

“The offices will forever be open,” he said.

Chief Matsoso said the salary hike will also serve as a motivation for other chiefs.

Chief Tumo Majara of Liboping, Mokhethoaneng, also expressed his gratitude.

Chief Majara acknowledge the positive impact the salary review would have, especially as a new officeholder.

“I guess we are all happy, that review will help a lot,” he said.

The Principal Chief of Thaba-Bosiu, Khoabane Theko, said the salary increase of chief is a welcome move by the government.

“I’m yet to study how the new salary structure looks like. But I welcome it as a good move by the government,”Chief Theko said.

Nkheli Liphoto

News

Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

Published

18 hours ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

Motlatsi Maqelepo, the embattled Basotho Action Party (BAP) deputy leader and Tello Kibane, who was the party chairman, have rejected their suspension from the party arguing it was legally flawed.

The BAP’s central executive committee on Tuesday suspended Maqelepo for seven years and Kibane for five years. The suspensions became effective on the same day.

The party’s disciplinary committee which met last Wednesday had recommended an expulsion for the two but that decision was rejected with the committee pushing for a lengthy suspension.

Maqelepo’s suspension will end on January 7, 2032 while Kibane’s will run until January 7, 2030.

Their suspension letters from the BAP deputy secretary general Victoria Qheku, say they should not participate in any of the party’s activities.

“In effect, you are relieved of your responsibility as a CEC member and BAP deputy leader,” Maqelepo was told in the letter.

“You were found guilty by default on all charges and the committee recommended your immediate dismissal from the party,” the letter reads.

On Kibane, the verdict states that the committee decided to mitigate the recommended sanction by reducing his suspension to five years.

“In the gravity of the charges, the suspension affects your membership in the BAP parliamentary caucus from which you are removed as a chairman.”

They were suspended in absentia after they refused to attend the disciplinary hearing, which they said was illegal.

In response to the suspension, Maqelepo wrote a letter addressing the BAP members in general, defying the committee’s decision to suspend them.

He has called for a special conference, appealing to party constituencies to push for it, citing the ongoing internal fight that includes the leadership’s decision to withdraw the BAP from the coalition government.

Maqelepo also said the central executive committee is illegally in a campaign to dissolve committees in the constituencies and replace them with stooges.

He reminded the members that there is a court case pending in the High Court seeking an interdiction to charge them in the party’s structures without approval of the special conference that he is calling.

He said the party leadership should have awaited the outcome of the case before proceeding with any disciplinary action.

“The party that is led by a professor of law continues to do dismissals despite the issue being taken to the courts,” Maqelepo said.

The party leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, is a distinguished professor of law.

Maqelepo said they would write the central executive committee rejecting its decision to suspend them, saying they will continue taking part in party activities.

He said their fate in the party is in the hands of the special conference.

He appealed to all the party constituencies to continue writing letters demanding the special conference.

Both Maqelepo and Kibane received letters on November 28 last year inviting them to show cause why they should not be suspended pending their hearing.

They both responded on the following day refusing to attend.

Maqelepo, Kibane, Hilda Van Rooyen, and ’Mamoipone Senauoane are accused of supporting a move to remove Professor Mahao from his ministerial position last year.

They were part of the BAP members who asked Prime Minister Sam Matekane to fire Professor Mahao, who at the same time was pushing for the reshuffling of Tankiso Phapano, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy.

When Matekane ignored Professor Mahao’s demands, the latter withdrew the BAP from the coalition government much to the fierce resistance of the party’s four MPs.

Maqelepo started touting members from constituencies to call for a special conference to reverse Professor Mahao and the central executive committee’s decision.

The central executive committee issued a circular stopping Maqelepo’s rallies but he continued, with the support of the other MPs.

In the BAP caucus of six MPs, it is only Professor Mahao and ’Manyaneso Taole who are supporting the withdrawal from the government.

Nkheli Liphoto