’Marafaele Mohloboli
JUSTICE has remained elusive for ’Matšepang Kaizer six years after her husband, Motlalepula Kaizer, was gunned down at the house of former All Basotho Convention legislator, Pitso Maisa.
“The memories of that fateful day when my husband was gunned down by unknown assailants still brings tears to my eyes,” the 38 year-old ’Matšepang told this Lesotho Times this week.
“Everything happened so fast and it still feels like a horrible nightmare that I could wake up from.
“Whenever the going gets tough I always recall how I was robbed off my husband who sweated to put food on our table.”
According to ’Matšepang, no sooner had her husband left their home to charge his phone at the then Motimposo legislator, Pitso Maisa’s house which is just a few metres away than she heard gunshots.
“Rumours were rife that there was a fierce rivalry between rival members of the ABC who wanted to contest the 2012 elections in the Motimposo constituency. Knowing that my husband had gone to his (Maisa) house, I quickly ran out at the sound of the gunshots and it was like a dream to find him lying helplessly in a pool of blood and struggling to breathe.
“In a laboured tone he said, ‘they have shot me and I am dying.’ I asked him who had shot him and he said he did not know.
“I just felt numb and passed out. Later when I came to, I was then told that my husband had passed on.”
Since then, she says she has visited Mabote Police Station but has been taken from pillar to post in her quest for justice.
“Justice delayed is justice denied but with the breakthroughs in so many unresolved murders, my hope has been rekindled and I am also looking forward to a breakthrough in this case.
“I have always thought that I am not getting justice because I am poor. I had lost all hope in the police but after learning of other people who have been through the same ordeal and the help that they have received, I now have faith that my turn will finally come,” Matšepang said.
Maisa, who has since left the ABC and started a new party Truth and Reconciliation Unity (TRU), told this publication that the shooting incident left him with so many unanswered questions.
He said the bullet that killed Motlalepula was meant for him.
“Sad as it may be to the Kaizer family, Motlalepula saved me. He took the bullets for me but he did not deserve to die in that way.
“I had heard of a plan to assassinate me days before the shooting incident and I also learned that my-would be assassin tracked me from the Lakeside area. They missed me after I changed the route to go home.
“My arrival home was also delayed by some vendors who were refusing to give me my change after I bought cigarettes from them. Shortly after leaving their stall, I heard gunshots when I was just a few metres away from my house,” Maisa said.
Like so many other murder cases, this one has dragged on for a long time with the police seemingly unable to assist the bereaved families.
Contacted for comment Police Spokesperson, Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, said now that the matter had been brought to his attention, he had commenced investigations to ascertain why the case had taken too long to resolve.
He said the police had a responsibility to protect lives and property of all people in the country.
“Since the matter has been brought to my attention, I have started investigations into why it has taken this long. I promise that in the end justice shall be served and I appeal to ’Matšepang to come and see me so that we can work together on this matter finality,” Sup. Mopeli said.