Advocate Sello Tsabeha, legal representative for two Lesotho Defence Force members, Corporal Tjekane Sebolai and Private Selone Ratsiu, charged with the 2014 murder of Lisebo Tang near the residence of former Army Commander Tlali Kamoli, told the court that critical evidence in the case was suppressed.
Addressing the court during an application for the discharge of the accused, Tsabeha argued that the prosecution failed in its duty to produce evidence favorable to his clients. He highlighted the absence of a conclusive ballistic report and noted that a bullet found in Tang’s body was never tested.
Tsabeha contended that the investigation was shoddy, jeopardising the accused’s right to a fair trial. “The prosecution’s evidence falls short of establishing a prima facie case,” he said, emphasising that the case is too weak to secure a guilty verdict. He insisted the discharge application was justified.
In response, prosecutor Advocate Motene Rafoneke argued that sufficient evidence exists to implicate the accused. “Based on what’s before the court, a conviction is possible if they remain silent,” Rafoneke said, asserting that a prima facie case has been made and the accused must answer the charges.
Recent testimony came from Major Bareng Moletsane, a Special Forces member at the time of the incident. Moletsane recounted visiting the crime scene near Kamoli’s home, where the accused were deployed. Moletsane confirmed that a Red Alert Order had been issued due to a white 4×4 vehicle linked to prior bombings.
The vehicle at the scene matched the alert’s description, and under the order, soldiers were tasked with arresting or reporting it. Moletsane agreed with the defense that guards at the commander’s residence expect approaching drivers to switch off headlights and turn on interior lights, failure to comply marks them as a security threat.
He testified that the driver, who attempted to flee and was shot at, appeared to take cover behind the vehicle’s rear lights. Moletsane supported the defense’s claim that shooting at the tires was necessary to stop the vehicle, given the alert and the driver’s actions.
The court also heard from Tšepo Jane, who was with Tang during the incident. Jane testified that he and Tang were shot by army members after he stopped near Kamoli’s home on May 9, 2014.
Both were taken to Makoanyane Military Hospital, where Jane was treated, his medical costs covered by the army, and later learned of Tang’s death. Other witnesses included Lehlohonolo Lesale, owner of the rented vehicle damaged in the shooting, and Detective Lance Sergeant Liau Seeko, a crime scene officer from Pitso Ground and part of the investigation team.
Exhibits presented include two AK-47 rifles, a postmortem report, a medical report, and a statement of facts. The postmortem, conducted on May 14, 2014, listed Tang’s cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds with internal organ damage. The defense argued that “dead bullets” found at the scene, unfired and not linked to their clients’ weapons, should be submitted as exhibits, bolstering their case.
Initially presided over by foreign judge Justice Kabelo Lebotse, appointed to handle high-profile cases, the trial saw one accused, Private Kopano Matsoso, acquitted in 2020, while Sebolai and Ratsiu were ordered to stand trial. Lebotse’s term later expired, and Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane took over, ordering a fresh start in 2023.
The accused face charges of murder, attempted murder, and malicious damage to property. Prosecutors allege that on May 9, 2014, at Ha Leqele, they shot and killed Tang, injured Jane in an attempted murder, and damaged Lesale’s vehicle by gunfire.
Relebohile Makhetha is a court and crime reporter based in Maseru. She has been working at Newsday since 2024. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Communication from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (2024) and a Diploma in Mass Communication from the National University of Lesotho (Institute of Extra-Mural Studies, 2018).
