Lesotho's Prime Minister and First Lady Accused of Murder

The streets of Maseru stood still at the headlines on the national dailies yesterday. One headline read in bold type: "Police Hunt First Lady"; another said: "Embattled PM agrees to quit."

Like pages of a fiction novel, the tabloids unveiled a scenario showcasing the possible involvement of the Prime Minister and First Lady in the murder of the Prime Minister's former wife days before his swearing-in as president.

Theorists claim that the couple carried out the murder to prevent the former wife from being recognized as the first lady because the divorce proceedings between her and the Prime Minister were not finalized.

The country's first couple - Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and his current wife Maesaiah Thabane - are wanted for questioning in connection with the 2017 murder of Mr. Thabane's then estranged wife, Lipolelo Thabane.

The 58-year-old, who had been living apart from her husband since 2012, was killed just two days before Mr Thabane was sworn in as prime minister.

One evening while returning home, she was ambushed, shot several times at close range and died on the side of a dirt road. The murder shocked the nation. At the time, Mr Thabane described it as a "senseless killing".

Lipolelo Thabane's 2017 murder was at the time described by Thomas Thabane as a "senseless killing"

At the time of her death, the attack was blamed on unknown armed men, but recent court papers filed by the country's police commissioner, Holomo Molibeli, have raised further questions.

Among the court papers, seen by AFP news agency, was a copy of a letter, dated 23 December 2019, that the police chief wrote to the 80-year-old prime minister saying: "The investigations reveal that there was a telephonic communication at the scene of the crime in question... with another cell phone. The cell phone number belongs to you."

A warrant of arrest was issued for 42-year-old Maesaiah Thabane on 10 January after she failed to present herself to the police for questioning.

She has not been seen publicly for two weeks, and no-one seems to know where she is, well no-one willing to talk that is.

Mr Thabane, who is still in the country, has avoided any questions about his wife's whereabouts.

The BBC contacted government officials for comment, but they were unwilling to take questions on the matter. A spokesman for the prime minister's party said: "the matter has not been addressed".

What are your thoughts?

Source: BBC

Header Image Credit: AFP