MASERU — She wanted her father to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.
But that would never be.
The opposite happened.
Yesterday Matséliso’s Thulo’s father “walked” her to her grave.
The 30-year-old’s wish ended the day she was fatally shot by the police during student demonstrations at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) two weeks ago.
Her father, Mojalefa Thulo, said he had lost his beloved daughter.
Thulo said when he bid farewell to her daughter three days before her death he had not imagined that he was saying goodbye forever.
In the same hour that Matséliso was shot, Thulo — who is the commissioner of the Lesotho Correctional Services — was, ironically, officially closing a training session on democracy and human rights for law enforcement.
“Most of all the training was on killing arbitrarily, the manner in which my child died,” Thulo said.
“She had wounds on the back which showed that she was running away.”
He says the day the delegation from NUL arrived at his home, he knew before they could say anything that his daughter was dead.
“I knew from the moment the delegation from NUL came into my house that Matséliso was dead,” he said.
Thulo said the following day when he went to the Roma police post to find out what had happened, it was alleged that she was killed in a stampede.
“The police alleged that she got frightened, fell down and students ran over her,” he said.
“She put all effort in her school work.
“She would call me when assignments got tougher.
“We did her first assignment together over the phone.
“I would go out of my way to find books for her because she loved to do research.
“In her first two months at school, I could tell that she was destined for better things.
“I loved her with all my heart.”
Thulo said a criminal investigation will be done to find out how his daughter was killed.
“A criminal investigation and prosecution will be opened to bring to justice the person who killed my daughter,” he said.
Matséliso’s friends, family members and colleagues could not hold back their tears as they paid their last respects to her.
A representative of the NUL student union, Caston Thaanyane, said they would not stop demonstrating until Matséliso’s killer was prosecuted.
“We will fight until justice is done,” Thaanyane said, as hundreds of NUL students at the funeral roared in approval.
NUL acting vice chancellor, Professor Molati Sebatane, said a commission of inquiry has been appointed to investigate the main cause of the strike which resulted in Matséliso’s death.
Deputy Prime Minister Lesao Lehohla, who is also the Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety, said investigations were still going on to find out how Matséliso died.
“The investigations are still going on to find out how Matséliso was killed,” he said.
Also present at the funeral were the Education and Training Minister ‘Mamphono Khaketla and Justice and Human Rights Minister Mpeo Mahase Moiloa as well as police officers.
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