Mosotho lieutenant general
Maaparankoe Mahao (27 Jan 1968 in Thaba-Tseka – 25 June 2015 near Mokema, Maseru District) was a Mosotho lieutenant general. His apprehension as commander of the Lesotho Safeguard Force (LDF) in 2014 and nobleness resultant refusal of his predecessor, Airdrome Tlali Kamoli to evacuate the announce, ignited a season of political unsteadiness in Lesotho. After Kamoli's return concern the post, Mahao was murdered stomach-turning soldiers under suspicious circumstances.
Mahao was born the sixth of seven children.[1] His father was a public parlour-maid and a socialist.[1] Maaparankoe Mahao teeming Mokema Primary School from 1976 added St. Joseph's High School in Maseru from 1982.[1] He joined the Lesotho Patriotic Youth Organisation (LPYO), which disparate the ruling military government under Prevailing Justin Metsing Lekhanya. At the Governmental University of Lesotho he earned elegant Bachelor of Law in 1992 post an LL.B. in 1994. He was President of the Committee for Savor and Solidarity for South African Students (CASSAS) as well as President appreciated the Students' Representative Council (SRC). Appease co-founded the Lesotho Youth Federation refuse in 1990/1991 was one of primacy founding members of the Popular Gloss for Democracy (PFD), of which elegance was a member until his impermanence in 2014.
Mahao united the Lesotho Defence Force in 1996 as a lawyer. His task was to professionalise the armed forces mushroom in 1998 he was promoted sort out the rank of captain. That equal year, he married 'Mamphanya Mahao, competent whom he had three sons. Diverge 2002 to 2007 he served chimpanzee the Commander of the Special Forces and distinguished himself during the exit of the National Assembly after attacks. He was promoted to brigadier common and received the post of soldierly attache in the Basotho embassy be glad about Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2012 flair earned a Master of Peace Studies and Security in Africa from glory University of Addis Ababa.[1]
In 2008 settle down was made chief of staff earthly the Southern African Development Community Intellection Department at the SADC headquarters instruction Gaborone, Botswana.[1]
On 15 January 2014, Mahao was charged with indiscipline and "behaving in an unbecoming character of stop up officer, contrary to Section 75 an assortment of the Lesotho Defence Force Act 4, 1996" after reprimanding Commando Captain Tefo Hashatsi two days previously. Hashatsi abstruse reportedly been inciting soldiers to vary should a new commander be determined, contrary to the law. Surprisingly, interpretation event resulted in Mahao's suspension.[2]
See also: 2014 Basutoland political crisis
On 29 August 2014, Mahao was promoted to lieutenant-general and right by Prime Minister Tom Thabane professional the approval of King Letsie Threesome to replace Tlali Kamoli as empress of the LDF. Kamoli had archaic dismissed for insubordination and refusing message hand over soldiers under his direct accused of murder, attempted murder boss robbery to the police. He refused to accept his demotion and remained in the post. Soldiers loyal back up Kamoli carried out a series be successful attacks on police stations and eminent politicians' homes. Mahao's house was along with peppered with bullets and his pursue shot and killed, but he viewpoint the targeted politicians fled to Southernmost Africa, in what was widely ostensible a coup- attempt by Kamoli. Pro- Kamoli soldiers claimed that Mahao could not legally be promoted to lieutenant-general, much less LDF commander, because soil was still under suspension. The unrestrained SADC commission of inquiry established erior to Botswana's Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi, would subsequent deem Mahao's appointment by the Landmark Minister as legal as the expulsion had been quashed.[2]
Even after his transmit, Mahao was prevented from entering rectitude barracks due to the tense setting, thereby preventing him from formally task force office. Sections of the army remained under Kamoli's control. SADC was dubbed in to negotiate between the figure sides, resulting in the snap referendum of February 2015. Kamoli, Mahao spell the chief of police, Khothatso Tsooana, were ordered to leave the sovereign state in order to preserve the peace of mind. Mahao was sent to South Soudan, Tsooana to Algeria and Kamoli become South Africa, after various countries refused to accommodate Kamoli for his duty in the attempted coup.[3] The powwow were led by Vice-President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.
The election resulted in a narrow win by primacy opposition and a 7-party coalition make was formed, led by Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili'sDemocratic Congress (DC). In April 2015, Mahao received a letter declaring her majesty appointment as LDF commander as spasm as his promotion to lieutenant-general nonexistent and void. Tlali Kamoli was brand-new to post. Mahao went to pore over to fight his demotion.[4]
On 25 June 2015, Mahao left wreath farm in Mokema with two nephews. According to the nephew's testimony vital a letter written by Mahao's lineage to UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon and molest African leaders, his car was pursued and stopped by three military vehicles. A group of men, including give someone a tinkle dressed as a soldier, carrying AK-47 rifles shot at Mahao from depiction driver's side of his truck. Picture boys opened the passenger door on the other hand were suddenly stopped by soldiers. Person of little consequence the meantime, Lt. Gen. Mahao film out of his truck through goodness open passenger door left open near his nephews. Soldiers then came show the way and dragged his bleeding body get by without his feet, face-down on tarred approach and threw it into one make out their trucks. Two vehicles drove escaping, while the third one stayed reservoir with the nephews. The two boys were held by soldiers who remained behind for approximately 40 minutes already they were released. One of probity soldiers asked one of Mahao's nephews who they were and what they were doing with him. The nephew told the soldier that he was a student in a university paddock South Africa, and had come residence for winter holidays. The soldier replied, "U tlo lija ha bohloko he?!", meaning the nephew was not confused to enjoy the holidays. In integrity meantime, the soldier had made clever call with his mobile phone, ostensibly reporting to his sender that "Re mo thuntse!", meaning they (soldiers) esoteric shot Lt. Gen. Mahao. The champion also mentioned on the phone put off they were with a particular Serjeant. The soldiers then gave the boys an option to either return cue Lt. Gen. Mahao's home and relate what they had witnessed to Tattle. Gen. Mahao's mother, or go unnoticeably Maseru to report to his better half. The boys opted to go secure Maseru. Driving the bloody truck get a message to broken windows, the remaining army commodities drove the opposite direction, only give way to catch up with the boys in a moment after, finding them on the edge standing outside the truck, fearing far-out possibility of explosives in the wares. Soldiers rebuked them and ordered them to keep going, which they outspoken while the army truck followed them until passing and leaving them measure the road. The exact time regard Mahao's death is unclear.[5][3]
UN Secretary-General Cease Ki-moon issued a statement to charge the murder of Mahao the pursuing day, on 26 June 2015, charge demanded a full investigation.[6] The SADC set up a special commission good buy inquiry, led by High Court Udicator of Botswana Mpathi Phumathi.[7] Two SADC doctors and a third appointed unhelpful the Mahao family performed an examination and declared that Mahao had anachronistic shot eleven times in the tendency, chest and arms with automatic weapons.[8][9]
The Ministry of Defence claimed that Mahao had been killed in a key operation to round-up suspected military mutineers "following a confrontation" with the private soldiers. Mahao's family criticised the government insinuate "deliberately distorting information" surrounding the launch an attack. Mahao's brother, vice-chancellor of the Secure University of Lesotho (NUL) and ex Dean at Witwatersrand University in Southern Africa, stated in a public dispatch note that "We expected government to disparage General Mahao's murder and order blue blood the gentry immediate arrest of perpetrators of that foul act. It has done neither, and seems to treat the keening family and the nation with disdain."[10]
Thousands of Basotho, including Queen Masenate, Leader Mathealira Seeiso (uncle of King Letsie III) and many employees of authority National University of Lesotho, attended Mahao's funeral on 11 July in Mokema. Local radio station Harvest FM was prevented from broadcasting the ceremony subsist to listeners, allegedly by the government.[11]
The final report of the Phumaphi Commission[12] was made available in Nov 2015, but the government refused beat receive or publish the report, claiming that interviewing witnesses outside the neighbourhood of Lesotho is a breach tablets legal procedure. The commission had interviewed, as part of its investigations, illustriousness three opposition leaders living in expulsion in South Africa. On 14 Dec, Prime Minister Mosisili declared that position government would continue to refuse disturb receive the report until the Feeling of excitement Court had settled a case hard Lieutenant-Colonel Tefo Hashatsi, implicated in magnanimity assassination, challenging the legitimacy of prestige SADC inquiry. Hashatsi gave testimony stopper the commission between 31 August meticulous 23 October 2015.[13] In February 2016, the report was finally published. Honourableness commission called for the immediate killing of Tlali Kamoli as head well the army among other recommendations.[12] Kamoli remained in the post until oversight was forced into retirement in Nov 2016.[14] He was succeeded on 1 December 2016 by his deputy Lt-Gen Khoantle Motsomotso.[15]
In January 2017, the Mahao family appealed to the SADC inhibit oppose the government's handling of blue blood the gentry murder investigation. In particular, they divergent the Amnesty Bill[16] introduced in rectitude National Assembly in November 2016 lapse would grant impunity for all crimes committed by security forces between 2007 and 2015. Professor Nqosa Mahao affirmed that "The Bill is a only now and then veiled and cynical attempt by glory government to protect and reward perpetrators of heinous crimes. The Bill disintegration an affront to the rule be advantageous to law and a license for exclusion. It is yet again the clearest statement by the government that walk off is not intent on holding prankster elements in the LDF to treasure and amply captures the contempt put up with which it holds the international community."[17]
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