…confirms soldiers met with Metsing before raiding police stations
Moorosi Tsiane
RETIRED soldier, Brigadier (Brig) Ntlele Ntoi, has confirmed that senior soldiers met with former Deputy Prime Minister, Mothetjoa Metsing, at his Maseru West residence a few hours before their coup attempt on the night of 29-30 August 2014.
Brig Ntoi, who was the then Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) spokesperson, made the revelation while testifying against Mr Metsing and others in the High Court this week.
Mr Metsing stands accused, alongside Minister of Health Selibe Mochoboroane and former army commander Tlali Kamoli as well as three soldiers; Captain Litekanyo Nyakane, Lance Corporals Motloheloa Ntsane and Leutsoa Motsieloa, of plotting to overthrow then Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.
They now face treason charges over the coup attempt.
Mr Metsing had served as Mr Thabane’s deputy before the two fell out over decision making processes in their coalition. Mr Metsing complained he was hardly consulted by Mr Thabane before the ex-premier made key decisions. Mr Metsing was the leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) while Mr Mochoboroane was the party’s secretary general and Minister of Communications, Science and Technology.
They are also charged with murdering police Sub Inspector Mokheseng Ramahloko who was shot dead by soldiers who raided the Police Headquarters that fateful night at the behest of Kamoli.
According to Brig Ntoi, Kamoli had ordered the operation to disarm police stations around Maseru urban because they were allegedly going to supply youths from Mr Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) with guns to kill LCD youths who had planned a protest on 1 September 2014. The protest was against Mr Thabane’s decision to prorogue parliament to avoid being ousted in a no confidence motion.
Brig Ntoi told the court that Kamoli had directed him, then Military Intelligence boss Tumo Lekhooa, then LDF Director of Logistics Retired Colonel Thato Phaila, and Deputy Director for Legal Major Bulane Sechele (now deceased) to go to Mr Metsing and inform him of their mission to disarm certain police stations suspected to be planning to supply the ABC youths with guns.
Brig Ntoi said Kamoli had earlier during the day instructed him to write a media statement warning the Congress parties who had planned a procession on 1 September 2014 to abort their march as there was a group of “terrorists” who were planning to use the march “to destabilise the country’s peace”.
“At around 16:00hrs that day when I was preparing to knock off, I received a call from General Kamoli who instructed me to see him immediately at his office at Ratjomose barracks.
“I left my office in town and went to see him at Ratjomose. Upon my arrival, he ordered me to write a media statement asking parties who had planned to go on the procession on 1 September 2014 to refrain from doing so as the LDF had received intelligence that there was a group of ‘terrorists’ planning to hijack such a march… When done, I then gave the statement to my subordinates to give to media houses.
“In General Kamoli’s office, there was also Major General Khoantle Motšomotšo (then deputy commander) who asked me why I was wearing light clothes when there was going to be a general standby that night… at around 19:00hrs…
“I went to the Military Intelligence office where I was joined by Colonel Thato Phaila and Major Bulane Sechele. Shortly thereafter, Major Lekhooa told us to go to the command block at general Kamoli’s office. He (Kamoli) was still with Major General Motšomotšo and he ordered us to go to Maseru West to Metsing’s home to explain why the LDF command had decided to stop their party’s protest,” said Brig Ntoi.
He recalled Kamoli claiming that there was a group of ‘terrorists’ calling themselves the Under the Tree Army (UTA) made up of ABC youth.
“He (Kamoli) said this had been worrying him for a long time and at some point he was even contemplating to leave those politicians to fight and kill each other but he remembered he took an oath to protect the peace of this country.
“He said he also had a duty to protect the soldiers guarding the politicians who would be part of that march. So he decided to disarm all the police stations purportedly due to supply UTA with guns.
“General Kamoli said we should inform Metsing that LDF would embark on the operation to disarm such police stations. We proceeded to Metsing’s house where we used the back entrance and not the front gate where soldiers (guards) were stationed because this was classified as a clandestine operation. We found Metsing with Mochoboroane and (Tšeliso) Mokhosi (LCD deputy leader),” Brig Ntoi said.
He said they explained to the trio why they were there and one of the soldiers asked Mr Mochoboroane that, for their mission to be successful, they would need him to order his engineers to disconnect all the radio stations.
“One of us, I cannot remember who exactly, asked Mochoboroane that for a successful operation and element of secrecy and to avoid public interference, he should instruct his engineers to disconnect all the radio stations,” Brig Ntoi said.
Mr Thabane had earlier that day fired Kamoli as army commander to replace him with Maaparankoe Mahao, who was subsequently murdered by the soldiers, allegedly on Kamoli’s instructions.
The police had also refused to issue the LCD youths with a permit to protest, citing the possibility of political unrest in the country.
According to the state’s opening address given by the trial’s former prosecutor, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, the failed coup was pre-planned by Messrs Metsing, Mochoboroane and Kamoli.
Adv Abrahams had in February last year said that the Crown would prove that the coup was pre-planned. He said Mr Metsing was in Leribe when he got a call from Kamoli that Mr Thabane had fired him. That forced the ex-deputy premier to immediately travel to Maseru where a meeting was then convened at his residence to “plan the coup”. Prior to the coup, Mr Metsing had been quoted in the media as saying he had not been consulted by Mr Thabane on the latter’s decision to fire Kamoli.
The events of that night threw Lesotho into turmoil. Mr Thabane fled to South Africa only to return weeks later under heavy South African police guard. His government collapsed and fresh elections were ordered in February 2015. He lost those elections and Kamoli was returned to lead the army and began a reign of terror against the new coalition’s opponents.
The trial continues before Justice ‘Maliepollo Makhetha in the High Court. It is now prosecuted by Advocates Motene Rafoneke and Rethabile Setlojoane.
