Moorosi Tsiane
Fresh contradictions emerged this week from court testimonies on the chilling account of former army commander Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao’s final moments.
Two of Maaparankoe’s nephews, who are key witnesses in the long-drawn-out murder trial as they were both in the vehicle at the time of the fatal shooting on 25 June 2015, presented contradictory versions of the event.
Testifying before Justice Charles Hungwe, Leuta Mahao — son of Professor Nqosa Mahao — recalled how a white twin cab sped past their vehicle, abruptly swerved into their lane, and blocked their vehicle. Three armed men jumped out and immediately pointed assault rifles at them.
“One of them, wearing a black Special Forces uniform, pointed his gun at me and my cousin, Mabilikoe. We raised our hands while Lt-Gen Mahao kept his hands on the steering wheel, trying to make sense of what was going on,” Leuta said.
A second vehicle suddenly pulled up on the driver’s side, he continued. As Lt-Gen Mahao tilted his head to look, gunfire erupted in a sudden, deafening burst.
“I ducked toward the passenger side for cover. When I looked again, Mabilikoe (the other nephew of Mahao’s) was no longer in the car, and I followed suit. Outside, I heard another gunshot, followed by a voice shouting, ‘Where are you going?’ Then I saw Mabilikoe being targeted again. That is when I noticed another vehicle had pulled in behind us,” he told the court.
Leuta said as they turned back to look at the scene, they saw Lt-Gen Mahao’s body hanging from the passenger seat with his legs still inside the car. A soldier dragged him out by the belt, scraping his face along the tarred road as another joined in, and together they hauled him to one of the military vehicles.
But this version differed significantly from the testimony of Mabilikoe Mahao, who took the witness stand two weeks earlier as the state’s 35th witness.
Mabilikoe described a coordinated ambush: a white 4×4 suddenly stopped in front of them while two other vehicles boxed them in from the side and rear. He said the late Tefo Hashatsi emerged from the front vehicle and pointed a gun directly at Lt-Gen Mahao and gunfire broke out immediately after.
“When the shooting started, Maaparankoe turned his back, shielding me and Leuta. I tried to flee and opened the door, but when I got to the back vehicle, I found someone pointing a gun at me. I turned and was met by another armed man. One of them asked where I was going, and I said, ‘Nowhere,’” Mabilikoe testified.
The contrasting accounts have added further complexity to a trial already fraught with tension and delays.
Both witnesses were present during the shooting, yet their recollections differ on critical details — including the sequence of events, such as who disembarked from which vehicle, and when Lt-Gen Mahao was shot.
Lt-Gen Mahao was gunned down on the outskirts of Maseru in Ha Lekete, Mokema, allegedly during a botched attempt to arrest him, a claim that was discredited by a Southern African Development Community (SADC) commission of inquiry, which found the killing unjustified.
The accused in the matter are former army commander and Mahao’s long-time rival, Tlali Kamoli, along with several of his then subordinates Captains Litekanyo Nyakane and Haleo Makara; Sergeants Lekhooa Moepi and Motsamai Fako; and Corporals Marasi ‘Moleli, Motšoane Machai, Mohlalefi Seitlheko, and Tšitso Ramoholi.
They are also charged with the attempted murder of Leuta and Mabilikoe by firing into their vehicle, and malicious damage to property for riddling the mini truck with bullets.
Kamoli faces additional charges of theft for allegedly stealing Lt-Gen Mahao’s 9mm pistol and Samsung Galaxy mobile phone.
