Rethabile Pitso
THE public has been urged to remember Hlompho and Liteboho Matsoso for the lives they lived and the contributions they made to society, rather than the horrific circumstances surrounding their deaths.
This was said by Ministry of Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Thabang Lekhela at a memorial service for the mother and daughter held in Maseru on Wednesday.
Family members, former colleagues and prominent public figures gathered to celebrate their lives and pay tribute to the two who were brutally murdered last week, allegedly by their 23-year-old relative, Tlotliso Mohapeloa.
Mr Lekhela described ‘M’e Hlompho as a dedicated public servant who had devoted many years to serving the country, saying her professional contribution and commitment should remain central to how she was remembered.
“Although we cannot overlook the pain and shock caused by their deaths, we should not allow the horrific circumstances surrounding their passing to overshadow the lives they lived and the legacy they leave behind,” he said.
‘M’e Hlompho, 66, retired from her position as Deputy Accountant General in August. She had previously served at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was posted to China as Third Secretary between 2000 and 2008.
Former Accountant General, Likhapha ‘Malehlohonolo Mahase, recalled the extraordinary bond she shared with her daughter, Liteboho.
Ms Mahase recounted how ‘M’e Hlompho would sometimes miss work to attend to her daughter, who was studying in China, offering care and reassurance over the telephone whenever Liteboho fell ill.
She also recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, when international travel was restricted, Mme Hlompho had expressed a strong desire to travel to China to be with her daughter.
“She loved Liteboho deeply. I remember how she would sometimes miss work just to make sure her daughter was well, even when she was in China. During the Covid-19 lockdown, she wanted to travel all the way to China to be with her. Their bond was truly exceptional,” Ms Mahase said.
But amid the tributes celebrating their close relationship and professional achievements, family caregiver Mofihli Matsoso recounted the horrific circumstances in which the two were found murdered inside their Thetsane West home last week.
According to Mr Matsoso, the house had been forcibly entered before the assailant allegedly attacked the victims with a garden rake, a flower vase and a knife.
He said ‘M’e Hlompho sustained 17 stab wounds to the head, while Liteboho was stabbed 16 times.
“The scene was horrific beyond words. Their bodies were found in the living room, with blood, brain matter and teeth scattered across the floor. It was a devastating sight for anyone to encounter,” Mr Matsoso said.
He further alleged that Mme Hlompho’s body had been scalded with hot water, adding to the brutality of the attack.
Liteboho, 27, was an Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Design Innovation at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
Tlotliso has since been arrested and police investigations are continuing. He has been identified as a relative whom ‘M’e Hlompho had reportedly been assisting financially.
The shocking details of the killings emerged further this week when police took the suspect on a pointing-out exercise, first to his home at Masianokeng to recover items allegedly stolen from the victims before taking him to the murder scene at Ha Thetsane.
The exercise attracted considerable media attention, with journalists following investigators as the suspect retraced his alleged movements on the night of the murders.
Standing in the living room where the killings took place, Tlotliso demonstrated how he allegedly entered the house and attacked the mother and daughter.
He told investigators that his first attempt to gain entry through a sliding door had failed, forcing him to go around the house and enter through the garage.
“My first attempt to enter the house through the sliding door failed, so I went around the house and successfully forced entry through the garage door. I lifted it and entered the house,” Mr Mohapeloa said.
He claimed that as he walked along the corridor, ‘M’e Hlompho emerged and confronted him. He then picked up a nearby flower vase and struck her with it.
“As it cracked and fell, causing a sound, Liteboho also emerged holding a knife, which she used to stab me here on the face,” he said, pointing to a scar running from the side of his nose towards his mouth.
He alleged that he overpowered Liteboho, picked up a golden statue and struck her with it.
According to his account, Liteboho then tried to crawl away from him while pleading with him.
“After that she tried to crawl further inside, away from me, and screamed the words: ‘Tlotliso, what do you want?’
“But since they had both seen my face and could easily identify me to the police, I felt the need to eliminate the evidence. There was a rake leaning nearby. I reached out for it and began hitting them with it, all over the place,” he said.
The family later confirmed that, besides the severe injuries, ‘M’e Hlompho’s body had been found naked and scalded with hot water.
Tlotliso said he subsequently took a bag and two phone boxes from the house. He claimed his original intention had been to steal money from his aunt, believing she would have received a substantial pension payout following her recent retirement.
“I thought she must have some money lying about in the house because she had received her pension following her retirement,” he said.
He allegedly drove away in ‘M’e Hlompho’s Volkswagen vehicle to a friend’s home in Masianokeng, where he left the stolen items, before abandoning the vehicle at Ha Matala.
The memorial service also heard an emotional account from ‘M’e Hlompho’s best friend, Nthabiseng Motseko, who revealed that the two women had returned from a weekend getaway in South Africa just hours before the killings.
Ms Motseko said they had enjoyed their trip so much that Mme Hlompho suggested extending it by a day. They consequently returned on Monday evening instead of Sunday as originally planned.
“We arrived around 8pm and as my son and I dropped her off at home, she was greeted at the door by Liteboho.
“Around 10pm, Hlompho texted me enquiring whether we had made it home safely and I responded that we had.
“Little did I know that was the last conversation I was to have with my friend. My son and I were the people to see Hlompho and Liteboho alive,” she said.
Their neighbour, Motsieleli Makhaba, who spoke to the Lesotho Times during the pointing out, was the first person to enter the house on the morning of 3 November after the Matsosos were killed the previous night.
Ms Makhaba said she became suspicious after noticing that the garage door had been left wide open.
“It was around 10am when my gardener called me to come out and see that the garage door of my neighbour was wide open.
“So I went in to check, and as I got closer I realised there was no car in the garage. My first assumption was that Liteboho must have left in a hurry and forgotten to close the door behind her.
“So I entered, calling out her name in case I had been mistaken. Nothing prepared me for the scene my eyes fell on,” she said.
Ms Makhaba became overwhelmed with emotion as she recounted the discovery, breaking down in tears.
She said she still did not know where she had found the strength to alert other neighbours and contact the nearest police station after encountering the horrific scene.
The memorial service was attended by several prominent figures, including former Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro, Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara, Minister of Labour and Employment Tšeliso Mokhosi, Auditor General Mathabo Makenete and former Accountant General Sam Mphaka, alongside relatives, friends and former colleagues.
The funeral of the mother and daughter is scheduled for Saturday.
