Mohloai Mpesi
PRIME Minister Sam Matekane says when he ordered the army to fight and uproot crime in Lesotho, it was not a blank cheque for them to cross the line by torturing and killing civilians.
Instead, Mr Matekane says, his intention was that Basotho should be protected from the escalating murders that have crippled the country.
The murders had especially gotten out of control since the beginning of this year, necessitating serious intervention.
However, heinous torture and murders of Basotho by members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), Mr Matekane said, were never part of the deal.
Mr Matekane spoke during a media briefing at State House.
The Lesotho Times had questioned Mr Matekane on escalating cases of army brutality against civilians in the wake of the killing of two civilians by soldiers during a search for illegal firearms in Berea.
The Lesotho Times sought to know from Mr Matekane if the excesses of the army were not a result of his directive almost two months ago to LDF commander, Lieutenant General Mojalefa Letsoela, to unleash the might of the army on criminals.
Mr Matekane said that the essence of his directive to the army commander, was not for them to torture but to “intervene with a view to eradicating crime”.
“It is true that in the country now, we have a problem of a high murder rate which we are still trying to control. There are no people coming outside the country, who are not Basotho, to kill Basotho. It is us as Basotho who are killing each other,” Mr Matekane said.
“That’s the reason why I asked the LDF to intervene and bring an end to these murders. It is unfortunate…(that civilians are killed).. I have not even received a full report because I have just arrived from China. I have not gotten a report. I have only heard that there are two people who lost their lives when LDF was carrying out its job.
“The intention is not to torture Basotho. The intention is to protect Basotho and ensure that they are not subjected to inhumanity in their own country. Mistakes happen and we will hear what really transpired.”
Mr Matekane said he had scheduled a meeting with Lt-Gen Letsoela for this week to get a full brief.
Mr Matekane also undertook that his government would contribute towards the deceased’s burial “working hand in hand with their families”.
Fear is now stalking Basotho as the LDF rampages in a seemingly desperate bid to end crime by confiscating illegal firearms that are commonplace in the country.
The army stands accused of deploying Gestapo style tactics to counter criminals yet ends up catching innocent civilians in the crossfire.
Many civilians complain they are randomly ambushed and asked to surrender unregistered guns which they don’t own.
As a result, civil claims are mounting against the army, with M50 million worth of suits having been filed against army commander, Lt-Gen Letsoela this year alone.
Human rights defenders have also become wary of putting soldiers at the forefront of fighting crime saying soldiers are not trained to deal with policing matters. (see story on page 8)
