Maseru
he High Court has once again set free members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) who were facing serious murder charges, sending mixed emotions across the country.
Barely a month has passed since eight soldiers charged in the Mohale Dam murder case were acquitted. Now, another group of five soldiers has been discharged from standing trial over a separate killing incident in Mafeteng more than a decade ago.
The latest acquittal was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Polo Banyane, who cleared the men of all charges after ruling that there was no evidence linking them to the crime.
The five freed soldiers are Litekanyo Nyakane, KhauheloMakoae, Sebilo Sebilo, Tšepo Tlhakeli, and Thebe Tšepe. They had been accused of killing Thabang Mosole, MonyaneMatsie, and Pakiso Letabe during a violent incident at Ha Motanyane in Mafeteng on April 7, 2012.
According to the prosecution, the killings followed a heated altercation at a local bar. It was alleged that the dispute escalated and ended with soldiers opening fire, fatally wounding the three men.
The State argued that the accused were part of an army unit stationed in Mafeteng at the time. However, the court found that none of the witnesses could directly place them at the scene as the ones who pulled the trigger. In her ruling, Justice Banyane accepted an application for discharge filed by the defence. She pointed out that although there was indeed an army base in the district, the accused soldiers were never identified as the shooters.
“The evidence before this court does not connect the accused to the offence they are charged with,” Justice Banyane stated. She added that convicting them without clear identification would amount to injustice. The ruling was met with mixed emotions. Relatives of the accused expressed deep relief after years of waiting for judgment. For them, the long court battle has finally come to an end, allowing their loved ones to move on with their lives.
