MASERU-In a striking revelation before the High Court, the current Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), Lieutenant General Mojalefa Letsoela, has laid blame on interference by authorities in army affairs as a root cause of the instability that led to the 2015 fatal shooting of former army commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao.
Testifying under cross-examination in the ongoing high-profile trial of nine LDF members, including the former army chief, Retired Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, Letsoela painted a picture of a deeply fractured military, where divided loyalties and defiance of lawful authority paved the way for chaos and ultimately, tragedy.
Letsoela told the court that Mahao had been lawfully appointed as the Commander of the LDF on August 29, 2014, by the “then competent authority,” in reference to the former Prime Minister. However, the change in command was never fully realized due to what he described as “unhealthy civil-military relations” and deliberate interference from senior officials and politicians.
“Mahao’s appointment, though lawful, was not honored. Kamoli had been lawfully relieved of his duties, yet he continued to exercise power within the army. This created two centers of command, one under Kamoli, the other under Mahao,” Letsoela testified.
According to Letsoela, this dual command structure bred division and confusion within the military ranks. Soldiers were unsure who to obey, and factions began to form, a dangerous situation for any disciplined force, but particularly volatile in a politically sensitive environment like Lesotho’s at the time.
He described the situation as a direct consequence of interference by those in authority, which destabilized the chain of command and placed the military in a precarious and dangerous position. “It was this interference, not simply internal military disagreement, that sowed the seeds of the unrest and ultimately the fatal incident that claimed Mahao’s life,” he added.
The murder trial has gripped national attention since it began, as it involves some of the most senior former members of the LDF, including Kamoli, who has long been accused of undermining civilian control over the army during his tenure. The accused face charges of murder, attempted murder, and other crimes related to Mahao’s death in June 2015.
Mahao, who was ambushed and shot dead by fellow soldiers outside Maseru, was a respected figure in both military and civilian circles. His death drew international condemnation and prompted a Southern African Development Community (SADC) intervention, which ultimately led to the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into his killing.
Letsoela’s testimony adds a new dimension to the trial, shedding light not only on the internal breakdown within the army but also on the political manipulation that fuelled it. His words appear to support long-held claims that Mahao’s death was not an isolated act of violence, but a symptom of a broader systemic failure involving the abuse of power and disregard for legal authority.
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