Rethabile Pitso
THE Inspector of Police, Advocate Motlatsi Mapola, has sharply criticised members of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) for what he describes as a troubling tendency to protect initiation school practices at the expense of their professional duties.
His remarks follow a complaint lodged by relatives of Prime Minister Sam Matekane, who are seeking answers over the death of their nephew, Matela Matekane, at an initiation school in Thaba-Tseka early last year. The family alleges that the case was mishandled amid suspicions of foul play.
Family representatives, Nkokana and Toloane Matekane, approached the Office of the Inspector of Police on 17 February 2026, requesting intervention after becoming dissatisfied with the handling of the matter by the police.
According to the family, investigations initially led to the arrest of three suspects—Tsolo Cheba, Sekhobe Masupha and Moreboli Kamo—raising expectations that the case would proceed to trial. However, the suspects were later released following a speedy trial, a development that deepened the family’s suspicions.
A family member, who spoke to the Lesotho Times on condition of anonymity, said efforts to independently establish the circumstances surrounding Matela’s death yielded little clarity.
“Cases involving initiation schools are extremely difficult because of the secrecy surrounding them. Initiates are bound by tradition not to disclose what happens there,” the source said.
The source, who is both an initiate and a police officer, said he travelled to Jorotane in Mantsonyane to engage initiation school leaders, but was told the death resulted from routine initiation processes, with no foul play involved.
“It is unfortunate because it seems we may never know exactly what happened. Even with my access to information, I hit a brick wall,” he said, adding that some initiates within the justice system often compromise cases to protect the institution.
Adv Mapola echoed these concerns, accusing some police officers of prioritising allegiance to initiation schools over their constitutional obligations.
He, however, commended detectives from the Special Investigations Unit for what he described as professional and thorough work on the case. The pair completed investigations and submitted the docket to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on 17 June 2025.
The docket was later returned by the DPP with instructions for further investigations. However, in what Adv Mapola described as a “suspicious turn of events”, the docket never reached the investigating officers. Instead, they remained under the impression that it was still with the DPP.
“On the very same day the docket was returned, a speedy trial was conducted in Thaba-Tseka, resulting in the release of all three accused persons,” Adv Mapola said.
He faulted the prosecution, saying it was the responsibility of the Thaba-Tseka prosecutor to verify the status of investigations before agreeing with the defence that the matter was still under investigation.
“The magistrate acted on the information presented, but the prosecutor erred,” he said.
Adv Mapola further revealed that instead of being returned to the investigators, the docket was diverted to a police station in Mazenod, where it remained until his office intervened. He attributed such irregularities to negligence and conflicting loyalties within the police service.
He urged the Commissioner of Police, Adv Borotho Matsoso, to take decisive action against officers who compromise investigations, warning that failure to act would weaken public trust in the LMPS.
“In the police service, there is no requirement that one must be initiated. Yet some officers prioritise initiation school allegiance over their oath to serve the nation,” Adv Mapola said.
Citing Section 56(1) of the Police Standing Orders, Adv Mapola said officers who pledge allegiance elsewhere could be deemed to have committed mutiny.
“The handling of the Matela case suggests that someone was more concerned with protecting tradition than ensuring justice for a lost life,” he said.
He also raised concern about members of the legal profession who, he said, may compromise their ethical obligations in order to protect initiation practices.
Adv Mapola called on Basotho facing similar challenges to come forward and report such cases, assuring them that his office would intervene where necessary.
“For those officers torn between their duties and cultural loyalties, it would be better for them to leave the service rather than undermine it,” he said.
