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Lesotho prime minister to be charged with murder of ex-wife Lesotho prime minister to be charged with wife's murder
(about 2 hours later)
Thomas Thabane will also face attempted murder of wife’s friend during 2017 shooting Thomas Thabane, whose second wife has already been charged, says he will step down by end of July
Lesotho’s prime minister, Thomas Thabane, is to be charged with the 2017 murder of his estranged wife, Lipolelo, a top police official has said, with the prime minister announcing he will step down later this year. Lesotho’s prime minister is to face a murder charge over the death of his estranged wife, the latest development in a long-running drama that some observers have described as a “game of thrones” in the southern African kingdom.
Thabane’s current wife, Maesiah, was charged earlier this month over the murder after briefly fleeing the country. Thomas Thabane, 80, has been questioned by police about the shooting of Lipolelo Thabane two days before his inauguration in 2017.
The deputy commissioner of police, Paseka Mokete, said the prime minister would appear at the Maseru magistrates court on Friday “to face a murder charge in connection with the killing of Lipolelo Thabane”. Lipolelo Thabane, 58, had reportedly refused to divorce her husband and won a court battle to retain her privileges as first lady until any formal separation. She was shot several times at close range as she sat in a car near her home.
The 80-year-old leader would also face an attempted murder charge in connection with the shooting of another person who was with his wife at the time, Mokete said. Police investigations were complete and more people would be charged soon, he added. Thabane remarried two months after her death. His second wife, Maesaiah, 42, was charged with murder this month after briefly fleeing the country. She has denied any wrongdoing, saying in her bail application that she “was not at the scene of the crime when it happened”.
Thabane will become Lesotho’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with any crime. His current wife is out on bail and will next appear in court on 17 March. The deputy commissioner of police, Paseka Mokete, said lawyers representing the prime minister had promised he would appear at Maseru magistrates court on Friday “to face a murder charge in connection with the killing of Lipolelo Thabane”.
Lipolelo, who had been estranged from Thabane and filed for divorce, she was shot dead in a car near her Maseru home on the night of 14 June 2017. Her friend, Thato Sibolla, who was travelling with her in the car, escaped with gunshot wounds and has since fled to neighbouring South Africa for her personal safety. Mokete denied that the charge was political motivated and said the veteran leader would also face an attempted murder charge in connection with the shooting of another person who was with his wife at the time. That person survived gunshot wounds and has since fled to neighbouring South Africa for her safety.
The attack occurred just two days before Thabane was sworn in for his second stint as prime minister. The case was brought back into the spotlight in January by a letter from Lesotho’s police chief, which claimed communication records showed that someone at the murder scene had called Thabane’s mobile phone on the day of the crime. The killing was initially blamed on unknown criminals. Lesotho has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Investigators have since said they believe professional hitmen carried out the attack.
It was not until January this year that the police commissioner, Holomo Molibeli, filed court papers declaring Thabane a suspect in the killing. The prime minister subsequently tried unsuccessfully to oust the police commissioner. Molibeli said Thabane also sought to get immunity for him and his wife for the killing of his ex-wife. Thabane said in a statement on Thursday that he would step down “with effect from the end of July this year, or at an earlier date if all the requisite preparations for my retirement are completed before then.”
Thabane said in a statement on Thursday he would step down “with effect from the end of July this year, or at an earlier date if all the requisite preparations for my retirement are completed before then.” He said on state radio: “I have served my country diligently. I’ve worked for a peaceful and stable Lesotho. Today, at my age, I have lost most of my energy. I hereby retire as prime minister with effect from the end of July.”
He said he communicated the message to King Letsie III, and a few days ago he visited the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, to inform him of his decision to retire. Lesotho has been in political crisis for several months. The ruling party, the All Basotho Convention, has been pressing Thabane to step down immediately, saying he cannot stay in office with the murder charge imminent.
The All Basotho Convention, Lesotho’s ruling party, has been pressing Thabane to step down immediately, saying he cannot stay in office with the murder charge imminent. Maesaiah Thabane, the new first lady, has been a controversial figure. Since the wedding, for which she was two hours late, she has been accused of interfering in political appointments, while a fund she set up to help reduce poverty has faced allegations of fraud and money laundering.
Lesotho’s parliament is to open on Friday, and the ABC party wants him to step down before then or face a challenge in parliament, the party spokesman Montoeli Masoetsa said. The affair has been followed closely in South Africa, which surrounds Lesotho and has intervened before to maintain stability. Last month South Africa’s finance minister, Tito Mboweni, suggested Lesotho could become part of his country under a federal arrangement.
The kingdom is one of the least developed countries in southern Africa. A recent survey by the World Bank found some improvement over a 15-year period but said nearly half of the 3 million residents lived in poverty. Aid agencies have said more than 500,000 people face severe food shortages in the coming months following a protracted drought. In recent years Lesotho has tried to generate income through the cultivation of medical marijuana and tourism.
Many in the kingdom believe Thabane should already have left office. “I think it’s high time he goes but I don’t know why it’s taking so long. He has to go for the sake of the nation,” said Malineo Stoffels, 30, who sells grilled meat and rice from a food van.
“Everyone is talking about us the economy has gone down,” she said after listening to Thabane’s announcement on a taxi radio in Maseru. “It has to end.”