News

State witness nail suspects

Published

3 years ago

March 1, 2022

MASERU – AN accomplice witness has told a High Court judge that he was responsible for identifying people who were to be killed by rogue soldiers.
Major Litsietsi Monyeke admitted while testifying for the prosecution against ten soldiers on trial for the 2017 murder of three men.

I made that order because from the instructions we received at the meeting, these were the people to be killed

The bodies of Lekhoele Noko, Molise Pakela, and Khothatso Makibinyane were later discovered in Mohale dam in a case that horrified Basotho at a time when the country was going through political turmoil.
The soldiers are also accused of abduction and torture.
Major Monyeke, who was a captain at the time, told the court that he was the one who gave one soldier, Private Liphoso, an instruction to take the men’s pictures so that the soldiers would identify and kill them.

“I made that order because from the instructions we received at the meeting, these were the people to be killed,” Major Monyeke said.
“The pictures were to be clear which people should be killed.”
He said he went to Mohake’s Hoek to find out more about the suspects.
Major Monyeke said Brigadier Rapele Mphaki, one of the suspects, had told them that the three men ba jele khomo ea molatelle (had got into what would haunt them forever).
The men were accused of killing a soldier at the Maseru Border Gate.

The police released them after finding nothing connecting them to the crime but Major Monyeke said Brigadier Mphaki said ba jele khomo ea molatelle despite the police’s findings.
Soldiers then abducted the three men, tortured them to death, and dumped their bodies in Mohale Dam.
When the Crown Counsel, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, asked him why he thought of that phrase used by Brigadier Mphaki to mean they should kill the suspects, Major Monyeke explained that soldiers have certain terms they use for certain actions.
Major Monyeke said he had instructed Private Liphoso to send the men’s pictures to Major Ramoepane whom they reported to.

He however explained that Private Liphoso did not know why he had to take the men’s pictures.
“I only told him that the headquarters would like to know the suspects.”
He said when he came from Mohale’s Hoek he picked up Private Liphoso from the Pitso Ground police station where he had dropped him earlier.
“To my surprise, I noticed Private Tikiso next to the reception office at Pitso Ground,” he said.
“I asked him what he was doing there but I didn’t wait for his answer as I realised that Detective Nkhahle was in shock.”

Outside he saw Private Sefako and Sergeant Lekhooa Moepi standing near a white 4×4 Toyota Hilux double-cap.
“Towards the left side, I saw Captain Moeletsi standing, I went to him and asked him what he was doing there, he replied that they wanted to grab the suspects from the hands of the police,” he said.

Major Monyeke asked why the soldiers wanted to abduct the suspects when the team that was investigating their alleged crimes was made up of the police and the army.
Last week the High Court heard shocking details of how a police officer became aware of a plot by soldiers to kidnap the suspects as soon as they left the Pitso Ground police station
Judge Justice Moroke Mokhesi heard how Sub-Inspector Tsietsi Thulo saw soldiers whose movements were suspicious but did not act on the threat they posed.
S/Insp Thulo said he advised the suspects on how they should leave the Pitso Ground police station to evade the soldiers’ trap.

He also told the court that even the suspects were aware of the soldiers’ plot to kidnap them.
However, S/Insp Thulo, the court heard, did not alert his superiors or any of his colleagues so that they could take the necessary steps to save the men’s lives.
S/Insp Thulo told the court that the three – Pakela, Makibinyane and Noko – already suspected that the soldiers were going to abduct them.
They had asked him why the soldiers had been trailing them.

“Even before I could answer one of them said ‘they want to kidnap us’,” S/Insp Thulo said.
He however sought to calm their fears by promising them that all was under control.
He said when they finally released the three, he saw soldiers who were milling outside the Pitso Ground police station in what appeared to be suspicious moves.
The soldiers were initially part of a joint investigation team with the police.

“However, to my knowledge, the team had already been disbanded, so there was no longer space for them to be seen at the Pitso Ground police station,” he said.
He said there was a commotion outside as soldiers began chasing one of the detainees. He then instructed Makibinyane and Pakela to leave their blanket to hide their identity.
“I told them that as they had seen that the soldiers were after them, they should leave the blanket so that they could not be easily recognised,” he said.
He said he allowed them to flee using the back door.

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

3 days 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

3 days 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

3 days 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