. . . when soldiers left their Koalabata home riddled with bullet holes
Moorosi Tsiane
THE widow of slain army commander Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao has told the High Court how, a day before their home was attacked, her husband had received a tip-off that soldiers were preparing to assassinate him.
Mamphanya Mahao appeared as the 39th witness in the ongoing murder trial of former army commander Tlali Kamoli and eight others, accused in connection with the fatal shooting of Lt-Gen Mahao on 25 June 2015 at Ha Lekete, Mokema.
She began her testimony on Wednesday this week, detailing the terrifying events of the early hours of 30 August 2014, when armed soldiers stormed their Koalabata residence.
According to her Thursday and Friday testimony, Lt-Gen Mahao had told her that the planned attack stemmed from then-army commander Kamoli’s refusal to relinquish his position to make way for the newly appointed Mahao.
“On the night of 29 August 2014, Ntate Maaparankoe received a phone call warning that his life was in danger and that army vehicles and weapons were being prepared to attack him.
“After the call, I asked him what it could be about. He said he was scheduled to meet the government secretary the next morning at Qhobosheaneng (Government Complex) to receive his letter of appointment as army commander.
“He said the attack was because Kamoli had refused to step down and let him take over as commander, and now a plan was in motion to eliminate him,” she said.
Following the warning, Lt-Gen Mahao contacted then Police Commissioner Khothatso Tšooana, who arranged for police officers to patrol their home.
“Mr Tšooana sent over officers to guard our house that night. They stayed until around 4am when Ntate Maaparankoe told them they could leave as he believed the danger had passed,” Mamphanya said.
But shortly after the police left, gunshots rang out.
“Ntate Maaparankoe told me he could hear gunshots from a distance, and as he listened more closely, he realised they were nearby. He quickly ran outside to hide in the toilet.”
She recalled that prior to the shooting, her husband had started receiving threats, prompting her to urge him to prepare their three sons — then aged 15, 11, and five — for the possibility of an attack.
“He agreed and at one point sat the boys down and explained what was happening. He also told us what to do if the day ever came.
“So, that morning, when I heard the gunfire, I reached for his side of the bed and realised he wasn’t there. That’s when I knew the moment he had warned us about had arrived. I took our youngest son, who was sleeping with me, to our designated safe place. I then rushed to the next bedroom to wake the other two boys. I whispered to them not to make any noise and placed them beside their younger brother. I lay next to them.
“Our second-born started crying, asking where his father was. I told him to stay quiet and said I was praying for his safety.”
Mamphanya said she managed to record the gunshots using her phone and shared the audio in a WhatsApp prayer group, pleading for prayers.
“The shooting lasted about 10 to 15 minutes. When it stopped, Ntate Maaparankoe returned to the house.”
She said Lt-Gen Mahao told her he had hidden in the outside toilet and overheard a conversation between the late Lieutenant Colonel Tefo Hashatsi and Brigadier Bulane Sechele.
“He said they were debating what to do next. One suggested they continue firing at the house, while the other insisted they leave to attend to one of their members who had been injured during an earlier confrontation with police,” she said.
Mamphanya said her brother, who is also a soldier, arrived later and advised Lt-Gen Mahao to leave immediately, as it was clear the attackers were out to kill him.
“Ntate Maaparankoe prepared himself and left. Later, around midday, police officers arrived to inspect the scene. One of them explained their purpose, and during the inspection they noticed that the security lamps around the yard had been destroyed.”
She added that their dog had been shot, windows were shattered, and their vehicles — an Audi A4, a BMW, and a truck — were riddled with bullet holes. Even glass panels in the garage had been shattered, and the toilet where Lt-Gen Mahao had hidden had visible bullet holes.
On Wednesday she had told the court that her husband had told her that from as early as 1996, Kamoli had vowed to make his life in the army miserable.
He said Kamoli had told Lt-Gen Mahao, who possessed a law degree from the National University of Lesotho, that the army was not a place for educated people.
The trial is set to continue on 1 September 2025, with Mamphanya expected to resume her testimony.