A dark cloud that has hovered over the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) regarding the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder of its young officer, Police Constable (PC) Mokalekale Khetheng, is clearing after the High Court convicted two senior officers this week.
On Monday, High Court Justice Charles Hungwe handed down judgment in the case of Superintendent Thabo Tšukulu and Senior Inspector Mothibeli Mofolo, both stationed at Hlotse Police Station in the Leribe district, where Tšukulu served as station commander.
PC Khetheng was alleged to have burned down the Mokhotlong District Police Commander’s house and Pitso House in Leribe in 2016. He was arrested in Hlotse on arson charges on 26 March that year but was never seen alive again. Hlotse police authorities claimed he had escaped from custody under sketchy circumstances.
Khetheng’s disappearance sparked national outrage. In August 2017, his remains were exhumed from Lepereng Cemetery in Maseru, confirming that he had been secretly buried and that his death had been concealed.
Police investigations focused on at least four officers stationed in Hlotse: Inspector Haleokoe Taasoana, Sub-Inspector Mabitle Matona, Senior Inspector Mofolo and Superintendent Tšukulu. They were charged with the murder of their colleague and with concealing his death, among other counts relating to the events of 26 March 2016.
Justice Hungwe found Senior Inspector Mofolo guilty of the main charge of murdering Khetheng. Superintendent Tšukulu was acquitted on the main murder charge but convicted on the alternative count of being an accessory after the fact — effectively obstructing justice by concealing Khetheng’s death.
Both Mofolo and Tšukulu were also found guilty of perjury, attempted perjury and inducement to perjury for misleading the court and/or influencing other witnesses to give false evidence under oath.
The judge found no reasonable evidence establishing the participation of the other two co-accused, Inspector Haleokoe Taasoana and Sub-Inspector Mabitle Matona. Both were acquitted of all charges.
The four officers had initially been charged alongside former Police Commissioner Molahlehi Letsoepa, who fled the country in 2017 claiming that the administration of former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane wanted to assassinate him. Although he was later removed from the original charge sheet, Letsoepa was charged separately in February last year after returning from self-imposed exile. He is currently out on bail pending a separate trial.
They were also charged with the current Minister of Labour and Employment, Tšeliso Mokhosi, but the charges against him were dropped in July 2020. Mokhosi, who is also deputy leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), was subsequently turned into a state witness. He had served as Minister of Defence and National Security in the Pakalitha Mosisili-led coalition government between 2015 and 2017.During closing submissions, Crown Prosecutor Advocate Nthabeleng Nkoe argued that the evidence pointed to a carefully orchestrated murder carried out by the police officers acting in concert, followed by an elaborate cover-up.
“My Lord, the accused stand before this court charged with five counts, including the murder of PC Khetheng. PC Khetheng’s death was not an accident. The evidence that the Crown has presented before this court shows that it was a premeditated murder,” Adv Nkoe submitted.
She further argued that the accused attempted to conceal the crime by misleading Khetheng’s family about his whereabouts and later giving false evidence during the habeas corpus proceedings.
“The accused pointed out the place of the incident and that was exactly where the corpse of PC Khetheng was found. Tšukulu was furthering the plans of the then Commissioner of Police Molahlehi Letsoepa and he recruited Mofolo and Matona, who in turn recruited Taasoane,” she said.
The case is one of the high-profile killings that shocked the nation during the period of political instability between 2014 and 2017, when allegations of abuse of power within the country’s security agencies were rife.
Justice Hungwe reserved sentencing pending mitigation by the defence. Defence counsel Advocates Karabo Mohau (KC) and Zwelakhe Mda (KC) agreed with the judge to schedule the mitigation hearing for 15 September. Justice Hungwe confirmed the date.
Summary
- A dark cloud that has hovered over the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) regarding the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder of its young officer, Police Constable (PC) Mokalekale Khetheng, is clearing after the High Court convicted two senior officers this week.
- On Monday, High Court Justice Charles Hungwe handed down judgment in the case of Superintendent Thabo Tšukulu and Senior Inspector Mothibeli Mofolo, both stationed at Hlotse Police Station in the Leribe district, where Tšukulu served as station commander.
- The case is one of the high-profile killings that shocked the nation during the period of political instability between 2014 and 2017, when allegations of abuse of power within the country’s security agencies were rife.
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.
