’Marafaele Mohloboli

Rafaele Tekane (28) paid a M9000 fine to avoid spending the next nine years in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting 20-year-old Motlotla Reki for wearing a Letlama blanket.

The Maseru Magistrate’s Court had slapped Tekane of Ha-’Mamotho with a five-year prison term with an optional fine of M5000 for assaulting Reki. The court had also given him four years or a fine of M4000 for threatening the same man with an illegally acquired firearm.

According to evidence before the court, Reki went to a shop in his neighbourhood on 28 May 2016 wearing his Letlama blanket, only to be denied entry by the accused and other men in his company.

Reki says while Tekane was pulling at his blanket, he was simultaneously insulting  and telling him such outfit was not accepted in the area, so he had to take it off or die.

Reki, who now had a gun pointed at him by Tekane, finally managed to go free and run to a nearby house for refuge.

He later returned to the shop whose owner escorted him to the chief to report the matter which was later reported to the police.

When Tekane was arrested on 3 June, he was found in possession of a 9.mm pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition. The firearm was not licenced, the court heard.

The case was before Magistrate Nthabiseng Moopisa.