’Marafaele Mohloboli
A 22-YEAR-OLD Ha-Leqele, Maseru, man has been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of National University of Lesotho (NUL) lecturer, Teboli Makafane (35).
Mr Makafane’s body was found in a pool of blood in his rented flat in Roma on 5 January 2022.
His body was discovered by Mr Makafane’s younger sister. It had seven stab wounds and a knife was still stuck in it.
The gruesome murder shocked the NUL community and some of them feared that this could be the start of killings targeting them.
However, in a rare and welcome development, the police, who have often been criticized for their failure to investigate rampant killings and nab criminals, appear to have made a quick breakthrough with the arrest of the Ha-Leqele suspect.
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli this week said they had arrested Qenehelo Letoaba in connection with the murder.
He said they had collaborated with the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) to crack the case.
He said the breakthrough came shortly after they had last week called in some of the deceased’s family members for questioning.
He said the information they received pointed to the suspect who was then arrested and taken to the Maseru Magistrates’ Court where he allegedly confessed to the crime.
“On Monday, the investigating officers, in collaboration with some members of the LDF, went to the suspect’s place, apprehended him and handed him over to the Roma police,” Senior Supt Mopeli said.
“It appears the deceased and the suspect were friends. As friends they were having drinks together in Makafane’s house and when they were too drunk, they started fighting over some misunderstanding on personal issues. This led to the killing of Makafane by the suspect. The suspect was taken to the Maseru Magistrates’ Court where he made a confession. He was charged with the murder of Makafane and he was remanded in custody today (yesterday).”
Mr Makafane’s murder, in the first week of the month, meant that Lesotho began the year with yet another brutal killing which will only serve to cement the country’s dubious distinction of being Africa’s murder capital and the sixth most homicidal nation on the globe.
Only El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, the Virgin Islands and Jamaica were ranked higher than Lesotho in the World Population Review murder rankings for 2021.
Despite the rampant killings, Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro and the Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli have not come up with a clear, concrete plan of action to stop the scourge.
The police have been found wanting. This has forced the army to step in and assume policing duties.
In April 2021, the LDF was forced to step in and apprehend 74 people, mostly youths aged from 15 to 34. They were detained at Makoanyane Military Barracks for two months.
Code-named Operation Namola (intervene), the army operation was meant to capture the deviant youths who had caused residents in Maseru and its environs to live in constant fear by committing murders and other violent crimes like rape, stabbings, housebreaking and theft.
The Manomoro gang was comprised of hardened ex-convicts and even Famo musicians.
The army then organised a rehabilitation exercise which culminated in the juveniles being released and integrated back into their communities.
The LDF had intervened after the police had seemingly failed to perform their mandate of protecting the residents by arresting the criminals and having them prosecuted.
