Mahaos request official funeral for slain commander

 Keiso Mohloboli

THE family of the slain former army commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, has written to the government, requesting that an official military parade be held in his honour, more than two years after he was killed.

Family spokesperson, Qamako Mahao, on Friday told the Sunday Express that they had written to the Thomas Thabane-led government requesting that Lt-Gen Mahao be given an official send-off befitting his status as a former Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) commander.

He said this could not be done at the time Lt-Gen Mahao was assassinated by his colleagues in 2015 because they believed the-then LDF command had a hand in his killing.

Lt-Gen Mahao was fatally shot by his erstwhile LDF colleagues on 25 June 2015 just outside Maseru. The LDF claimed Lt-Gen Mahao had resisted arrest for allegedly leading a mutiny when he was killed.

However, Lt-Gen Mahao’s family accused the army of killing him in cold blood basing on the account of his nephews who were with him during the incident.

Lt-Gen Mahao was appointed as LDF commander on 29 August 2014 after Prime Minister Thomas Thabane fired Lt-Gen Tlali Kamoli for alleged insubordination. However, Lt-Gen Kamoli rejected the dismissal challenging its legitimacy.

After Dr Thabane relinquished power in the wake of the 28 February 2015 snap elections, the seven-party coalition government led by Pakalitha Mosisili reinstated Lt-Gen Kamoli, arguing that his dismissal and Lt-Gen Mahao’s promotion were illegal.

Lt Gen Kamoli was reinstated in a Government Gazette dated 21 May 2015 with another gazette issued on the same day terminating Lt-Gen Mahao’s appointment as LDF commander and reverting him to a brigadier.

Lt-Gen Mahao challenged his demotion in the High Court with the case not seeing the light of day after he was killed on 25 June 2015 by his LDF colleagues.

On Friday, Mr Qamako Mahao told this publication that the political situation at the time of Lt-Gen Mahao’s death was not conducive to an official send-off because they did not want the former government and the-then LDF command to attend the event as they held them liable for his death.

He said the family felt that with the change of government, the time was now ripe for the ceremony because the Thabane administration had demonstrated a commitment to resolving the issue of his assassination.

“We could not engage the-then LDF command on Lt-Gen Mahao’s funeral in 2015 because we knew that they were prime suspects in the murder of our brother,” Mr Qamako said.

“We have since written to the (Thabane) government requesting an official burial but we don’t want Lt-Gen Maaparankoe’s corpse to be exhumed. We request the government to offer a military parade at their convenience.

“The family would prefer that this be done on 25 June- the day he was killed,” Mr Mahao added.

He however, said the government was yet to respond to their request but they were confident of a positive response because the government has cooperated with them since it came to power.

“This current government paid Lt-Gen Maaparankoe’s benefits and also invited us to witness the handover of his property to the police handling the investigations into his murder.”

Meanwhile, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and National Security, Colonel Tanki Mothae, said he had not received the letter from the Mahao family.

“I have not received the letter but that doesn’t the letter might not be in my superiors’ offices somewhere. I might be here not aware of the letter that has already reached my bosses,” Col Mothae said.

He however, said his ministry would “be privileged if the government acceded to the request and gave Lt Gen Mahao an official send-off because he was a legitimate commander of the army and deserves to be given all the respect”.