Soldiers convicted of triple murder in Mohale Dam horror incident

The Lesotho Defence Force’s (LDF) Sergeant Lekhooa Moepi and Private Tieho Tikiso were, on Monday this week, convicted for the 2017 murder of three civilians, who were abducted, tortured to death and dumped into Mohale Dam by the army on May 16, 2017.

The two soldiers, however, await mitigation before they are sentenced. The High Court has since set August 28, for their mitigation and eventual sentencing.

At the center of this trial are three suspected Famo music gangsters, Likhoele Noko, Molise Pakela and Khothatso Makibinyane, who allegedly abducted, strangled and disposed of in the Mohale Dam to conceal their death by members of the Military Intelligence (MI).

The soldiers were retaliating after two of their own were shot at the Maseru border gate, leaving one dead and another hospitalised.

According to the evidence in court, the investigation into the case led the police to MI officers, prompting requests for their cooperation with the police investigation.

On September 21, 2017, Military Police brought in Captain Mahlehle Moeletsi and Sergeant Moepi for questioning.

The following day, Moepi was escorted to the Maseru Magistrate’s Court to give a confession. What followed was a harrowing disclosure of how the victims met their tragic end.

A Military Intelligence team was, concurrently, tasked with investigating the matter while police detained suspects. Some of the suspects were released, while others were led to court.

Another group of soldiers, including Captain Moeletsi and Warrant Officer Liphapang Sefako, was assigned to re-arrest the suspects who were freed by the police.

On April 18, 2017, Moepi, along with Sefako and another soldier, received orders to follow two suspects who had boarded a 4+1 taxi. They intercepted the taxi and apprehended the suspects.

The group was also instructed to follow a bus carrying additional suspects. Upon stopping the bus at Lekokoaneng, Warrant Officer Sefako boarded and identified a suspect who resisted arrest, the court heard. The man was forcibly removed and taken into custody of the army.

Moepi, in his confession, recounted how the suspects were transported to Setibing, near the military base. Upon arrival, the suspects were allegedly ordered to be executed.

He admitted that he suggested suffocating the suspects instead of using firearms to avoid drawing attention. However, when he hesitated, Moeletsi and Sefako allegedly threatened him with death if he did not comply.

In a gruesome turn of events, Moepi described how plastic bags were used to suffocate the suspects to death. Their lifeless bodies were then weighted with stones and transported to Mohale Dam, where they were dumped.

Lekhetho Makhanya

I am a journalist based in Maseru, Lesotho, renowned for investigative reporting. Over the years, my work has been published both locally and internationally, including in South Africa through the Amabhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Daily Maverick, among other publications.

In Lesotho, I have served as a senior reporter for several leading weekly newspapers, including the Lesotho Times, Public Eye, and Sunday Express. My reporting has focused on uncovering issues of public interest, promoting accountability, and giving voice to underreported stories.

In 2016, I co-founded the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in Maseru, an initiative dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism and fostering a culture of transparency and public-interest reporting in Lesotho.