’Mantoetse Maama
MASERU — Villagers in Koalabata on Friday watched in horror as police retrieved from a pit latrine some body parts of a 20-year-old man who was ritually murdered last week.
The body parts were said to belong to Kamohelo Mohata who went missing early last week.
Some of the body parts were recovered in a house that belongs to one of his neighbours.
A 54-year-old woman and her 25-year-old son have since been arrested in connection with Mohata’s murder.
Police spokesperson Masupha Masupha told the Sunday Express one of the suspects sent a text message to Mohata’s younger brother using the late 20-year-old’s phone.
“The victim’s brother was not aware of the death of his brother, thinking he had gone to Gauteng, until the police went to Koalabata on a tip off,” Masupha said.
“A 25-year-old man together with his 54-year-old mother, were arrested for allegedly murdering, a 20-year-old man.
“The body parts of the victim were found in the back of the suspect’s vehicle in his yard and others were found in a donga,” Masupha said.
The police raided the suspects’ home after they received a tip off.
The village chief, ’Makhomo Makoanyane, said this is a heartbreaking incident after another similar incident earlier this year.
“In January a boy was reported missing and later his mutilated body parts were found in a donga. Another life has been lost in a similar incident, this is very depressing,” Makoanyane said.
“Today (Friday) police came to dig more body parts that were thrown into the toilet. The suspect who is one of the villagers accompanied them,” she said
“The other body parts were found yesterday at the suspect’s place and at the donga.”
She said police informed her on Thursday that they were going to search one of the villagers’ places and they invited her to be there with them.
She said she did not get any reports about this young man missing but police however knew that he had disappeared.
“It is very sad that people are being murdered like this,” she said.
“In January this year, Moholobela Seetsa, was murdered in this village. The current victim’s body parts were found in the same donga where Seetsa’s body parts were found.”
It is alleged that one of the villagers heard someone crying from the suspect’s home on Wednesday night.
The villager then woke up very early to check what was happening.
The following morning when he went out he saw blood at the suspect’s yard.
He then informed the police.
One of the villagers who did not want to be named said God had answered their prayers.
“God has answered our prayers. We have been praying that God reveal to us who the murderers of the first victim were,” the villager said.
“We thank God for what he has done for us even though we have lost another life.”
Another villager, Tello Makoanyane, said this incident brought back sad memories as he also lost his son through a ritual murder.
“My son was only six-years old when he died. Even today his murderers have not been found.
“It’s a very painful experience and when other people are also murdered it pains us even more.”