Lesotho general told of death plot

06 July 2015 - 02:09 By Stephan Hofstatter and Kevin Sutherland

When Mamphanya Mahao arrived at her bullet-riddled home on the outskirts of Lesotho's capital, Maseru, at the weekend she was greeted by a small group of women. Their husbands are the soldiers allegedly abducted, tortured and thrown into jail by the military, accused of plotting a mutiny.Her husband, Lieutenant-General Maaparankoe Mahao, died in a hail of bullets earlier this month. He is said to have been shot by soldiers sent to arrest him on suspicion of being the mutiny leader.This week his body will be transported from the Maseru mortuary to his home for a memorial service, and then to his farm 30km from the city for burial.Mamphanya and her mother-in-law, Manqosa Mahao, have come to discuss funeral arrangements and tell the gathering of women how her husband died.On June 25, at 2.45pm, Mahao was driving with his two nephews on a lonely road near his farm 30km from Maseru. A silver twin-cab bakkie, appeared seemingly out of nowhere and stopped in the road in front of him, blocking his way. Mahao slammed on the brakes.According to an account by his nephews, their vehicle was then boxed in by two more twin cabs. The occupants of one car opened fire with AK47 rifles. Mahao tried to crawl out of the door but fell onto his face. Two soldiers dragged him into their car and drove off. The military produced his body later that evening.Lesotho's defence minister, Tseliso Mokhosi, later claimed that Mahao was shot when he pointed a firearm at the soldiers sent to arrest him.A photograph of Mahao's body shows that he was struck by eight bullets, some hitting him in the head.Mahao's death, which sent shockwaves through Southern Africa, will be investigated by an independent panel and a pathologist.In August Mahao survived what appeared to be an assassination attempt when soldiers, purportedly sent to arrest him, sprayed his house with bullets.And in May he told friends and family that his life was in danger."They will kill me because they have no case against me," he told his brother, Qamako Mahao, days before the attack.The night before he was killed he told his wife to be ready for his death. He said his loyalists in the army had warned him that his days were numbered."They said preparations to kill him were at an advanced stage," Mamphanya Mahao said. "But he always told me 'I am not a criminal; I am a law-abiding and diligent soldier who has no reason to run'."If he were to flee, it would mean abandoning dozens of soldiers allegedly abducted and tortured on suspicion that they had plotted the mutiny with him."They are being tortured because of me," he told his wife. "How can I leave them?"But the army says it has evidence that Mahao was plotting an insurrection and the assassination of the military high command."There is admissible evidence [for submission to] a court martial, which has not been elicited through any form of torture as alleged," said army spokesman Major Ntsele Ntoi...

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