Lekhetho Ntsukunyane
KOALABATA Chieftainess ’Makhomo Mokoanyane yesterday described to a packed High Court the horrific scenes she witnessed of scattered body parts of the two people allegedly butchered four years ago by double murder suspects Lehlohonolo Scott and his mother, ‘Malehlohonolo.
Chieftainess Makoanyane was testifying as the seventh crown witness in an ongoing case in which Lehlohonolo (30) and ’Malehlohonolo (60) are accused of the murder of fellow Koalabata residents Moholobela Seetsa (13) and Mohata (22) in January and June 2012 respectively. The mutilation of the bodies led to speculation the two had been killed for ritual purposes.
The Scotts were arrested on 12 July 2012 following the discovery of Seetsa and Mohata’s mutilated bodies in Koalabata.
Chieftainess Mokoanyane said she was in the company of the Mabote police when they found two human arms and a leg in a “big white plastic bag” placed in Lehlohonolo’s green Opel Corsa bakkie on 12 July 2012. The hands had been cut off from the arms while the foot had also been cut off from the leg, she said.
Chieftainess Makoanyane said the police also found bloody clothes and a male sexual organ at the back of Lehlohonolo’s car seat. She added they also found two plastic bags “full of fresh blood” inside ’Malehlohonolo’s house on the same day.
The chieftainess said they were led to the residence’s toilet by traces of blood where they found “many” plastic bags also containing human body parts inside the latrine’s pit.
“We went to the toilet following traces of blood stains. The toilet’s door was opened and we realised the drops fell into the toilet’s pit,” she said. “Because it was too dark to see what was inside the pit, the police lifted up the corrugated iron sheet toilet so the pit could be clearer. The toilet didn’t have a solid foundation so it was easy to move its structure away from the pit.”
Chieftainess Mokoanyane said they were then able to see “many plastic bags that contained more human body parts”.
“They (plastic bags) were put on top of old used newspapers inside the pit.”
Chieftainess Mokoanyane said on the next day, she was again invited by the Mabote police to Koalabata Primary School where she identified Mohata’s head from the human organs that were found in the school’s pit latrines.
- Advertisement -
“In the morning of 13 July 2012, at around 10:00am, I was invited by the police to join them at Koalabata Primary School. The school is about 400 metres away from the Scotts’ residence,” she said.
“Lehlohonolo was there too but his mother was not present. The police asked Lehlohonolo to inform me why we were gathered there. He said he was going to show us the rest of the missing human body parts from the ones that were collected yesterday.”
The chieftainess said Lehlohonolo led them to the school toilets where he pointed to the toilet pit for them to look inside.
“But all we saw from the pit were tree branches floating on top. The police removed the branches and underneath appeared two plastic bags, one yellow and the other one black.
“My understanding was that the tree branches were purposely thrown inside the pit to cover and hide these plastic bags, which also contained human parts, from being noticed by the learners.”
She said they discovered that a black plastic contained intestines, liver, lungs and the heart, “but there were some pieces cut from the liver and the heart which were missing”.
And from a yellow plastic, Chieftainess Makoanyane said they found “two human hands and two human feet”.
She said Lehlohonolo was asked by the police whether the parts were all that could be found from the school toilets.
“He said there were still some other parts missing although he didn’t identify them. We looked into the pit but it was too dark.”
Chieftainess Makoanyane said the police decided to remove the concrete slabs from the back of the toilets to clear the pit.
“A human head and leg emerged from the pit after the slabs were removed. I was able to identify the head as Mohata’s after the police washed it.”
Prior to her testimony, Lesotho Mounted Police Service Sub-Inspector Lebahane Matamane also testified about how he had discovered human organs allegedly belonging to Seetsa in a donga in Koalabata on 15 January 2015.
Sub-Insp Matamane said he had received a call from Koalabata residents while he was on duty at Mabote Police Station on the day in question, “informing me about their suspicion over what looked like a grave in a donga”.
The sub-inspector said upon arrival, he dug up the mound and found a corpse.
“However, the corpse’s head, arms and legs were missing. Only the thighs were left from the body.”
Sub-Insp Matamane said he also found “two arms without hands, two legs without feet and I should mention private parts were also missing from the body.”
He added the chest was also cut open “with intestines seemingly removed from inside. Also missing from the open chest was a heart.”
About 60 paces away from the grave, Sub-Insp Matamane said he also found a human head, two hands and feet “which were contained in three plastic bags”.
He said he took the parts to Lesotho Funeral Services where they were identified as Seetsa’s by his father Bereng Seetsa.
Meanwhile, the Scotts have since distanced themselves from ownership of all the properties in which the human organs were found.
Their lawyer, Advocate Thulo Hoeane, argued in cross examination his clients had instructed him they had never confessed before police that either the house or the car belonged to them.
In addition to murder, Lehlohonolo also faces the charge of unlawful escape from Maseru Central Prison on 14 October 2012 while awaiting trial.
After almost two years on the run, Lehlohonolo was arrested in Durban on 6 April 2014 and lost his fight against extradition in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on 5 May last year. He was extradited to Lesotho on 21 October 2015, where he awaits finalisation of his trials in custody.
For her part, ’Malehlohonolo was released on stringent bail conditions in August 2013 where she awaits finalisation of her trial.
Both the accused were present in court since the hearing resumed on Monday this week before Justice Teboho Moiloa. Advocates Gareth Leppan and Thapelo Mokuku are crown counsel. The case continues.
