Relebohile Makhetha
A 41-year-old Maseru man appeared before the Maseru Magistrate Court on December 6 on charges of statutory rape and impregnating his 15-year-old daughter.
The court heard how his family members became suspicious in November 2021 when they noticed the girl’s pregnancy and reported the matter to the police.
Investigations revealed that the man had been sexually abusing his daughter and, upon realising that she was pregnant, he took her to Thaba-Tseka to hide her. At the time the family reported the incident, the girl had already given birth.
The accused had fled to South Africa but was apprehended in Qacha’s Nek on December 4, upon his return. He remains in custody and is scheduled to re-appear in court on December 18.
This was not the first time the accused has faced such charges. In 2020, he was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl but disappeared after being granted bail.
In a different incident, six men appeared before the Thaba-Tseka Magistrate Court on December 4 for gambling in an unauthorised area.
The accused are, Cheba Marake (45), Shai Mahasi (45), Mahlomola ’Mabathoana (60), Tokelo Simone (34) of Ha Leronti, Tau Mokibe (49), and Mohatla Taole (39) of Ha Nyane, were found them guilty and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment or M500 fine each. They opted to pay the fine and were released.
A 15-year-old girl from Roma appeared in court on December 9, charged with the murder of her three-month-old baby girl.
The court granted her bail. According to the report, the girl smothered the infant while it was asleep, believing that her relationship with the child’s father would improve if the baby was gone. She is scheduled to return to court on December 9.
A 48-year-old man from Qoqolosing, Leribe, is in police custody for the alleged murder of two police officers.
It is reported that on December 8 at around 12 midnight, the victims and others were socialising at a shebeen in Lower Motloheloa when the suspect arrived and fatally shot them.
A former police officer himself, the suspect allegedly believed they were involved in a romantic relationship. The victims were identified as a 29-year-old woman, the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 43-year-old man from Ha Ngoatonyane Mazenod.
Following the incident, the suspect handed himself to the police with the victims’ 9mm firearm, which he allegedly used to commit the crime.
The suspect was previously on bail for shooting and killing a female prison officer in 2022. He had claimed that the victim was his girlfriend and that he suspected she was having an affair. He had resigned from after the first murder.
Maseru Rural Police are investigating a case of grave desecration that occurred on November 28, where an elderly woman’s grave was disturbed and her remains were removed.
The perpetrators left behind a few scattered bones, including the scapula, lower jaw, pelvic bone, and hip bone.
The deceased woman, who was buried in 2010, was estimated to be between 82 and 86 years old at the time of her burial. No arrests have been made yet.
The police are urging the public to come forward with any information that may lead to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for this heinous act.
Disturbing suicides pile-up
In Thaba-Tseka, a 31-year-old man from Tširela Mantšonyane fatally stabbed his 32-year-old wife at around 10:00 AM on December 4. The motive for the tragic incident remains unclear as both individuals have passed away as the man was later found hanging from the rafters of their home.
On the same day, in Mokhotlong at around 4:00 PM, a 29-year-old man from Tšilantšo was discovered hanging from the rafters of his house. It has been reported that he took his own life after his 49-year-old mother refused to allow him to sell a cow that he had inherited. This denial is believed to have driven him to suicide.
On December 9, a 59-year-old man from Ha Ranthotho Bokong, Thaba-Tseka was found hanging from the rafters of his home between 4:00 and 5:00 AM.
It is suspected that the man, who had been battling a long-term illness, was scheduled for a medical check-up on that day. His wife had prepared a bath for him and upon finding him hanging, she alerted the authorities.
