Kabelo Masoabi
ACTING High Court Judge, Tšooana Lesaoana, has sentenced Moeketsi Rakoto to six years in a correctional facility for the 2019 killing of fellow villager Hlapo Mofeli, ruling that the accused’s youth, remorse, and the circumstances surrounding the fatal altercation warranted a rehabilitative rather than purely punitive sentence.
Delivering judgment in the High Court in Leribe on Thursday, Justice Lesaoana said the court had carefully weighed several mitigating factors before imposing sentence.
Central to the ruling was the finding that Rakoto, who was 18 years old at the time, had not intended to kill Mofeli during the confrontation that turned deadly. The court also heard that he had consumed alcohol on the night of the incident.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that the two men were part of a group of initiates returning from delivering food at an initiation ceremony in Ha ’Mankhololi on 20 December 2019.
What began as a festive procession through the fields of Ha Lenyakoane later descended into violence following a dispute over tobacco.
According to testimony before the court, tensions first flared during an argument between Rakoto and the deceased over a pipe of tobacco, though the situation was briefly defused by another initiate, Tšoloane Lehlabaphiri.
The conflict later reignited in the darkness after Hlapo allegedly struck Rakoto with a stick, prompting the accused to retaliate in anger. During the confrontation, Hlapo sustained two stab wounds—one behind the ear and another beneath the armpit.
Crown witness, Teboho Mofeli, the deceased’s uncle, described the moment the celebrations turned tragic. He told the court the group had been singing and chanting as they made their way home before he was called to the rear of the procession, where he found his nephew lying seriously injured.
“I asked the accused what had happened. He admitted to stabbing my nephew with a knife but gave no explanation,” he testified.
The court also heard that after the stabbing, the deceased was placed on a cattle cart and taken home, while Rakoto remained with the group throughout the journey.
The matter was later reported to the village chief before police arrived to collect the body and arrest the accused the following day. Officers also confiscated the knife allegedly used in the attack.
The trial was marked by emotional moments from the deceased’s family. During cross-examination, Advocate Mahlehle, representing Rakoto, challenged inconsistencies between Teboho’s testimony and his earlier police statement, arguing that the discrepancies affected the reliability of his evidence.
At one point, Mahlehle asked whether the witness’s grief may have influenced his desire for someone to be held responsible. The question visibly overwhelmed Teboho, who struggled to respond as tears filled his eyes, prompting a brief adjournment of court proceedings.
The deceased’s grandmother, ’Mamolaoa Mofeli, also gave emotional testimony, telling the court she remained deeply pained by the loss of her grandson and troubled that he was gone while the accused remained alive.
In sentencing, Justice Lesaoana said Rakoto’s conduct after the incident carried significant weight in his favour. Rather than fleeing, he stayed with mourners and cooperated with authorities—behaviour the court interpreted as an indication of remorse and acceptance of responsibility.
“These actions demonstrated humility and accountability,” the judge said, adding that the sentence was intended to promote rehabilitation while still reflecting the seriousness of the offence.