Letuka Chafotsa
The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) has pledged to look after the nine-year-old son of slain private security guard Mohau Qobete.
Mr Qobete was caught in crossfire during a shootout between Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) members early this month, while on duty at the Ministry of Education offices in Maseru.
A family member, Reentseng Qobete, yesterday told the Lesotho Times that in addition to looking after the boy, the LDF would also foot the burial expenses of the late M & A Security employee.
Mr Qobete told the Lesotho Times: “Members of the LDF were here today, and promised to help our family with burial expenses.
“The army has already bought some food for the people who are going to be preparing for the funeral, which is going to be held on 22 February.
“In addition, the LDF has pledged to look after Mohau’s nine-year-old son, for which we are equally grateful as the boy’s mother is also late.”
However, Mr Qobete said the family’s next move would not be influenced by the army’s gesture.
“We appreciate the army’s goodwill and also the fact that we are not being intimidated from taking whatever action we deem appropriate against those who killed our son.
“We are now looking at burying him and then sit down as a family to plan the way forward,” Mr Qobete said.
Mr Qobete further said the autopsy results had detailed how their son died.
“The post-mortem has revealed that our son couldn’t have survived the shooting; he had eight bullet-wounds at the back, one on the left leg, two on the right, two on the shoulder, and his toe was also wounded. There was no way he could have survived,” Mr Qobete said.
Meanwhile, the Lesotho Times could not independently verify Mr Qobete’s statement as LDF spokesperson Major Ntlele Ntoi was not immediately available for comment.
On the other hand, the police would not comment on the issue and also if there had been any progress regarding investigations into the shooting which took place just outside the King’s Palace on 1 February.
Three soldiers were injured in the shooting which the LDF said started when a car carrying two of the wounded soldiers failed to stop at a checkpoint mounted to regulate traffic passing through the Southern African Development Community Mission Offices.
