Man dies during police interrogation
BUTHA-BUTHE — A 28-year-old Butha-Buthe man died while another sustained serious injuries after they were brutally tortured by the police on December 28 last year.
The men were arrested for allegedly robbing a woman who had asked for their help to carry her luggage at a local bus station.
But while on their way to the woman’s house they were ambushed by a gunman who seized the woman’s belongings and cash.
The Lesotho Times yesterday spoke to the survivor, 40, who requested that his name be withheld, over his ordeal.
The man said instead of the police investigating the matter and interviewing them, took them to a nearby gorge and battered them with an iron rod and a stick.
They hit them on their buttocks while others kicked their chests.
He said the deceased, pleaded with the police not to kick him on the chest because he was sick.
But they ignored his pleas.
“The deceased asked them not to kick him on the chest as he was on medication but they said he was not using the medication for their own benefit,” he said.
“They were asking me to give them the name of the person who robbed the woman while at the same time asking the deceased to give them the firearms.”
He said the police ordered them to stand up as they were lying down during the torture and when they were unable to stand up they kicked them again.
Finally, the deceased said he was thirsty and the police took a woollen hat, soaked it in a pond of dirty water and twisted it on his forehead so that he could drink dirty water running down his face.
The police carried them to the van and sped off but on their way to back to the police station the deceased lost consciousness.
He said the police left him at the police station while they took the other man to hospital where he was declared dead.
“The police came back to take me to hospital. When I arrived there a nurse told me that the man I was with had died,” he said.
“During the torture we were screaming asking them to show us mercy. I did not know the person who robbed the woman and the deceased seemed to know nothing about the guns they wanted.”
When the Lesotho Times arrived at the victim’s home on yesterday, he looked sickly and in pain.
He walked with difficulty.
When he talked, he completed his sentences with difficulty — repeatedly saying he was tired.
He stripped naked to show us the scars on his buttocks and the colour of his skin on and around the buttocks had blackened.
The victim denies that he robbed the woman, a local who stays in South Africa.
He said the woman was waiting at a local bus station when he passed and she asked if he had not seen her children who were supposed to meet her.
Her cell phone did not have network, she told him.
The victim said he decided to help her carry the luggage and they walked to the village together, him leading the way and the woman following closely behind.
While they were on the way he heard the woman screaming and turned only to see that she had fallen down.
Besides her was a man pointing a gun.
“This man ordered me to stay where I was or he would shoot me. However, I moved towards him and he fired in the air. The man had already taken the handbags from the woman. When he was a few meters away from us we then screamed for help but he disappeared into the fields and we could not see where he went.”
He said they did not report the matter to the police immediately because the woman’s leg had been injured when she fell during the attack and she walked with difficulty.
On the following day, on December 24, the man who had assisted them with the van the previous night came to his home accompanied by the police saying they had come to fetch him.
That was when he was arrested.
The deceased’s mother said she last saw her son when he was handcuffed and put on the van at the police station.
She did not know that her son was going to be tortured to death.
“They were hand-cuffed and I went there to ask but the CID officer said they would get back to me later,” she said.
“When the officer did not come back with my son I decided to go to the police station to ask.
“I was hoping they were going to release my son,” she said.
“I was later told that my son died during an interrogation as he had been complaining that he was exhausted and he was declared dead in hospital.”
Police spokesperson Masupha Masupha confirmed that a man died during police interrogation while another one was admitted in hospital.
“The police charter says police will arrest crime suspects and take them to court not that police will torture and kill them,” Masupha said.
“We have a team of inspectors from other police stations to investigate this case.”
Comment by baba on 4 January 2013:
Nxa mapolesa letla lula lele litja tsesa atleheng le hana ho ruteha mekoto ting
Comment by Robert Mugabe on 4 January 2013:
Ha tlameha ho tsipa le-China lena la Jackpot le bolisitseng civil service le bo-ralipolotiki ‘musong o fetileng, ebile a le busy a ntse bolisa BNP ‘musong ona ba ipolaelela batho ba se nang molato.
Comment by leps on 4 January 2013:
robala ka khotso stebo
Comment by Cheetah on 4 January 2013:
Na Mapolesa le sitiloe ho bolaea scott kanete le emeletse bashanyana ba nkukele,ke mokhona le se nang mahalona ma paliso ting.
Comment by Marathon on 4 January 2013:
Lepolesa Mothuse Motsoalle!!
An injury to one is an injury to all. Inspector Senior Masupha Masupha, I am watching how serious your organisation takes the transformation of the police because the relationship bewteen police and communities is declining in an alarming rate and hence a need for your organisation to review its slogan “Lepolesa mothusi motsoalle”.Police have no right to kill suspects and this seems to be widespreading like wild fire.
If it can happen to my brother what can prevent it to happen to me. Ntate it is indeed high time that you root out criminals within the police or just be prepared to suffer the consequences.
Comment by thakamphasa on 4 January 2013:
lepetjo la sepolesa la “LEPOLESA MOTHUSI MOTSOALLE ” le fetohile “LEPOLESA SERA MOLAI OA SECHABA”
fela hantle ke bona eka ntate masupha oa re patela hore ho thoe mapolesa a re bolae hoba a hlotse a bolaea batho ebe o ntse a cho the same words but ha ho be le phetoho boitsoarong le tsebetsong ea mapolesa.
Comment by S'bongile on 4 January 2013:
Che ke’a hloile maponesa. Ke’a hloile: ke lisatane.
Comment by Marathon on 4 January 2013:
@ S’bongile
U mphoqile hee ngoaná motho ka ho sebelisa mantsoe a thata commenteng ea hau. I expect that from other people and not you…
Also just remember, it is not all police that are evil…
Comment by Marathon on 4 January 2013:
Who should police the Police?
Comment by Kamanga Malawi on 4 January 2013:
‘Na kaha ke ile ka bona ha lepolesa le bolaea moreso ka li 25th tsa selemo se seng, ha sekatana sa lepolesa se kena ‘na ke ea tsoa!
Jwale ha a qeta ho etsa joalo ea o tlosoa moo motebong oa sepolesa, a isoa maseru, ka mobona ka mobotsa hore uena o hantle oa phela e mong ena o shoele.
Mapolesa a tla lee qeta, ba bitter habohloko
Comment by Ntja'mme on 4 January 2013:
Totalitarianism put into practice in Lesotho
Comment by Kontae on 4 January 2013:
Ke eona he puso ea manasi e joalo, chehe Metsing oa tla re bolaisa ka manasi ka ho rekisa puso ea macongress.
Comment by Senatla on 4 January 2013:
Poor people will always be victims of the political systems. Laws are made for the poor. They can never arrest a rich man and do that to him. Unless we change our mentality as a society in general, the police and everyone well off will always torment and take away from the defendless poor people.
May God get into the hearts and minds of all police men and women..
Comment by SEBATA on 4 January 2013:
ke tseba bana ba borona ba bangata ba bolailoeng ke mapolesa.E hlile leano la bona ke honyametsa maphelo a batho.Ha le eso bone hantle,tholang le lebelle ngoale ha e khiba,empa MOLIMO HA SE MOSHANYANA.
Comment by MATHABI on 4 January 2013:
khale ho patlalalitsoe qomatsi ke manasi ana banna hore lepolesa le shapele ho bolaea feela joale ke bona ba ntse ba re bolaisa tlala ka mokhoa o tsoanang le mcd, e kae 2020 ka lifemeng?
Comment by madise on 4 January 2013:
Hana toyi-toyi haeyo ka Lesotho, na motho aka bolawa jwalo feela ebe ele hore haho moikutlwa pelo a thuse le lapa lee ka leqwetha ho lwanela toka le morokotso wa lesapo la bo rona! uuweee banna!!
Comment by S'bongile on 4 January 2013:
@Marathon;
I am sorry for talking like this – it’s talking out of desperation!
I just hope one day this country will make it mandatory to educate and train our local police on how to handle “suspects” in a non-lethal way. The abuse and killing of many people due to lack of education and training of our police makes me sick; especially if it is going unpunished and ignored by the legal system -( if there is any). Basotho (Leponesa ke motsoalle, ke mothusi) once honored and respected police to serve and protect them but the abuse of power, brutal mishandling and murders of some suspects is going unheard. kapa ke hoba bona ba tsoere lithunya bathong. ache
Comment by Lefefooane on 4 January 2013:
The problem with LMPS is the recruitment and training. On recruitment the LMPS only or atleast largely attracts people who never passed well at COSC. No one with a first or second class pass joins LMPS. So it shows LMPS attracts low brained guys. Next the training manual at PTC was developed by the British in 1968 and has never changed. Back then, criminals were very physical hence the need for “physically fit” police force. Unfoertunately criminals are now sophisticated hence lesser need for “physically fit” police force. Just walk past PTC you will see police recruits running the whole day. Yes they run the whole day. My goodness.
Finally another problem with LMPS is that the arresting officer then becomes a detective. This is primitive. The modern policing is that each police staion has a group of detectives who investigate crimes after suspects are arrested. Here at home a person who arrests you is the one who will question and take statements and funny he will be the one you meet in court after maybe 3 years.
Comment by ntja on 4 January 2013:
Polao e sehloho, bt Molimo O teng,
Comment by ntja on 4 January 2013:
Motho a ka batho ba khakhathoa na fasuoe? Ke boi kapa keng hoii?
Comment by madise on 5 January 2013:
@Lefefooane
i find your comment mean and lack of reality!!! Do you really have to attach inhuman-brutality-attacks to people who are less educated? That’s naive and shallow minded of you. Wake up
Comment by madise on 5 January 2013:
@S’bongile
No need to apologise for SAYING IT OUT LOUD! Don’t mind people like Marathon, this is a round table.
Comment by mlany on 5 January 2013:
Ea bolaeang ka sethunya, le eena utla shoa ka sona…..lona mapolesa, letla lula le le likatana ho fihlela lea ho o batang. Hale itsoafe sefapano…..leja litjotjo, lea rea boloea, lea beta, lea utsoa, le ntho tsena kaofela, nna motho aka bona khaitseli ea molomae haka boloea oa haeso, lekang letle le bone,nxa.
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 5 January 2013:
As far as I know they are all the same, you can never trust a policeman, it does not matter which country you are in. I do not think it is lack of education, I think it is the system, they are a law unto themselves. On the other hand what about the victim? why do you think we have so much crime in the country?
Comment by S'bongile on 5 January 2013:
hating the police is just too much of a strong feeling I don’t want to waste my time on that lest I become bitter. But police are murderous, rude and under-educated psychopaths. I have read so many stories of people being mishandled – and heard so many who report being abused by these psychopaths.
Comment by Mapalesa on 5 January 2013:
Basotho ha bana nnete, ke bona le lekhopo hoo. Hana le thabela ha ho shoele mapolesa? Bana ba lona ba ea utsoa empa le sitoa ho lumela. Good people, its high time that we do open our eyes and face reality. It is hurting really but let us first begin by showing true love to our children, take our time and discuss the ongoing moment. I am not trying to be bias but open your eyes and listen carefully to all what people say.
Comment by madise on 5 January 2013:
Hana mmuso ke mang, na hase rona setjhaba?
Comment by spantu on 6 January 2013:
I want 2 agre wth most of u dat our police service has prblms bt most most u if nt ol seem 2 b attacking our police officers nt helping,wat u r saying wl take us nowher,lets us help lmps get out of dis mess; 1.make true study n analysis of lmps recruitment n training strategies,it is nt true dat lmps attracts pple wth less brains,2nd jst visit most institutions of higher learning in dis country n ada coutries,u wl b suprised by de # of officers studying dere,3.jst vist lmps hr departmnt n ask hw many degree holders r dere in lmps?4.it is nt true hore mapolesa ke likatana hofeta bomang?le lebetse hore ba phele bophelo bofapang le ba bahlanka ba bang joang basakhole letho?ke bobolu makaleng o hle a muso n we ol knw de risons.Tlohellang ho khannoa ke maikutlo empa buang taba tsa sepolesa ka nete le tieo ba botha bona boteng re ea bona empa bo hokae?
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 6 January 2013:
Surely they must have been taught not to torture the suspects! It does not matter whether they have done std7 form C or a degree? It is the same. I hear most people going on and on about police not being educated, I wonder if you think they would be doing this silly job if they had decree qualifications? They have to deal with this thugs on daily basis and end up behaving like thugs themselves. Do not get me wrong I do not trust them and will never do because of what has happened in the past. I still think to get a balance in a country like Lesotho will always be difficult. We have moved on from the days of Lesohlu le lefa ka hloho, we do not behave like that anymore until they have robbed you.
Comment by Marathon on 7 January 2013:
Thanks S’bongile!
Wake up and do it for yourself campaign!
Having discussed the brutality of police towards ordinary people; I think the next move is to brainstorm on the strategies we can deploy to help the police to be what we want it to be…Let us do it for ourselves. Roma was never built in one day.
I go with those who advocate for a better training for our police. The reality is, there are many criminals within the police force and which need to be rooted out first.
Comment by mamoqato on 7 January 2013:
O se a khathalletse lipotsong
Comment by lindie on 7 January 2013:
Mapolesa a entse ketso ena e malimabe,
Ke le lakaletse kahlolo e sehloho, khotso le ke ke la e fumana, bomalimabe bona boo le boetseng bo khutlele ho lona. What kind of education do you get before you became police? Lefatse le le fetohele, le be baputsoa!
Comment by Gaddafi on 7 January 2013:
Hee re tennoe ke masholu ana a banna le bashanyana Lesotho mona. Mapolesa a ntse a ba nepa ka ho ba shapa lisatane tsena tse tellang sechaba sa Lesotho. Teng ha lesholu le supa motho ka sethunya ho nepahetse haele moo basali ba tsoetseng masholu le babolai ba re hloliea ka hore nyoefe nyoefe mapolesa a tortura bana ba bona ba litsotsi? Lesholu ke ntja le lefa ka hlooho ea lona.
Ke se ke itse mapolesa a ba shape ba utloe ka letlalo ho fihlela a shoa kaofela masholu ana Lesotho mona, re khathetse ke lintja tsena tse re utsoetsang malapeng a rona. Tsa tla tsa re tena lipopelo tse rohakehileng tse tlisitseng masholu a re hlorisang lefats’eng. A tla a re leka matheka a jereng chefo ka ho tsoalisa basali bana ba chefo hakana ba masholu. Lesholu ke ntja ke khakhathoe le utloe ka letlalo, le lefe ka hlooho ea lona e thata ke ho tella.
Comment by Gaddafi on 7 January 2013:
Barutehi ba Lesotho ke masholu a maholo hampe, ba bolile mesebetsing mona ba utsoa limillion tsa ‘muso le tsa private companies hoo moruo oa naha o oeleng putla ke bona, fela ba ntse ba ithetsa bare bona ba lihlooho li kholo ba pasitse COSC ka 1st class ba ba ba etsa degree, empa ke libolu tse nkhang phuuu joaloka bo Lefefooane tjena.
Mapolesa ona hle re se re itse ba a shape masholu ana a re tenneng a re hlorisang Lesotho mona. Bo ‘m’a masholu aa ba ne ba tsoalla lintja tsee tsa bona ho tlare hlorisa ba re bolaela matla a rona lefats’eng moo? Haba its’ebeletse keng masholu aa a lintja? Haba otloe lintja tsena ba shoe ba tsebe ho fokotseha.
Masholu aa a LEFEFOOANE oona a pasitse COSC ee ea Lefefooane ka 1st class? Masholu aa a Lefefooane a hlooho li kholo a na le degree tse kae? Lefefooane enoa e tlameha ele professor ea masholu, ke ka hona a sa batleng letho ka masholu, ke ka hona a lulang a re hloliea ka masholu ana hore a otlooe ka phoso nyoefe nyoefe mapolesa ha a ruteha, ke hobane ke lesholu ka boeena Lefeffooane enoa.
Comment by Goduka on 7 January 2013:
They always remind me of Abu Graib, thats all i can say about the police in this country.its too bad because some citizens still want more of them. Do we even know the results of a POLICE STATE.lets all remember again that Police only follow thier sub-culture not the Law.
Comment by Sekho on 8 January 2013:
@ spantu, u utloahala hantle in you comments hore e hlile u sona spantu sa tharasi!
Comment by Bobete on 8 January 2013:
Mahlatsipa ao a mapolesa a tsoileng tseleng ha itlalehe Police Complaints Authority ba behe seboko sa bona ba nto hlakoloa mahlo ka mats’eliso a hlamatsehang. Mapalesa a ruisitse batho kantle ka mona ke tlhekefetso tse nang kelello tsena.
Mapolesa ana ha ‘muso o patetse mahlatsipa ka baka la ketso tsa bona, ha ba lefisoe chelete eo e le hore motho a se etse phoso e ts’oanang.
Comment by S'bongile on 8 January 2013:
@spantu
With this language blunders you are making here, it looks like you haven’t been at a higher learning institution yourself. These Rambos you seem so bent on protecting are really poorly trained and you know it. If they were so highly trained, they’d know ways on HOW to resolve conflict without being physically aggressive!
Comment by Lekhoakhoa on 8 January 2013:
Lesotho police apparently they even get involved in matters between husband and wife and torture husbands! They are law onto themselves.
Comment by Gaddafi on 9 January 2013:
@Bobete, joale rona bao re leng mahlatsipa a masholu aa a khakhathiloeng ke mapolesa re itlalehe kae uena u ipitsang Bobete moo le rona re tla fumants’oa mats’eliso a hlamatsehang haele moo re utloisistoe bohloko hakale ke masholu aa ao lea qenehelang?
Commenta mona u bolele hore na mahlatsipa a masholu ana ao lea qenehelang hakana hore na hana bona mats’eliso ba tla a fumana kae, haeba le utloa le lla le masholu haholo hore a utloisistoe bohloko? Hana basotho ba senyelitsoeng ke masholu aa a khakhathiloeng ke mapolesa, bona ba utloile monate ebile ba laehile hoea ka lona bo bobete? Mapolesa re se itse re itse ba shape masholu ana hore ea qhangoang a qhangoe.
Comment by Gaddafi on 9 January 2013:
@Bobete
“Mapolesa ana ha ‘muso o patetse mahlatsipa ka baka la ketso tsa bona, ha ba lefisoe chelete eo e le hore motho a se etse phoso e ts’oanang.”
Ke u lakaletsa hore masholu a u senyetse kapa ba bolaee mosali’ao kapa monna’ao ka pela mahlo a hau, u tle u tsebe ho bua ‘nete. U utloahala u le leoatla la moikhohomosi.
Comment by irvan ken on 9 January 2013:
t
the lesotho police are disgusting they think they ar above the law
Comment by Gaddafi on 9 January 2013:
Basotho criminals are disgusting as they think they are above the law. irvan ken, also talk about the criminals, or are you a criminal? Judge the criminals before you can even start judging the Police. As long as the criminals think of taking control of criminal activities in our country, we will continue encouraging Police to brutally assault such dangerous criminals in this country.
We have the right to live peacefully in this country, but fortunately criminals do not have any rights to murder or commit any criminal activities to innocent citizens in this country. Criminals will face a very harsh nor brutal treatment of our force in this country. It is well known that a criminal should pay a price that will cost his life. We hate criminals, they are disgusting. Stupid Basotho can hurl all the insults to our Police the way they like, but we encourage the Police to assault brutal criminals in our country as we are tired of these bastards in this country.
Banna le Basali bana ba bolelisang kamoo ba tsoetseng bana kateng, ba tlameha ho hlalosa hore na ba tsoaletse liruoa tsena tsa bona ho tla utsoetsa sechaba, le ho tla bolaea sechaba ka sehloho na Lesotho mona. Banna le Basali ba tsoetseng bana ba likoeta, haba phuthe likoeta tsena tsa bona hobane mamello ea rona e felile, ehlile re tla qetella re thusa sepolesa hoba shapa re ba shapela lefu. Re keke ra mamella ho tla phelisoa habohloko ke likatana tsa bashanyana le banna ba sa holisoang hantle malapeng a bobona. Phuthang lintja tsa lona tseleng basali ba tsoetseng hobane re tla li ratha hlooana tse tellang tsena.
Comment by MJ on 9 January 2013:
It is sad but true that they need proper training. This has been going on for far too long. Bohloko ba rona ke hore we are all talkand never act on our submissions.
Ke nnete hore mapolesa a rona a re tlontlolla, ha ba re sireletse, ba re o tla, ba re harasa, ba beta basali(case ea Thabeng this past year). Ba fihlile moo ba bolahile matsoalo a bona hoo ba seng ba re bolaea. They get away with it too.
Instead of being political about it and blaming 2012 elections, motho asa etseng mosebetsi oa hae a bitsoe ka lebitso.
NTATE MASUPHA MASUPHA etsa mosebetsi oa hao!
Hele! Ra lekeha naheng ea bo rona!
Comment by S'bongile on 9 January 2013:
@Gaddafi
i didn’t know you are this stupid.
monna eeo ea bolailoeng ke maponesa, uena u thotse hore ke sekebekoa se utsoitseng liphahlo tsa mosali eeo? lehaeba e ne e le lesholu hakere they were in the position to catch him and bring him behind bars without killing him? ke utloa u ntena. a while ago as a very little helpless girl, HELPLESS, one police man promised to blow me up for just being happy. when he saw sweat running down my innocent face, he felt powerful, kept on caressing his damned gun and grinning like an idiot. that’s how trained they are, your policemen. rona bohle re tennoe ke masholu le litlulu tsa molao, but these friends of yours must know how to deal with them without spilling any blood. kajeno maponesa ana a hau a bolaea motho, only to find out the crime has been committed by someone else.
Comment by MAMANKOE on 11 January 2013:
BASOTHO BA KHABANE, LET US REMEMBER THAT GOD CREATED MAN WITH AN INTENTION THAT HE BE HIS IMAGE. IF WE ARE IMAGES OF GOD, WHY SHOULD WE ALLLOW THE DEVIL TO RULE OUR LIVES AND BEHAVE LIKE THIS? KE SA TIISA HORE HA RE KA IKOKOBETSA RE LE SECHABA SA BASOTHO, RA KHUTLA LITSELENG TSA RONA TSE KHOPO, RA BATLA SEFAHLEHO SA MOLIMO, O TLA RE UTLOA A LE LEHOLIMONG LA HAE HA RE HOELETSA `ME O TLA RE ARABA. RE HLOKA THUSO EA MOLIMO HORE LIPELO TSA “SOME OF THESE POLICE AND ALL THIEVES” LI BE LE BO-MOLIMO KAHARE. KE LUMELA HORE MOTHO BO-MONG BA HAE O EE A TLELOE KE MOEA OA MOSA LE MOHAU KAMOR`A HO ETSA BOKHOPO E BE O HLOKA KHOTSO. KA POLELO FEELA EA HORE “OHO MOLIMO KE KOPA TS`OARELO HA KE UTSOITSE/BOLAILE/BETILE, JJ, MOLIMO O TALIMA PELO A KA HAUHA A LOKOLLA MOTHO MESEBETSING EO E KHOPO. MOLIMO A BOLOKE LESOTHO LE BASOTHO A BA LOANELE HO SERA LIABOLOSI.