…how a routine visit to Life-Line Pharmacy turned fatal for Lesotho Times staffer
Moorosi Tsiane
A routine stop for medication turned into a fatal ordeal when the Lesotho Times and the Sunday Express Head of Production, Moletsane Makhabane, walked into a Maseru pharmacy and never came out alive.
What unfolded behind closed doors at Life-Line Pharmaceutical has left a grieving family demanding answers and raised troubling questions about how far a pharmacy allegedly went beyond its mandate — with deadly consequences.
That Saturday morning, 14 March 2026, began like any other in the Makhabane household in Ha Thetsane. There was no sense of urgency, no hint of tragedy looming. Despite battling skin cancer, Mr Makhabane had settled into a rhythm of treatment and resilience. Trips to Bloemfontein for chemotherapy had become part of his life, as had regular visits to local facilities for wound care. It was not an easy life, but one he managed with quiet strength.
He left home with his wife, ’Mabohlokoa, and their child. As usual, he dropped them off at Kingsway in Maseru before heading to Life-Line Pharmaceutical at Sefika Shopping Complex at around 9:00am.
The plan was simple: collect medication and have his wound dressed before returning home to work on the Sunday Express.
It was supposed to be a brief visit. But as the hours passed, something felt wrong.
According to the family, Mr Makhabane was attended to by a man identified as Thabang Tloome – who did not even have the requisite qualifications to perform such a procedure – between 10:00am and 11:00am. After that, communication stopped. When he failed to return, ’Mabohlokoa grew increasingly uneasy and eventually went to the pharmacy to check on him.
When she arrived, she could not find him anywhere near the pharmacy counters, and got told he was in the consultation room.
Still with their child, she briefly stepped out to get food, hoping that by the time she returned, her husband would be ready to leave.
Shortly before 3:00pm, she returned. This time, she was called inside the consultation room.
What she found has since become the centre of a haunting account.
Mr Makhabane lay motionless on a table, unresponsive. His head moved uncontrollably. To his wife, it was immediately clear that something was terribly wrong. She asked why he appeared to be sleeping in such a state.
The explanation she received only deepened her fear. She was told that her husband had been given ketamine, an anaesthetic, during a procedure.
According to a relative, Masekoai Matete, Mr Tloome told ‘Mabohlokoa that Mr Makhabane had complained of a lump in his armpit and had agreed to undergo a procedure to remove it. Mr Tloome said that during the operation, Mr Makhabane complained of pain and requested a higher dosage of anaesthetic, which he then administered.
“‘Mabohlokoa informed me that she went inside and found her husband lying helplessly on the table, his head moving uncontrollably. She asked the pharmacist why he was in that state and was told it was due to the medication administered during the procedure. She was told that her husband had been given ketamine (anaesthesia),” said Ms Matete.
She was assured that he would wake up later. But when ‘Mabohlokoa touched her husband, she felt something chilling—his body was cold.
When she raised concern, she was told it was because of the air conditioning in the room.
“When ‘Mabohlokoa asked why he was so cold, Thabang said it was due to the air conditioner, which had been on during the procedure,” said Ms Matete.
There was no urgency from Mr Tloome to call an ambulance. No visible signs of alarm. No indication that a life was in danger. Instead, he asked ‘Mabohlokoa to help dress Mr Makhabane.
In what the family now describes as one of the most disturbing moments of the ordeal, Mr Makhabane was wheeled out of the pharmacy and placed into a car. The explanation remained unchanged—he was sleeping and would wake up later.
By then, it was shortly after 3:00pm, and the pharmacy was closing.
Confused and frightened, ‘Mabohlokoa called Ms Matete, who stays nearby, for help, explaining that Mr Makhabane was unresponsive. Because she was unwell, Ms Matete asked her husband, Abiele Matete, to assist instead. He travelled from Ha Abia and arrived at Sefika Complex after 4:00pm.
Nothing had changed. Mr Makhabane remained unresponsive. That was the moment concern turned into panic.
“Ntate Matete called me, saying Moletsane was still sleeping and not responding. I told them to take him to Maseru District Hospital because I could not understand how someone could sleep for so long without responding. My husband asked me to meet them at the hospital, which I did. I had already alerted some people I know there. When they arrived, there were no trolleys, but a doctor came to the car to assess him—and that is when we were told he was no longer alive,” Ms Matete said.
The news shattered the family. What had begun as an ordinary day ended in a loss they were unprepared for. His body was taken to the mortuary, while his wife, overwhelmed with shock, was taken home.
In the days that followed, grief gave way to questions.
The family returned to the pharmacy seeking answers about what had happened in those critical hours. They were told that Mr Tloome had been attempting to remove cancerous tissue for testing.
But this explanation raised more questions than answers.
Mr Makhabane was already undergoing treatment for cancer, and there had been no indication that such a procedure was necessary. More troubling still, the samples allegedly taken for testing were handed back to the family—they were never sent for analysis.
To the family, it did not add up.
As they pieced together events, serious concerns emerged. There was no consent form authorising the procedure. There were no records showing that vital signs were monitored before, during, or after the intervention. There was no documented evidence of a blood transfusion, despite claims that one had been administered.
Mr Makhabane, already weakened by cancer and anaemia, had been subjected to what appeared to be an invasive procedure in a setting not equipped for such an operation.
“We suspect he died from an overdose of ketamine and loss of blood. He should never have been operated on without proper medical supervision and the necessary support systems. His clothes were soaked in blood—even his shoes,” said Ms Matete.
When approached for comment, Mr Tloome admitted administering anaesthetic and increasing the dosage after Mr Makhabane complained of pain. He maintained that the medication typically wears off quickly, but suggested that in this case, the increased dosage may have prolonged the sedation rather than caused death.
“This medication does not last long, but I told her (‘Mabohlokoa) that it could last longer after he asked us to increase the dose because he was feeling pain. I did not use treatment medication—I used medication to prevent pain while removing the cancerous tissue.
“He said I should increase the dose because he was in pain. At first, I refused, but he insisted, and I could see I was losing him, so I increased it. The local anaesthetic usually lasts between 10 and 20 minutes, but in his case, the deeper sleep may have been due to the increased dose.
“I attended to him from the time we opened until we closed at 16:00. I did not want to leave any root that could lead to the development of cancer cells again. He was still alive when he left. I would not do that to my friend,” said Mr Tloome.
He insisted that his intention had been to remove all cancerous tissue and prevent further spread.
But for the family, his explanation has only deepened their anguish.
Medical authorities have since weighed in. The deputy president of the Lesotho Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Council, Dr Kopang Mohalenyane, stressed that pharmacies are not authorised to perform surgeries or invasive procedures.
Their role, he said, is limited to dispensing medication prescribed by qualified doctors.
“Pharmacies cannot perform surgeries or operations. Their role is to dispense medication prescribed by doctors. Pharmacists are not even supposed to consult patients. If they do not understand something on a prescription, they must consult the prescribing doctor—not make independent decisions,” said Dr Mohalenyane.
“If the allegations are confirmed, it would mean the pharmacy operated far beyond its legal scope. There are strong elements of criminality in this matter.”
Meanwhile, Pitso Ground Police have opened an inquest into the matter. Police sources indicate that investigations are at an advanced stage, with authorities awaiting input from the medical council and direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
For now, the case remains unresolved. Mr Makhabane was laid to rest on 11 April 2026 in Mafeteng.
