Dear Ntate Nkaku Kabi
Even a human being with the heart of a corgi – or even one who has no heart at all – cannot fail to be moved by the tragic events at Mdlalose tavern in Soweto on the night of 10 July 2022.
Just picture the tragic scenario again Ntate Kabi. A group of people spending their hard earned cash, dancing the night out, enjoying their paltry wages, drinking their frustrations out; then getting such a rude interruption. All being moored by heartless murderers.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is legendary for its incompetence. It is like our own very hapless LMPS. But one hopes they (SAPS) get to the bottom of this dastardly deed. This was not only a dastardly, monstrous and horrific criminal act. It was a wholly heartless act, committed by complete scumbags – whoever they are – that should not be part of humanity.
I just don’t understand Ntate Kabi how any human can draw satisfaction from committing such a gruesome, grisly, ghastly act. Certain things are totally beyond any comprehension. I hope you – just like all of us – hope that justice will eventually prevail and the responsible scumbags will be brought to book and removed from society forever.
Everyone linked to any crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We live by that proverbial dictum. We all like it. Even those among us who knowingly commit crimes hide behind it. It serves everyone well. So those of your Famo supporters being linked to this ungoldly act must be spared of blame until the courts of law have pronounced on them. I thought your act in calling for a press conference to exhort these men to hand themselves over to the LMPS was quite a brave act. That is what a leader ought to do. I must congratulate you on that one. These men led by one – Lehlanya (aka Madman)- are innocent till proven guilty.
What is worrying me though is that they have not bothered to hand themselves over despite your exhortation and their own pledges to do so.
What sends the cold shivers down my spine is your decision to continue hobnobbing and caressing with these men despite the enormity of the allegations on their doorstep. I will state – with no ambiguity nor equivocation – that you are making a grave mistake Ntate Kabi. You may pay for it in the end unless you change course now.
Your association with these men should have ended the moment you publicly implored them to hand themselves over after the Red Notice from the South African police that they are being sought. That wouldn’t have meant that they are guilty of anything. That is just the right thing to do. Until and unless they have gone through the mills and been cleared by the courts, it’s wrong for you to continue cuddling with these controversial characters. But alas, no sooner had you admonished them to hand themselves in at the SAPS and clear their names than you saw it fit to be couriered to stage by these men at your Kolonyama rally.
You are committing political suicide Ntate Kabi. The sooner you realize this the better. Your prior encouragement for these men to hand themselves over is now sounding increasingly hollow at best or appearing like a desperate act of brinkmanship at worst. You cannot blame your political opponents for trying to exploit this episode to the fullest to discredit you.
Already the gossip circles are already awash with suggestions that under a Kabi government, one Sarello -Lehlanya- Sello ( the leader of these controversial characters) will be army commander or commissioner of police. Some are even suggesting you will give him joint command of both the LDF and the LMPS. Such talk is not good for you as an individual. It’s particularly besmirching of you as leader of the ABC. It is sullying your reputation as a potential prime minister.
If I were you, I would excuse myself from these men until they have surrendered and answered to all the allegations against them.
I would also not be seen with them in both public and private. They are your very strange bedfellows. This is not to say they are guilty. It’s the right thing to do. In any civilized system, any public figure desists from associating with sullied people until they have been cleared of all the charges against them. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost his job because he drank a glass of wine when he had ordered all others to refrain from partying to contain Covid. He fell on his sword over such a mundane act. Imagine if he had been seen hobnobbing with individuals accused of murdering 16 innocent revelers at a London club. That would have been the end of him as a breathing being.
Ntate Moeketsi Majoro has designated these Famo men as “terrorists”. Shortly after such designation, some of them are accused of mooring 16 innocent clubbers. For you to ignore such developments and continue hobnobbing with such characters is irresponsible.
Your manifesto clearly stipulates that fighting crime is one of your key pet projects if you move into State House post October 7. How do you expect us to believe you when you continue fraternizing with alleged monsters who have caused so much bloodshed? Food for (and four) thought Ntate Kabi.
End now nigh for this wretched man
Kudos to the judges who have laid the ground for Holomo Molibeli’s final ouster. Justices ‘Maseforo Mahase, Mabatšoeneng Hlaele and Moneuoa Kopo, – you have done the right thing. Congratulations.
There is nothing unconstitutional about firing an incompetent and useless police commissioner.
When a significant development occurs when a leader is abroad, that leader must return and take charge. Cyril Ramaphosa cut short his visit to America and Britain to return and attend to his country’s worsening power crisis. It is alleged he loaded his plane back with candles to help his sullen countrymen. Equally William Ruto, cut short his trip to the UK to bury the Queen to return to Kenya to deal with increasing deaths in drought stricken parts of his country. Ntate Majoro is enjoying his last foreign junket as prime minister. From burying the Queen in the UK, he is off to the UN for the yearly general assembly session. He would want to stretch the days as much as possible so he can draw his last per diem. From New York, he is heading to Japan. However, in the wake of the Constitutional Court judgment against Molibeli, he must return home quickly to fire this doomed and wretched man.
As argued in this column before, Molibeli is not only a national embarrassment, he is a national disaster. It is a huge misnomer to even address him with the honorific of Commissioner. He should simply be called Molibeli. He is an embarrassment to his Majesty’s Majestic Kingdom. Thanks to his incompetence and his systematic destruction of the once proud Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), the country is now a criminal hell hole. The LMPS is in complete paralysis. It is now a national disgrace. Not that Molibeli cares.
He does not care about the institution he leads. He does not care about the victims of crime. He does not care about anything. This is why many a victim – who have knocked on his door – to complain about police inaction over crime – will not shed a tear for him.
Readers of this newspaper will know the many stories of known killers, rampaging in their communities, with all the evidence against them in the public doman, let off the hook by police incompetence. You will know of the story of Lebohang Nkuebe – the brutal murderer – who knifed his live in lover, ‘Mme Mathabang Radiile. After his arrest and confession, Molibeli’s equally corrupt and wretched cohort (Kubutu Kubutu) facilitated bail for Nkuebe. Not only that, it was free bail. Imagine, free bail for knifing a woman and for burning her infant grand-daughter with a toxic acid. Despite his confession, that was the end of the story. The Radiile family has had to leave with the pain of losing its mum and its maimed infant. In the meanwhile, Nkuebe is busy enjoying his life, committing more rapes. To his huge credit though, Nkuebe confessed to his crimes. But it was ironically those tasked with enforcing the law that stampeded to free him over the Radiile murder. How much more wretched can a society become? Even after petitions were handed to Molibeli and copied to the prime minister, police minister and other influentials, to intervene and get Nkuebe jailed and Kubutu fired, Molibeli simply did not bother to respond. Now, what kind of a country deserves such a wretched man as its commissioner. The good thing is once he is out of that blue uniform, which he certainly does not deserve to wear, Molibeli is going to be held accountable. If his inaction over the Radiile case was because he was simply negligent, or an accomplice, the truth will emerge. Justice shall be fought for and justice shall be won.
To all victims of crime – including women who have gone to report crimes and been told that you deserve to be raped because you were wearing mini-skirts – I say don’t lose heart. Once the pretender is out of that uniform, he shall be held accountable for aiding and abetting criminals.
In the meantime, kudos to army boss, Mojalefa Letsoela, for assuming police duties. After all, it was your deputy, Matela Matobakele who was once so frank as to publicly announce that under Molibeli, Lesotho essentially had no police force to talk about.
Ntate Matobakele was damn right It’s quite a relief to see the army patrolling the streets and basing its members at public places. Let the army take over the entirety of policing until we are finally rid of Molibeli and all his fellow criminal travellers in the LMPS. Only then can your men return to Makoanyane Barracks.
Ache !!!
