Rapist granddad nabbed
Mafeteng
A 70-YEAR-OLD Mafeteng man has been arrested for rapping his 8-year-old granddaughter left under his care, on 22 December 2018.
According to the police, the man violated the minor when his daughter, who is the children’s mother, had gone to attend to some business in Mafeteng town.
“The mother had left the children with her father when he raped the child,” police spokesperson Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said.
“The man gave the little girl some money and told her not to tell anyone. The child only reported the rape to her mother on the 26th of December. The matter was reported to the police and the man was later arrested. He is awaiting his court appearance in police custody.”
Maseru
A 44-year-old Maseru woman is set to appear in court to face charges of fatally stabbing her 49-year-old soldier husband on Boxing Day last month.
Indications are that the couple had a fight at their home in Ha – Leqele when the man, a member of the Lesotho Defence Force, initially attempted to stab his wife with a knife. The woman allegedly grabbed the knife and stabbed him.
“The man stabbed his wife during a fight. They wrestled for the knife and his wife overpowered him. She won the knife and stabbed him to death. The man was pronounced dead at the Makoanyane Hospital while his wife was hospitalised due to the stab wounds,” Supt Mopeli said.
Supt Mopeli said the woman will appear at the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on a yet to be set date.
In an unrelated case, the police are on the hunt for arson suspects after a church building was burnt down in Qoaling on 4 January 2019.
Supt Mopeli said office property worth an estimated M200 000 was destroyed in the inferno. He said the police are still to establish the exact number of people involved in the arson as well as the motive.
“We appeal for people to come forward with any information to help the police catch those who are behind the arson. At the moment there is no information about who could have burned the church and their reason for doing that,” Supt Mopeli said.
Leribe
A man-hunt has been launched for a woman who dumped a new-born baby boy in a pit latrine in Hlotse.
Supt Mopeli said the baby was discovered by a local woman in the morning hours of 30 December 2019 when she heard the baby cry.
“The woman called for help and the baby was taken out of the pit and rushed to Motebang Hospital but unfortunately died the following day. We appeal to anyone who may have information to help the police in arresting the mother of the baby,” Supt Mopeli said.
Maputsoe
Police in Maputsoe have arrested five men who allegedly murdered another man from the same town on 1 January 2019. According to Supt Mopeli, the five men allegedly pounced on the man who was attending an initiation school graduation ceremony and killed him before fleeing.
Acting on a tip-off, the police then found the men hiding at a Ha-Nyenye house where villagers had cornered them.
A fight ensued after the police arrived and one of the men stabbed a police officer who escaped with injuries. The man allegedly continued on a violent spree declaring that he would rather die than go to prison.
“The police went to the hide-out and found the villagers surrounding the house. Six men later emerged from the house and attacked the police and the villagers.
“One of the suspects stabbed a police officer with a spear. Luckily the officer sustained minor injuries and the man was apprehended by the police and the villagers.
“He however, kept on fighting the police, saying he could not be arrested and would rather die. He died fighting with the police and the villagers.
“One of his accomplices was injured in the fight and was taken to hospital while four others are now in police custody awaiting to appear in court,” Supt Mopeli said.
