‘Mantoetse Maama
MASERU — A 23-year-old man from Mahobong in Leribe was beaten to death by angry villagers last week.
Police spokesperson Masupha Masupha said the deceased had allegedly tried to rape a woman in the village.
“The woman screamed and then the villagers were able to come to her rescue before he raped her,” Masupha said.
“The villagers arrested the man and took him to a nearby donga in the village and whipped him to death with a sjambok.”
Six of the villagers suspected to have beaten the man to death are in police custody.
Masupha said the deceased had tried to apologise to the villagers for the attempted rape.
He said the Mahobong villagers had done the right thing by rescuing the woman but condemned them for taking the law into their own hands.
“The villagers even explained that the man had apologised when they apprehended him but instead of taking him to the police they beat him up,” Masupha said.
“We plead with community members to stop torturing or murdering crime suspects.”
Meanwhile, five men who were involved in an armed robbery at ‘Milikane Primary School in Qacha’s Nek were last week each sentenced to eight years in prison.
They appeared at the Qacha’s Nek Magistrate’s Court.
The men, including a police officer, were convicted of robbing a construction company working at the school of an undisclosed amount of money sometime in February.
The police officer’s name was only given as Molupi based in Leribe and his accomplices were Mpholo Maboea, Thembeni Thieo, Toka Ramosoeu and Rapelang Maboea.
Masupha said their sentences were however reduced by two years on condition that they paid back all the money they stole.
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