… as brutal killing of granny unsettles community
Makananelo Manamolela
MASITENEK village at Ha ’Majane on the outskirts of Maseru is no longer the quiet, close-knit community it used to be as palpable fear has now taken over daily life.
This following the brutal murder of a 73-year-old grandmother who was chopped with an axe inside her own home.
’Maelisa Radebe was widely known as a peaceful elderly woman whose stable life was rooted in family, faith and community.
Her sudden and violent death on 5 January 2026, has left the entire village shaken, traumatised and searching for answers.
The murder incident lingers in the village, not only because she was a victim of a senseless and brutal crime, but as a painful reminder of how fragile community safety can be, even in the most familiar and once-peaceful places.
Describing it as unprecedented in the area, village chieftainess, ’Mamare Mohloai, said the incident has deeply wounded the community.
“This is extremely painful,” Chieftainess Mohloai told a visiting Lesotho Times news crew earlier this week.
“People are living in fear and anxiety. This has never happened here before. When they lifted the bed to reveal her chopped remains, my eyes could not bear the sight, so I moved back.”
According to Chieftainess Mohloai, no clear motive has yet been ascertained for the killing since the elderly woman had no known enemies and was not involved in any public serious disputes.
While there had been a long-standing disagreement with a neighbour over yard boundary lines, Ms Mohloai stressed that the issue was minor and had never escalated into a serious conflict.
“It is difficult to believe that such a small issue could lead to such brutality. I am disappointed by rumours suggesting that the family now suspects this particular neighbour. We hope police investigations will soon reveal the truth and lead to an arrest,” she said.
For the Radebe family, the shock unfolded in a deeply unsettling way. The deceased’s second daughter, Eliza Radebe, who stays in South Africa and had last visited her mother on 5 December 2025, recalled the moment they realised something was wrong.
WhatsApp text messages were sent from her mother’s phone, which was worrying as the deceased had never done that before.
“My mother preferred calling or sending voice notes. Seeing those messages made us worry. That’s when we called and asked someone to go and check on her. All this happened in the morning, between 7:30am and 10am,” she said.
Their fears were later confirmed in the most devastating manner when they learned that ’Maelisa had been murdered.
Three of her mobile phones were missing, along with a file containing all her important personal documents, further deepening the family’s grief and confusion.
Pastor ’Malijo Baji of the AME Church, where the deceased worshipped, was among those who attended the scene. Even as a pastor accustomed to comforting others during times of tragedy, she said the experience left her shaken.
“I have never witnessed something that horrific. It is deeply disturbing,” she said.
According to Pastor Baji, the perpetrators killed the widow by striking her dead with an axe, shattering her skull. The weapon was later found wrapped and placed on a chair inside the house. The scene was described as terrifying, with the deceased’s body badly mutilated.
Police investigations are continuing, with Morija Police Station commander, Inspector Nyeoe ’Mota, confirming that officers are actively pursuing suspects. He urged the community to remain calm and allow the law to take its course.
As the village anxiously awaits justice, the Radebe family is preparing to pay their last respects on Saturday when she will be buried.
Funeral arrangements are currently underway, including efforts to obtain legal authorisation to bury her in the family yard, on top of her long-departed husband’s grave.
