MASERU — Television cameraman Habofanoe Ntsie on Tuesday told the High Court that he was acting in self-defence when he shot and killed two men six years ago.
Ntsie is standing trial for the murder of his neighbours, Souru Masupha and Habaka Mahao, on November 30, 2004 at Lancer’s Gap in Berea district.
“It is not true that I shot at innocent people. I was defending myself against their attack.
“When they stopped next to my car I knew it was Souru (Masupha).
“He had told me several times that he was going to kill me,” Ntsie told High Court judge ‘Maseforo Mahase.
Ntsie was relating what transpired on the day in question and was being led in the evidence by his lawyer, Haae Phoofolo.
He told the court that he had reported threats on his life which had been made by the deceased to Mabote police.
Ntsie said he had also reported the threats to the police commissioner, the National State Security (NSS) and the minister of police.
“After reporting to the NSS, the NSS handed me a weapon, an AK 47 rifle, to defend myself apart from the one I already had,” Ntsie said.
He said the rifle was handed to him sometime in 2003 but he could not remember when exactly it was taken away from him. He said it was repossessed by the NSS sometime between 2005 and 2006.
Ntsie said on the fateful day, he was driving towards Lancers Gap when Masupha’s car suddenly pulled next to him.
“I recognised the vehicle when Souru Masupha fired a shot. He was seated in his vehicle on the driver’s seat with the left window open.
“When he fired a shot I told my wife to jump on the back seat and hide under the seats,” Ntsie said.
Ntsie said he pushed his wife towards the seats when Masupha fired for a second time.
“I took my gun and cocked it. A passenger in Souru’s car, Habaka Mahao, opened the door holding an AK 47 rifle.
“It was at this moment that I fired towards their vehicle,” Ntsie said.
“When I realised that the passenger in the car was firing some more shots, I fired a second shot,” he said.
Ntsie told Justice Mahase that when he fired the second shot he noticed that the deceased’s car was now reversing and that the car had lost control.
The car then plunged into a nearby donga, Ntsie said.
The case was postponed to today for cross-examination.
