–as three more people die in Famo violence
Mohloai Mpesi
ACTING police commissioner, Mahlape Morai, says she is now on a mission to root out police officers linked to Famo gangsterism.
She spoke to the Lesotho Times this week as murders linked to rival Famo groups intensified with the acting police boss disclosing that three more people had been brutally murdered in Matsieng on Sunday, still in Famo related violence. The details of the killings are yet to be fully established as investigations are ongoing.
The Sunday murders followed the brutal mass killings of six people, including five from one family, in apparent Famo revenge killings, in Liphakoeng and Fobane villages in Leribe district more than a week ago.
Dr Morai admitted that Famo violence had now gone out of hand and the problem needed a robust response by society as a whole. The whole society must work together to stop the Famo criminals and not just leave the problem in the hands of the police, she said.
But members of security agencies have been accused of fuelling the violence by stealing state arms and selling them to the Famo gangs. In one dumbfounding case, 75 firearms were stolen from Mafeteng Police Station in 2022 in a suspected inside job by police officers linked to the Famo gangs. Two police officers have since been charged in the case though the firearms were not recovered.
A leader of one of the Famo gangs, Tṧepiso “Mosotho” Radebe, recently told the Lesotho Times that army and police officers were ensnared in rival Famo groups. He accused them of fuelling rivalries violence among the groups.
Analysts have previously warned that unless the Famo gangs are reined in, their rampant violence and murders could plunge the country into some form of civil war. Moreso because hardly a week now passes by without reports of killings done by the Famo gangsters. Innocent civilians are being caught in the violence. When gangsters miss each other, they simply target each other’s family members or friends.
The Famo gangs’ lawlessness seems to have been given succour by politicians who relied on their members to recruit support in their areas of dominance. Some politicians saw no shame in giving Famo gang leaders platforms to address their rallies ahead of the October 2022 general elections.
As the Famo gangs intensify their horror across the country, Dr Morai said she had established a team comprising intelligence officers in the police force to probe their colleagues who are entangled in the Famo issues.
The mandate of the team is to identify and probe Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) officers who are members of Famo gangs and facilitate decisive action against them, she said.
Dr Morai bemoaned the severe lack of resources which she said continued to hamper the LMPS from operating effectively.
If the LMPS was adequately resourced, it would establish effective intelligence structures to pre-empt and counter the Famo gangs, she said. Still any involvement by police officers in the gangs won’t be tolerated.
The recent brutal killing of six people in Leribe – including five from one family – once more shocked a nation, now ranked among the top six most homicidal nations in the world.
Two people from the Terene ea Khosi Mokata group were shot on 20 April 2024 in Liphakoeng. One of then sustained serious injuries while the other died on the spot.
Just about six hours after the Liphakoeng incident, five family members of a rival gang member were gunned down in a suspected revenge killing in Fobane village, about 15 kilometres from Liphakoeng village.
This then prompted the police and the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) to jointly raid the Liphakoeng village on 25 April 2024. They seized illegal firearms and ammunition.
Terene leaders, Mosotho and Sarele “Lehlanya” Sello, afterwards went public claiming there were LMPS and LDF members who were actually members of Famo groups.
They accused the heads of national security agencies of failing to act on their officers partaking in Famo disputes, despite being furnished with evidence of their involvement.
Dr Morai has now taken the leap of faith and established a team to clean the LMPS of any such errant officers.
She said they were determined to take harsh legal measures against all police officers entangled in Famo issues.
“It is not only police officers who have joined Famo gangs. The entire country is embroiled in the Famo gangs perpetrating criminal activities and killing people. Famo is celebrated in Lesotho, crime is celebrated in Lesotho, and for me it needs to be given attention by everyone, not just the police.
“Of course, the police are accused, rightfully so if they are members of blanketed Famo gangs. But we also must pay attention to all the sectors that contribute to ensuring that this thing ends,” Dr Morai said.
She said the LMPS were putting their shoulders to the wheel to eradicate corrupt officers from the force. While others were already known to be linked to Famo groups, it would require evidence to take action against them.
“We are running a project at the moment where our intelligence team is on the ground. We are working on rooting this thing out. We have identified police officers that are known to associate with these different groups. Some are known……,” she said.
She said three more people had been killed in Famo gang related violence in Matsieng on Sunday.
“Last night (Sunday) we had a report of three deaths. It was specified that the murders were committed by members of blanketed Famo groups. For me it is a challenge…,” said Dr Morai during the Monday interview with the Lesotho Times.
“…… It is a challenge that the nation should see for what it is: a challenge for us all….,” she said urging the country to work together to combat the violence.
See Q and A on page 12
