MASERU — The deputy director in the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Thabiso Makintane, died in Maseru last Saturday after a short illness.
Mankitane, 55, died after complaining of flu following his return from a business trip in Malawi on May 29.
A family spokesman, Moluoane Moluoane, said Makintane had complained of flu following his arrival last month.
“He arrived from Malawi on May 29. He had flu and we thought it was just the normal flu caused by the cold. He seemed fine for some days until late last Saturday,” Moluoane said.
“Earlier that Saturday he was still fine. He even drove his family to Hlotse to see his ill sister. But when they were coming back his condition deteriorated.
“He asked another family member to drive. When they were on the way he asked them to stop. He vomited. The vomit had a mixture of blood.
“All of a sudden he was not able to speak. They rushed him to Queen Elizabeth II Hospital where the doctor confirmed him dead.
“The post-mortem report said he died of heart failure. Doctors said they suspected he could have had malaria.
“We are still waiting for further tests which will be done to confirm if his death was caused by malaria,” Moluoane said.
Makintane also worked as a presenter for state-owned Radio Lesotho where he presented a popular programme called ‘Lentsoe le Pina.
He was
He was appointed deputy principal secretary in 2006.
Mankitane was born in 1957 at ’Moteng, Ha Molapo in Botha-Bothe district.
He began working as a teacher at St Charles High School in 1978 before joining Radio Lesotho in 1979.
He will be buried in Butha-Buthe on June 26.
He leaves behind a wife and two children.
also a part-time lecturer at the National University of Lesotho in the department of media research and evaluation.
