‘Mantoetse Maama
MASERU — A 25-year-old woman, Masenete Lekhoana, was found dead in her house at Ha-Tsolo in Maseru last Sunday with stab wounds all over her body.
Her brother-in-law, Thabang Lekhoana, 23, has since been arrested in connection with the murder.
Police spokesman Inspector Pheello Mphana confirmed the incident.
“It was reported that ‘Masenate Lekhoana was stabbed to death last Sunday. The deceased was found dead in her bedroom by her husband,” Mphana said.
“The suspect is her brother-in-law, Thabang Lekhoana, aged 23. He appeared in court on December 1 and was remanded in custody.
“He will appear in court again on December 21,” Mphana said.
According to Masenete’s husband, Rethabile Lekhoana, his wife and younger brother had a long-standing domestic dispute.
Lekhoana said the family had in the past reported Thabang to the police for assaulting his sister-in-law.
When the Sunday Express visited the Lekhoana family last week, Rethabile was still visibly in pain.
In a shaking voice, Rethabile narrated the events that led to the shocking murder of his wife.
The couple had been married for two years.
“I wish someone could rouse me from this nightmare and tell me it was just a bad dream, that my wife is still alive,” Lekhoana said.
Lekhoana said he had left his house earlier on Sunday with a cousin who had wanted to buy a tractor from a neighbour.
He came back home around mid-day.
“I met my brother at the gate and saw that the doors to the house were closed. I thought my wife had gone somewhere.
“I sat outside and tried to call her but her phone just rang. She did not answer and I became worried.
“It was then that I discovered that the door was not locked.”
Lekhoana said he went inside and tried to open the bedroom door, only to find it locked.
“I knocked but there was no answer and I opened it with my own spare key.”
Lekhoana said he was shocked to find his wife lying on the bed in a pool of blood.
“My body froze and my mouth went dry. I could not believe what I saw,” he said, with his voice breaking.
“I thought she was just unconscious. I tried to wake her up but she did not respond.
“I thought she was alive. I thought she would just be rushed to hospital for treatment and come back home.
“I did not see the wounds because I was confused. She was covered with blood all over.”
Lekhoana said he then tried to find his brother to tell him the sad news. But he failed to locate him.
Lekhoana told the Sunday Express that his brother had a fierce quarrel with his wife over the use of water at the house on 22 November.
He said he had not thought much about the incident then.
“They quarrelled over water. It appeared my brother had taken some water without her permission.
“She was crying saying Thabang, my younger brother, had assaulted her.”
Lekhoana said he had then suggested that they report the matter to the chief but his wife had insisted on reporting the matter to the police.
Lekhoana said the Ha-Thetsane police had later called the three and tried to counsel the family to live in harmony.
“Thabang was asked to respect my wife and I thought things had been sorted out between them,” he said.
Lekhoana said his brother had confessed that he had stabbed his wife with a screwdriver during the fight.
“He had told us that my wife had hit him with a wardrobe door — and that he was only fighting back when he stabbed her with a screwdriver,” Lekhoana said.
On Friday, Lekhoana said the family was still to make any funeral arrangements.
“We will meet with the elders on Sunday to make the funeral arrangements.”
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