MASERU-In a dramatic courtroom turn, the leader of the Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM), Dr. Tšepo Lipholo, told the Maseru Magistrate’s Court that prison officers denied him access to the toilet while in court, a revelation that left the courtroom for a moment shocked.
Appearing before Magistrate Thamae Thamae, Dr. Lipholo made the startling claim during proceedings in which his legal team was set to argue for the magistrate’s recusal. The application seeks Magistrate Thamae’s withdrawal from a matter in which Lipholo is fighting for his release from custody, claiming that his case has stalled unfairly.
According to Lipholo’s explanation, the incident unfolded shortly after a short health break which was granted because one of the correctional service officers had indicated that the accused, (Dr. Lipholo) is asking for a health break. He told the court that while he was supposed to leave the court room to the toilet one of the senior correctional service official Mafatle approached him together with others, blocking his way indicating that he should not do that. Lipholo said he told the correctional service officers that he has a right to have a health break but one official made it to a point that he said Lipholo seems to be taking advantage them.
The BCM leader further told the court that his stay in prison has been marked by humiliation and mistreatment. He alleged that even though the Deputy Commissioner of the Lesotho Correctional Service had told the public that he is not abused in any sort in the facility, he had lost his tooth in the hands of some of the correctional service officers. “Even my food has been tampered with,” he continued, alleging that on one occasion, his meal was mixed with powdered soap.
“These acts are a clear violation of my rights,” Lipholo declared, insisting that the inhumane treatment was not only degrading but also part of a pattern of intimidation designed to silence him.
Magistrate Thamae appeared visibly disturbed by the allegations. Addressing the court, he emphasized that accused persons are under the protection of the law while before the court. “When accused individuals are in this courtroom, they are under the authority of the court,” he said firmly. “No one has the right to infringe upon their basic rights or dignity.”
But what left many observers surprised was that the magistrate did not summon the officers accused of the misconduct to respond to the claims, nor did he launch an immediate inquiry to verify the allegations. Instead, he advised that matters concerning the accused’s treatment in custody should be discussed with his legal representatives.
The courtroom murmured with unease as Dr. Lipholo was led back into custody, visibly unsettled. His supporters, seated quietly in the gallery, exchanged worried glances. To them, the testimony confirmed their long-standing fears that their leader has been deliberately mistreated since his arrest.
As the court adjourned for the day, the atmosphere remained tense. The magistrate did not immediately deliver a ruling on the recusal application, leaving uncertainty hanging over the proceedings.
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