Maseru, Mar.12—- A case in which four police officers are charged with the murder of their colleague Police Constable Mokalekale Khetheng which was scheduled to continue on Thursday could not proceed due to unavailability of one of the defence lawyers Advocate Zwelakhe Mda (KC) who was reported ill.
The case was thus postponed to March 25 and April 22 2026 for continuation.
The postponement comes as one of the accused Senior Inspector Mabitle Matona was still on the stand. He commenced his testimony after one of his co-accused, Retired Inspector Mothibeli Mofolo.
In his evidence in chief, Mofolo revealed that he was instructed by one of his co-accused Retired Superintendent Thabo Ts’ukulu, who was at that time heading the Hlotse Police Station, to have Khetheng brought to the station on March 26 2016.
He testified that he directed police officers Makotoko, Mphutlane and Ntoane who were at Ha Khabo to bring along Khetheng on their way back. He stated that when he was eventually brought to the police station, he told him to wait for Ts’ukulu at a visitors’ waiting area.
The accused insisted that Khetheng was never under arrest on that day. He refuted allegations that he admitted to one of the state witnesses ‘Manthuseng Tulo, that the police killed the deceased.
Mofolo, Tsukulu and Matona are charged together with Sub-Inspector Haleokoe Taasoane.
They were initially charged together with former Commissioner of Police Molahlehi Letsoepa who reportedly fled the country. He however came back in 2025 and is currently out on bail.
They were also charged with the current Minister of Labour and Employment Ts’eliso Mokhosi who however got the charges against him later dropped.
It is alleged that Khetheng met his death in March 2016 following his arrest by the Hlotse Police. The defence insist that he disappeared from the police when he was to meet his superiors.
The case is before Justice Charles Hungwe.
Ends/SM/BM
