Be very afraid
By Editorial
WHEN the police start searching people’s houses without warrants, detain them without a charge and ignore a court order to release them, then we must be very afraid.
This is what happened to Eyob Belay Asemie, a Mosotho of Ethiopian origin, last week.
About 30 police officers ransacked his Lower Thetsane home without a search warrant.
He was then taken to the Police Headquarters and detained without a charge.
When his lawyer got a High Court order demanding his immediate release police authorities are said to have ignored it, insisting that Asemie must remain in custody until further notice.
Even when the High Court issued another order informing the police commissioner that he was in contempt of court Asemi
remained in custody. Eventually, Asemie escaped from police custody and his whereabouts are still unknown.
The police might have had genuine reasons to hold on to Asemi but it is the way they went about it that raises alarm.
Surely searching people’s houses without warrants, detaining them without a charge and ignoring court orders cannot be classified as good policing.
Asemie’s decision to escape from custody cannot be condoned but the way the police treated him must be condemned.
It raises serious questions about our police’s respect for human rights, professionalism and respect for the judiciary.
It brings into serious doubt Lesotho’s commitment to the rule of law.
In Asemi’s case, the police clearly crossed the line between policing and violating human rights.
By detaining him without a charge and ignoring court orders the police have violated the very law they are supposed to enforce. This is not the first time our police force has violated the law in their exuberance to enforce it. We have seen this and even worse behaviour from our police in the past.
We recall cases in which the Lesotho Mounted Police Service has been sued for torturing suspects during interrogation.
The courts have been told of the brutal torture methods the police have used to get confessions from suspects.
We have documented some of those horrific interrogation methods in the pages of this paper. Many of the victims have told
their stories in galling detail. More often than not the offending police officers have not been censured. They have remained on the payroll and even got promoted.
What is worrying now is that the police seems committed to continuing this modus operandi even under the new coalition
government whose partners came to power with promises of “justice for all”.
We had hoped that under the new government the police would strive to clean up its tainted image.
It was our hope that the days of police officers abusing their power and torturing people were over.
Regrettably, that hope was misplaced.
We now have more of the same old dirty deeds by our police.
Things might get even worse if the current trend is anything to go by. If Asemie, a businessman who can afford to hire a powerful lawyer, can be detained for days without charge then imagine what will happen to a poor man in Mohale’s Hoek who cannot afford a lawyer?
We must be very afraid of the future when a police force ignores court orders with impunity. We don’t know if Asemi has committed any crime but we strongly believe that nothing justifies detaining him without charge.
It’s not as if the police did not have a legal way of detaining him for longer than the prescribed 48 hours.
If they wanted to keep him for longer they could have applied to the court to extend his detention.
We suspect they did not do that because they probably did not have solid legal grounds to do so. Any court would have rejected an application based on frivolous reasons.
In their quest for justice, the police must not use unjust methods. If they continue on this dangerous path they will lose even the little goodwill they have with the public.
In the end they will have to fight the battle against crime without the community. A police force alienated from the community it seeks to serve has no chance of being effective.
They will only have themselves to blame when they start losing the battle against criminals who are committed to getting away with their deeds than the police are to doing things right.
Comment by tlotlisang on 16 August 2012:
I blame the current PM and BNP for all this. The legacy of disrespect for Human Rights by the forces originates from the era of BNP dictatorship rule of the 1970 to early 90s. Thabane, having served under that evil rule, continued that bad culture even under the democratic rule of congress when he was a minister of police. We recall how the police would torture people in the villages and killing some of the criminal suspects including mere factory women after current PM had said “kulo nameng”. All these were done by the police in the guise that they are fighting crime and unfortunately people said Thabane is delivering while he was trampling on peoples human rights through his police force. Lehohla did nothing to change such a bad legacy. Mophato is perpetuating it with force. PM has just sent out the forces to torture people in the guise of crime fighting. These marriage of convenience is under pressure to deliver. Tsena ke linyane. Ke eo he puso ea bahalaleli. Thosse who are better than others.
Comment by Maka-aka on 16 August 2012:
I first have to applaud the Premier for pronouncing himself against police conduct in this issue. My hope is that our courts will shape up fast because I believe that they are at the root of this issue. When the courts answer with a sense of urgency EVERY urgent application, the police will have no cause to act this way, and can be faulted blatant disregard.
Comment by Manane on 16 August 2012:
Tlotlisang, where were u in 2007 after elections when people were kidnaped to unknown locations, tortured and some killed in cold blood. ke bona o etsa mehlala eo batho ba under 60yrs ba se nang first hand experience on, feela ho na lietsahala tsa Mccd tsa maobane mona.
While human rights are a priority, lets be careful that it will take some fighting to uproot organised crime that was given tacit approval ke Mccd, Halti & CO. AKA Potoana. If we fail Lesotho is headed to the likes of Mexico.
For parents and law abiding citizens, eliminating drug and human trafficing is a priority. For DC protecting illigality and the money that comes with it is on top of the list.
Comment by Maka-aka on 16 August 2012:
This issue can be addressed without even taking a partisan view. If there is a body that can and will sort out the court system in this nation we can thoroughly engage the rule of law. Otherwise we will continue this steady descend into the abyss.
I am just as angered by police brutality as I am by modern slave trade.
Comment by Pompong on 16 August 2012:
@tlotlisang, hantle ba u entseng tlotli? You ar so bitter! Joale ntho e mpe ha hau ke hore u potela BNP. Ke hore le tsába BNP le ha e se e sena meno tjena.
Comment by LEKHOARA on 16 August 2012:
The courts of law shall bring this unruly police to order, feela banna ho hlokahala hore ho etsoe instill the culture of respect of human rights hona ka sepoleseng ka mono, even if you sue a police offer for damages, it is the government that pays not the bastard police and he continues with duties as usual.
Comment by Lefefooane on 16 August 2012:
Utloang makwerekwere ana a Lesotho times. Haele hantle Lesotho moo ke ha Tali. Le bona we will soon export and package them back to Zimbabwe. We will package bundle and export all illegal immigrants to their homes in this 100 days. They better shut up. He kea bona naha ena e ne e se e telleha ho iketsetsoa borata eka ke ha Tali. Utloang makwerekwere a re setela listandadrds tsa so-called rule of law and professionalism. I urge uncle Tom to package and bundle this Zimbaos at Lesotho times to Harare as soon as possible. They must start questioning us from Harare and not from here. Bahave or else!!!!
Comment by mooa khootla on 16 August 2012:
Lesotho mona ke ha ‘mannyafeng. Basotho khaale ba bolaoa ke sepolesa le sesole sa Manasi, feela ha ho thoe letho. Ebe ha lekoere-koere le patetseng tjotjo to obtain the Lesotho passport le ts’oaroa ebe basebeletsi ba liabolosi ba re le lokolloe.Sis, ‘muso oa Manasi
Comment by Motsollope on 16 August 2012:
Hoja e ne e le moba ho ka be ho thoe Mccd le puso ea hae. Kajeno ke ntae Tom le ba mobokanetseng. Ke bona batho ba neng ba pepesa ka moo ‘muso o fetileng o neng o bolile ka teng.
Kajeno ho joang? Kae kae ha ntse ke bala ke kopane le mantsoe a ntae Tom a re u hloile Crime ka pelo eohle ea hae. Banna ebe u ne a bolela ea monna eo oa Moithopia/Mosotho feela kapa u ne a bolela le ee ea Mhlakasi??
Ntate Tom le ba u potileng, ha re bone hee na u ne u bolelang ntate. Tlolo ea molao ke tlolo ea molao ho sa natsehe hore e etsoa ke mang!
Comment by Motho on 16 August 2012:
‘This is what happened to Eyob Belay Asemie, a Mosotho of Ethiopian origin, last week.’ You are misleading us, Eyob is NOT a Mosotho, he has not yet been sworn in as a citizen. So you are lying.
That said, a man who threatens to kill other people has no place in this country. You are just creating unnecessary controversy.
Comment by Manane on 16 August 2012:
Criminals will always resist law enforcement. However, we call on our government to use all legal means to rid this country of Lineo Molise introduced foreign criminals.
I think the judge over-reacted coz Mashai appeared before tortured but was never given protection to this level. It really smells a rat. Kapa ho ne ho itsabeloa tau ea tsoelike ke bahlomphehi.
Whatever process, eyob has nothing good for this country. The guy is just a hardcore criminal with contacts in right places.
Comment by Phoka on 16 August 2012:
Ke kamoo esaleng ho le ka teng ka nako e telele lesotho mona. Hoba Lesotho le fumane boipuso, re bone ha puso ea molao e nyebella, sepolesa se fetoha mohlape-moipusi ha makhotla a molao a fetoha lisebelisoa tsa babusi. Sepolesa le makhotla ha a sa tseba hore puso ea molao ke’ng ‘me ho tla nka nako e telele ho khutlisetsa mohoma temeng.
Ho ea tsépisa ho utloa Tona-kholo a supa tsela e lebisang tokisong ea litaba tse neng li se li tsoile taolong. Re kopa a se ahloloe ka tsa puso e fetileng, hose nkoe a loantsá letona la hae, empa a sebelisa kelello e pholileng leha ele ka morá nako e telele hakaalo.
Comment by 'Malerato on 16 August 2012:
Hantle motho eo o entse eng? ke kopa tlhaloso
Comment by Oa Lihlaba on 17 August 2012:
Arsene a ferekanya sechaba, bo-bokolla li hlabane, bo-phehla marole ba hlahella ho feteletsa litaba. Motho ka mong o sheba litaba ka moo a ratang, o utloa seo a ratang ho se utloa. Ke na le ts’epo ea hore litaba tsena li tla sebetsoa ho ipapisitsoe le molao.
Comment by mju on 17 August 2012:
He monna ba re hopotsa mehla ea ntat’a Ntahli hantle, when the country was a “POLICE STATE”. Who is going to protect us from the people who are supposed to be our protectors?
Comment by Taole on 21 August 2012:
@Lefefooane, the Zimbabweans at Lesotho times are pushing their agenda because source close to the newspaper say they are also illegal immigrants hence it is only proper for them to sort of “quell” the treatment of this Ethiopian. They are aware that if the current Leostho government succeeds to clear our streets off illegal immigrants then even those at Lesotho times will be gone. No wonder they are running the whole newspaper on just one article. I applaud the Letsema government for this. In fact we really do not have a business keeping these druck loads of foreigners whom we do not even know what they are doing here. Every six months we should make it a routine to check the status of each foreigner including those who sell brooms.
Comment by Mojakisane on 21 August 2012:
@Lefefooane and Taole,
Those makwerekweres happen to own the Lesotho Times which employs Basotho. Your myopic views show that you are two shallow people.Lefefooane, your hatred for foreigners will suffocate you.You used to be very analytical and incisive until recently. Now all you do is sing praise for the new government and insult people.
Your comments no longer have substance. You come across as someone singing for his super.keep barking and you might just get yourself one of those underpaying government jobs. Bark Lefefooane bark. As for you Taole, please just shutup. Whereas Lefefooane started off as smart before getting silly you Taole are just silly from the start.There is no hope for you.
Comment by Lefefooane on 22 August 2012:
@Mojakisane, Mojakisane oe. Mojakisane, does this mean that because an illegal immigrant employs our nationals then he is not illegal? Then we will be a failed stae. If a criminal provides jobs to people then should we not bring him to book simply because he “employs” our brothers and sisters. No ways. It does not happen like that all over the world.
@Mojakisane, I would rather get a low underpaying government job rather than condone illegal immigrants. Lesotho is already too small a country to allow for the influx of illegal immigrants. We have no space for illegal Nigerians, illegal Zimbabweans, illegal Chinese, illegal Pakistanese, illegal South Africans etc etc etc. Rather we have space all legal foreigners. Is it a big problem for people to be legal? Hao? To me all people should be legal hence even those legal immigrants I am ok with them. Those who are illegal I am sorry they must leave. Hase ha tali mona.
Comment by Mojakisane on 22 August 2012:
@ Lefefooane, You sound smart but you allow emotions to cloud your judgment.
You are so quick to pass judgment on things you know little about. You have concluded that the Zimbabweans working at Lestimes are illegal even though you have no evidence.
I happen to know that you hate those Zimbabweans at Lesotho Times. It shows in your posts.
When you write your posts you must listen to yourself because you expose your bigotry. A supposedly smart person like you must rise above such prejudices.
Like I said earlier, you have degenerated since May 26. You are too emotional and your are going towards being petty.
That is so unlike you. You used to sound sophisticated and impressive.
Now all you do is attack, shout, scream and cry in your posts. You now rush to conclusions, make sweeping statements and badmouth everything without analysis.
Like now you are firing shots at Lesotho Times Zimbabweans without evidence.
You have been at it for quite some time and its beginning to sound like you have a vendetta against the very people that give you the platform to speak your mind on their website every week.
You can do better than that. Bring back the real Lefefooane.
Comment by http://wietuichwas.de/ on 6 April 2013:
If some one desires expert view about blogging after that i suggest him/her to pay a visit
this blog, Keep up the nice job.
Comment by green smoke Review on 10 April 2013:
Amazing! This blog looks just like my old one!
It’s on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Great choice of colors!
Comment by No BS Blog on 23 May 2013:
I’m curious to find out what blog system you’re utilizing?
I’m having some small security problems with my latest blog and I would like to find something more secure. Do you have any suggestions?