Police report
A 36-year-old man, Binare Mokoatsi from Ha Leronti, appeared before the Thaba-Tseka Magistrate’s Court on February 5, 2025, facing two charges of assaulting his 35-year-old wife with the intent to cause serious injury.
The first assault occurred in November last year after a dispute over who would cook that day. Both were intoxicated at the time. The wife reported the incident to the police on December 29, 2024, seeking mediation rather than immediate legal action. She later moved in with her relatives.
However, on February 11, 2025, Mokoatsi attacked his wife again, this time using a stone, demanding that she return home. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to seven years in prison or a fine of M7,000 for the first offence.
For the second assault, he received six years in prison or a fine of M6,000, bringing his total sentence to 13 years in prison or a M13,000 fine. Unable to pay the fine, he was sent to prison.
Traditional healer charged with murder after fatal altercation with initiate
In another case, a 37-year-old traditional healer from Mohlakeng, Ha Poli, appeared before the Thaba-Tseka Magistrate Court on February 11, 2025, charged with murder.
The healer is accused of killing a 27-year-old man from ’Muela, Botha-Bothe. Reports indicate that the victim, who was at a traditional healer’s initiation school, was instructed by the healer to undergo a ritual on February 8, 2025. When the victim refused, the healer allegedly assaulted and fatally stabbed him with a knife.
17-year-old arrested for sexual assault on elderly woman
In Qacha’s Nek, a 17-year-old boy is facing charges of sexually assaulting a 79-year-old woman from Melikane, Letlapeng. The incident occurred on the morning of February 3, 2025, when the elderly woman was walking from Ha Rasekoele to Letlapeng. She reportedly encountered the suspect in a field, where he allegedly dragged her into a ditch, undressed her, and assaulted her. The woman’s screams attracted the attention of two men, aged 38 and 40, who rushed to her rescue. The suspect is expected to appear in court once investigations are complete.
Berea woman stabs husband to death
A 32-year-old woman from Masetlaokong, Ha Makhoroana, is set to appear before the Berea Magistrate Court on February 11, 2025, charged with the murder of her 42-year-old husband. Reports indicate that the couple had been living apart since their separation in December last year, during which the woman had taken some household items with her.
On February 9, 2025, the deceased, allegedly intoxicated, went to his estranged wife’s home to reclaim the items. He returned armed with two knives and attacked her. In self-defence, the woman grabbed an Okapi knife and stabbed him multiple times, leading to his death. She turned herself into the Mapoteng police following the incident.
Zimbabwean smuggler jailed for attempting to import banned mercury into Lesotho
A 44-year-old Zimbabwean national, Nodie Mugwadli, residing in South Africa, appeared before the Maseru Magistrate Court on January 5, 2025, charged with possession of mercury, a banned substance in Lesotho. Mugwadli had been arrested in November last year while attempting to smuggle the mercury into the country, reportedly to sell in Mafeteng.
He was found guilty and sentenced to either two years in prison or a fine of M10,000. Unable to pay the fine, he was sent to prison.
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).
