Rogue soldiers go berserk

MASERU — In an incident that has triggered fears of a violent crackdown, rogue soldiers beat six men with gun butts before making them roll on the ground on Saturday at Sea Point.

The Lesotho Defence Forces (LDF) this week sought to distance itself from the 12 rogue soldiers whose alleged leader has since been arrested by the military police.

By yesterday the soldier was still in detention, awaiting a court martial.

He is likely to be charged for ill-discipline and bringing the LDF into disrepute.

The incident happened just over a week after the army threatened to “hit very hard” people who instigate violence in the run-up to the May 26 election.

The army’s strongly worded statement which was roundly criticised by observers and political party leaders came after opposition members allegedly attacked Democratic Congress supporters who were at a rally in the Thetsane Industrial Area on April 19.

At least 10 people were injured during the attack.

On Saturday morning two friends who refused to be named for security reasons said they were walking home when they came across 12 soldiers who were patrolling the Sea Point area.

One of them said the soldiers were already beating four other men and making them roll on the ground. The two friends were just about to pass the soldiers when one of the soldiers called them.

The soldiers said they were “searching for dagga and guns”.

“They then pointed at the four who were already rolling on the ground and told us to do the same,” said the 24-year-old man.

He said when he tried to explain that they were not hostile to being searched they were shoved to the ground while being kicked.

When they tried to protest, he said, they were hit with gun butts.

Then they started rolling on the ground.

“If you were not rolling at their pace they would kick you in the ribs and tell you that after that kick you would roll faster.”

Another man said they rolled for about 30 metres at a time.

After each time they would be kicked and beaten as they rushed to start another “lap”.

“I was feeling dizzy and at one point I just stopped. I said they would rather shoot me because I was not going to stand up again,” he said.

He said after what “seemed like forever” the soldiers drove off but not before kicking them again as they lay helplessly on the ground.

The man said although he had obtained a medical form he was yet to report the matter to the police.

He however said his ankles were still sore.

The other one said he still has pain in the rib area and the back.

“I don’t even want you to mention my name, the thought of those men (soldiers) drives me crazy,” said one of the men.

An elderly Sea Point resident who witnessed the incident said he was shocked by the brutality.

Khiba Khiba said he could not believe that “soldiers could be so mean to innocent people”.

“I have given up all hope in the army and its cases such as these that give a chilling effect that will impact the election results negatively. People won’t go to the polls,” said Khiba.

He said he could not understand why the soldiers were searching for guns and drugs when it is the police’s responsibility to deal with crime.

“It is the police’s duty to find guns and dagga not theirs, they should rather go to the borders or to some war-torn countries not here in the villages,” Khiba said.

The LDF’s spokesperson, Captain Ntlele Ntoi, said the army was aware of the report and investigations were underway.

He said they heard the report on radio and immediately dispatched some soldiers to Sea Point.

“Unfortunately the officers who were being referred to had already left, but their victims were still there,” Ntoi said.

Ntoi said the victims were interviewed and reports were made.

He said the group was eventually confronted about the incident and their leader was arrested by the military police, Ntoi said.

“He is still in detention and is facing some charges though I don’t have details now because more investigations are still being made.”

Ntoi said the army’s quick reaction to the incident clearly shows that it was ready to protect the people.

“His (the leader) detention goes to show that we stand by our word to protect everyone and take those who indulge in riots to task. He is an example.”

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There Are 64 Responses So Far. »

  1. Operation kamoli, ba qalile.

  2. Chehe Lesotho

  3. Kamoli o qalile and Lesotho e tlo tsoana le bo Sudan ha feela a ntse a le teng.Ke eo qomatsi le litso`tlo ho Basotho.Ke hona re tla ea in exile ka bongata.

  4. Mofu Morena Leabua Jonathan o tsohile bafung o khakhatha batho, ke eona thuto eo re e rutiloeng ke Dr Professor mccd le bohle ba khemang le eena.
    Ho joang kajeno? kea ts`epa hore kahare ho the so called masole ke ba mashome a mabeli feela ba tsebang mofu Dr Leabua, taba ke hore na thuto ena ea hae ba e nkile ho kae. Kamoli hase eloa oa moletsima (meleshia man)?

  5. I rest my case

  6. Oh no. this is a disgrace to our democracy, not now when we are about to go to the elections, shame on those who performed this dirty acts.

  7. KHOBANG MATSOAFO SECHABA SA MOSHOESHOE, KE LAPENG KOANO LESOTHO, HA HONA MOSOTHO A TLA TSOA KA HARA NAHA ENA A BALEHA HABO KE LEQULOANA LA MASOLE. NAKO EA BONA EA TLA EA HORE RE TLO SHAPA QULOANA LEO LA MASOLE.BA FELLE TORONKONG

  8. In my view it may be inappropriate to politicise every incidence in this country, let alone to start pointing fingers at other people while we do not have all the facts of the case.

    Lesotho is a democratic state and as such no person in this country is above the law. Let the law takes its course in this case and personally I would like to congratulate the army for having started investigations in this matter. I hope the LDF statement is genuine and not just intended to dismiss the public in an attempt to restore the tinted image of the army…

    I would suggest for more training and education in all the state owned institutions so that people know exactly what are their responsibilities and who do they owe those responsibilities to. There is still much to be taught and learnt about human rights and democracy in this country…

  9. Operation ‘Kamoli’, Job well done-Nako ea bo-Kamoli e se le haufi-Toronko e butsoe, come 26th May!!!

  10. Ka utloa ke utloela eoo a tsoeroeng bohloko hoba Khale bo Shusha, Nkeli le eena Kamoli ba ntse ba etsa tsona liketso tsena basa tsoaroe….feela chee batla molokolla hoba one a ntse a rongoe ke bona…….

  11. Ke eeoo Qomatsi…watch this space!

  12. Lesotho le ya tena hleeeng!

    Selometsi Baholo one a thunngoe ke masole a neng a romiloe, yaba ho ts’oaroa ba thuntseng, bahlomphehi ba sala le bana ba bona!~ Chuuuuoooo!

  13. Bothata ba masole a lia ho ruteha kapa ba lebala kapele ha ba ke ba hopole hore ke bane bo mphato’a bona litsing tsa tlhabollo(chankaneng), ba bang ba shoetse teng. Che leha hole joalo ke bana ba nyenyane ba tla ithuta ha matla a bontobolo(recruits) a feela.

  14. Likatana tsena tsa masole ha li tsebe moo li ka bapallang teng, ha ba na mosebetsi ho ho holo ke joala le matekoane.

  15. ha ne le khakhatha ba DC mane ha Thetsane ka Thursday le ne le thotse . Se ka llang hee hobane le qalile ntoa . Ba le laea !!!

    Nyoefe Nyoefe Mccd empa le qalile ntoa pele ….Tlohelang ho pota

  16. @ E mosehla, ha ke utloe na mmusong oa mccd morena Leabua bitso la hae le kena kae. Le ntse le sa batle ho ananela hore mak’honkoroso le busitse, hofihlela lee ha ho sobe le liphethoho kahara naha, ho hoholo ke ho bitsolla ntata Ntahli empa ntse le shapa batho.kso!

  17. Ka nnete rese ntse re bone masepa,Kamoli ele eena Commander,le joale haeba batho bana ba Molimo haba huloa ka marete ba laki,Kamoli ke hona atlo faola ba bangata,ene retlo telloa ke masole joale bare shatela le Libareng mona harere rea koala

  18. @ E Mosehla, ke bona thuto ena ea Ntate Ntsu ea likhukhuni e kene ka sesoleng sa lesotho. Ba se lebale bano ba bookameling ba sesole hore kampo ea likhukhuni e mane QWAQWA eseng mona Lesotho. Bo ntata rona ba tsirelelitse naha ena e se e ea le likhukhuni joale ke mona ba tlisitse thuto empe ena ea bona kamona. Ho ja la khutlela bothong la tlohella ho tsoana le meralla e hanang ho butsoa.

  19. Masole tlo helang hoba lisebelisuoa tsa bo ralipolotiki hobane ha moraho ke lona batla ea teronkong ha benghali basetse baja ha monate le bana babona.
    maobane mona ka 1998 SADF e ile ea bolaea masole ka ha Katse ea ba muso oa LCD o ithoka ka hore ona haona likhapa tse bapalang tsa hollela masole a shoeleng empa bana ba batho ba bolailoe ba robetse.
    Hlokomelang hore re busoa ke batho basa tsepahaleng hohang.

  20. Ke tlilo le hula ka nama tse bonolo. Ho cho `na Kamoli

  21. No comment for now!!!

  22. @ Kamoli you are lying my son ha re tsosoe ke bashanyana ba hiriloeng ka lipolotiki, you are nothing but a piece of shit.

  23. hehehehe lea e bona mesebetsi ea masole a lutseng feela!naa banna re tla phomella if anything happns to election results????

  24. Meleko e etetse balumeli!

  25. Ke hore hona hona ka masepa straight. Bo Kamoli motho oa teng hoo holo ke ho khoroha ka li press release. Ba kae ba le ba neng bare Archbishop Emiritus Desmond Tutu oa pota ha are masole “must stay in the barracks”. Even before this DC thing loses the elections the poor soldiers have ba se ba phamotse lipolitiki tsa DC joalo ka backete ea masepa. He batho re tla lekeha eh. Lona bohle bao masole a na a size 2 a hirileng ma halona ke kopa le nyolle renete ka 100% immidiately as a response to this shameful act. ‘Na kea qala ke ba joetsitse ba no ba lulang malaeneng a ka Lithabaneng hore ka June kea nyolla ba batle moo ba lulang. Re tla teneha ke potoana eh!!! nxa!!! Khhhuuuuoooeee Masole le potoana, khhhhuuuooooeeee size 2, khhhhuuuuoooeee Kamoli!!!!

  26. This is a clear indication that we neeed to go all out in our numbers to vote Kamoli and Size 2 out of power on the 26th. Basotho, let’s go outvote this potoana thing and get Kamoli to answer for his deeds. After May 26 we must get every corrupt person account for their wealth starting from size two. They must all answer for thi meihem they have caused since they got to power. Ntja e ngoe le e ngoe e lokela ho arabela taba tsa eona after May 26.

  27. A tla re leka ngoana le prostanta banna. Ke hore ngoana eo o khonne ho kenna ka ha ra bosistere a romiloe ke satane hore a silafatse kereke. Nxa sis.

  28. hantle masole a batlang seterateng? Maponesa haso re spane se bahlotse! Kapa ho bo boletse hare tsebe? Nthuseng if ho joalo! Plis Pm dnt misuse r brothers un sisters kos of y arrogance!

  29. This is just like Osama bin Laden hitting on the Pentagon(US Military headquarters) on September 11 2001. Yes indeed Osama had managed to hit the Americans where it hurt them most. So in this case the catholics have been hurt most. No wonder it made headline news. Protestants are just too happy just like mouslems were happy on the wake of September 11 attacks. Finally Osama Bin Laden was killed by the Americans. So even this nun has been exposed for her adaltorous deeds. What an embarassment this is. Ehlile e sebetsa tjena Novena. O ne a ke ke a phela nako e telele a ntse a etsa bolotsana ka hare ho lelapa le catholike. Novena e ea photola. So lona ba ntseng ba nahana ho nanarela kereke e catholike ka litsila, hoja la ithuta me la khutla mekhoeng. Ha se khale ha le ne le tlontlolotse kereke ea mofumahali oa tlholo ka ho qhala sakramente e halalelang me ha ho ka ha feta beke tse peli le ile la hlahella. Ho macatholiki oohle ke re banabeso tselisehang, me le tihe tumelong etsoe ho ngoliloe ho thoe matsatsing bo felo ho tla etsahala meleko e kang ena.

  30. the platoon leader has been arrested and he is facing the court martial. what more was supposed to be done by the authorities???
    The US military is notorious for brutalizing the captured Iraqis. The SAPS is also notorious for using excessive force against unarmed civilians killing most of them in the process BUT that has never meant that RSA is in a state of emergency so why should Lesotho be an exception????

    What those army boys did is brutal and uncivilized & should be condemned but politicizing this isolated incident and amounting it to the state of emergency . . .

  31. Monna oa heso ha ke utloe na novena ena e sebelitse ho bana ba ferehileng kapa enoa a sa tsebeng ho re ‘Hlotse’.

  32. Bano ba ipitsang masole ba tlo nyela sandaf e tlo kena e bafe masepa.mme ha ba balehela metseng re bafeng masepa.for every civilian hurt by soldiers lets attack and kill soldiers families.

  33. Fela joale Kamoli nthoa e tsekisang Mohapi ke eng? Haeka o oa motebela tjee? Sesoleng moo ho sebetsoa sekoloanyane re tsebe? Kamor’a li 26 Kamoli etlebe ele oa mang? Le hle le mamele ntate Metsing le ntate Thabane hore Mohapi Ke eo a fereletsoa ka majoe for ho inyakalatsa ha Kamoli. This is not fair.Mohapi o tsekisoang haele hantle?

  34. since when did the soldiers patrol our villages? Stop interfering in civil matters. I will vote for some one who relocate ldf, makoanyane, ptc and prison from the community sites.

  35. @ lefefooane. Joale mona oa pota. Polotiki ena ea kokomatata e o mathetse hosele! Sistere lee la sehlola ke leprotestanta kajeno hobane a entse bofebe? O sella maprotestanta! Hantle bonational ke bona bo u ferekanyang boy! Le holisitsoe ka leshano la hore makonkerese a tlo beta/nyala masistere hobane ba hloile kereke e catholiki. Nnete e bohloko ke hore masistere a koenehetseng boitlami kaofela a nyetsoe ke ona maroma eseng maprotestanta! Haho joalo? Nka u fa list e telele ea mabitso. Hape ke bona eka u nahana masistere ana a mang haa ratane and o oa ikaketsa hobane a ea ratana hohle mona. Hoja oa amohela hore nature is posing a seriouse challenge ho boitlami kerekeng e catholiki. This is a fact eo le mopapa a e tsebang! Europe mane ke lillo feela tsa sexual harassment (maparo) e etsoang ke bo-fatere. This has nothing to do le maprotestanta! Nxa!

  36. A qalile masole, a tsamaea ka metseng ka mona ka lithunya, re shoshophane hoo, cnt diz pple leave naheng koa ache

  37. @Mofutsana, bea butle bo ngoan’a khotso.Lenazana lena la letoala le ferekane.Ha u bone a kopanya lintlha tje? Ho buua ka masole eena o bua ka bo-’manyena ba lahlileng.

  38. Hee o mong moleko ke ona, Pitikwe o r Mohapi o etsang? Bua Pitikwe hle monna o re Mohapi o tebetsoe, mofofisi ea ts’epahalletseng sesole nako e kaale?

  39. Platoon leader eno o ne a leka ho khahlisa liboss tsa hae joale o mathateng. Ha hothoe masole a sebetsa ka litaelo leader eo o ne a laetsoe ke mang? Taba ea hae e khoali, re kopa Ntoi/Ntlhoi a se re time pheletso ea taba ena rea e hloka. Masole tlohelang ho phapha letla fella toronkong re nakong ea democracy pls, le bana babo rona rea le rata.

  40. ke ea lehlapanyetsa ka mora li 26,may POTOANA ea DC etlotlala makoalata a banna ba Basotho etlabe ele ona masutsa ao rea tsepisitsoeng.

  41. @Mofutsana, Chehe thaka ntona I never meant to offend you. It was not my intention to do so. In any case I never go out to offend the weak and faint hearted souls like yours. That was just a misplaced submission. I have since copied and pasted the extract to the relevant thread. Haeba taba tsena tsa lia ea u hlab, you have every right to skip my submissions. You are not compelled to read my submissions, let alone to vaguely respond to them. La chaba!!!

  42. Mccdi a tla re leka ka ho bolisa naha, ke eena a nonosang batho lichelete le lipromotions hore batho ba qetelle ba entse lits’ila tsena, sis, I am sick to death ke mosole a eso, I hope u learn hystori ea selometsi Baholo and the likes of khalo la baroa

  43. @ Lethula thanx bru. Ehlile lenazana lena le hloka ho thijoa. Le nahana le hlooho e kholo. Re tsoanela ho tsoela ketso tse litsila ka mathe ka likereke tsohle tsa bokreste. Eena o batla ho politiciza this sin. Li 26 May li haufi o tla bona hore he is indeed a loser!

  44. Masole, a khutlele litengteng. li opportunists tsena tsa bo ra lipolotiki li tla re senyetsa bana ba ntseng ba lokile.

  45. Toka nako ea hao e tla fihla!!!!!!

  46. Ha kele hopotse, Kamoli ke eane oa ho stormer Police Station ea Pitso Ground, after the Courts had released some of the soldiers, Mashai, Motlomelo, Semoli and others. Who were detained under operation pitika in Maseru just before the 2007 elections. He is in the driving seat now, what can you expect.

    History is simply repeating itself.

  47. Shapa lesole ere bommateao ba fihla obo ilaka ikutloisa boy.

  48. Ekaba re tla tsabela kae banna!Re lahluoe ke motlotlehi,ra lahloa PM,joale re tetekoa ke masole!Ha Gaddaffi ho no le betere.

  49. Mohapi ba mo jele ba mo qetile, watch the space. Kea u hlapanyetsa u tla bona tse kholo ka ena.

  50. Lona le bua fela hobane hose ntho eo le e tsebang sesole ha se sa mccd ke sa lesotho ebile eena ke minister of defence hape ke pm jwale masole a etse eng.
    Uena lefefooane u ipuela shit hoba masole batho jwalo ka lona ho teng a batla khotso e seng manyofonyofo ana a lona ebile eke ba ka qala ka uena pele ebile u le pela bona.
    Ha maponesa a ja tjotjo le re le masole a e je hey ba totompa ntja e rote mali ka lithunya tsa bona na ke re ha ne ke le commander ne nka ka re maseru e ke lokisoe e bolile hoo e nkhang phuu!
    Toulang batho masole hle banna sandf e ke ke ea tla e se le tshaba le rona re tla le thusa ka majoe re ba thetele lipitla.
    Le ithute ho hlompha batho.

  51. You can’t promote anyone from the rank of Colonel to Lt General in a matter of two years and say the move wasn’t political? somebody who holds a political degree for that matter? what really should be questioned is the credibility of the commander and the Min of Defence but be warned Kamoli ha se mmantlwane ha bare le tlo hulwa ka marete ba tiisitse and truth is there is no ministry as corrupt as the Defence been there done that got burnt

  52. I said it last week on my comment here that the army is not trained for policing and in a matter of days I’m proven right. Brutality in Mosisili’s administration is not new: people of Ha Mpeli in the Leribe district were once visited and terrorised by Thaba Tseka police; with a teenage boy shot with a high caliber rifle, his leg shattered and resulted in amputation. The chief of the same place was killed by police from Ha Lejone; drowned and stoned in the Katse Dam below the village of Ha Lejone. Patrons in the Sekekete Hotel were massacred in a bar a few years ago by the Maputsoe and Hlotse police. What happened to our brothers in Sea Point is not new and I’m sure there are a lot of un reported incidences of police and army brutality. I for one my father was once a victim of police brutality by Hlotse police, arrested on his way home, beaten up and locked up and his watch stolen by the people who were supposed to protect him.

  53. Thier Minister is PRF. Mosisili, dont forget that, and he has no shame to beg us to elect him again! It is not the first time that the soldiers of this country treat the innocent people like during the ruling of ntt Mosisili. There is no Law in this country ‘this man’ is above the law. I am on my knees praying for the downfall of any party related to you, i pray that yours may be worse than the one of ntt Leabuoa Jonathan! The solders kick my only brother! The only bread winner in my family! He is now injured for life, who will pay for my education, who will look after his family? I fail pain all over me. Please readers of this newpaper help me!

  54. masole ana ha ka tlohelle ho tiger batho mona ba hlotsoe ka 98 mona re shebile ele motseare ba sele hee ba rata ho lika meleko ena ha batlohe mona makoala ana. Ha ba lo lema masimo koana they have too much energy eo ba sa tsebe where to exhort it joale ba ikotlela batho feela re khathetse ke sesole sena sa papa\

  55. @Lieko our prayers are with you,we pray he feels the pain he has inflicted on people during his 15years of reign and in recent years the reign of terrorism he has inflicted.we are all on our knees praying Ntate Molimo o moshebile…….

  56. @keke.. wena obua manyala ka potwana eooo ya lona,here we r not politicising we talking abt our social welbeing as de society not political supporters nxa,to hell wit polotiki ya hao mona.. dis soldiers baiketselitse masepa wena yoya habola nxa.sies

  57. operation paqama ke oseche e qalile,hare phele habohloko lekhale naheng ea moshoeshoe

  58. Basotho ho hoholo ke ho bua ho ena le ho etsa ha hona naha e fumaneng tokoloho from its dictators ka dipuo it was all thru blood and tears le boi ha hona mohla banna ba nkang lithunya ba loanela tokoloho ea bona…..mohla re ka telang maphelo a rona ra bolaea ntja tsena ke hona re tla lokoloha ha ele ha joale ba tla re raea re be re thole feela…le etsa joale ka ha eka masole ke melimo ke batho ba nama le mali joalo ka rona..

  59. Hei la itlatlarietsa bana ba Basotho mohau o teng fla thuso ha e eo banna hobane masole hase maponesa ha le etsa nthoesele ba tla le totompa mpa tse putsoa tsena.
    Le tlohele bohlanya le ka mona ka haeso RSA ntse re etsoa joalo ke mathata fla kapa le lla hoba le le joang.
    Ke lakatsa ba le khitle hofeta mona.

  60. @ kekekkekke-ur laughter is quite ephimeral so i suggst u laugh while it lasts…come the 26th!!! hantle kapa hampe ho tla nyewa….watch de space!!!

  61. @ letsekha- sheba wena moipehi tuwe u lulang mek’huk’hung u sena le I.D,u tokin abt our bros here…nxa!!!!

  62. bonana dah! drs no country dt is immune from terrorism, so y u guys wanna mk lesotho an xcpxn yt d prevailing circumstances necesssitate 4 dt…??? ntja ntjeng motho mothong klaar! umk’hondo we siswe

  63. de prevailin political situaxn is far beyond the invokement of diplomacy watsoevr…so wat?? haho mathwe fatse mantja…sechaba ke poho remember??

  64. i dont get it. mohlomong masole arona having nothing important to do. it came to my attention that we call lesotho a democratic country. i dont think so. plus our system is so polluted, even our soldiers go around showing off their might with guns to fellow citizens and kasi people. if there is nothing to do, go to Somalia, Iran, Iraq, fuck, anywhere where theres shooting and rolling to do. currently you a disgrace. re tshereletsoe ke bomang? nxa.

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