‘ Two-faced Sgt Nkapetla feigned sympathy for victims’

’MATHATO SEBOKA

MASERU – The hushed corridors of the Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS) echoed with allegations of abuse and betrayal this week, as an ongoing Commission of Inquiry delved into troubling claims of inmate mistreatment.

Among those testifying was Mahlamola Makhoali, an inmate who is also a member of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF). His testimony painted a grim picture of the events that transpired within the prison walls on December 22, 2023, implicating certain officers in what he described as calculated and cruel behaviour.

Makhoali’s testimony was particularly damning towards Sergeant Nkhapetla, a figure he described as both a perpetrator and a pretender.

“When we talk about Sergeant Nkhapetla,” Makhoali said, “we talk about someone who bites and then comes back to console you.” According to Makhoali, Nkhapetla would allow assaults to occur, only to arrive on the scene later, feigning concern and offering assistance to the battered inmates.

“He waited for inmates to be assaulted, and then he came as though he had come to help, whereas he had let the recruits assault us,” Makhoali continued, emphasising the sergeant’s duplicitous nature.

The events of December 22 are etched deeply in Makhoali’s memory, a day when the atmosphere in the prison shifted from tense to terrifying.

“Behind our cell, there’s a main hall. That morning, Chief Officer Ratšele gathered more than 20 recruits. I could hear him briefing them, pointing towards Block B, where he said, ‘the gentlemen who are as giant as you stay in that block,’ instructing them to be harsh when they got in there,” Makhoali recounted.

The order was chilling, a directive that seemed to preordain the violence that was about to ensue. As the recruits stormed Block B, the cries of the inmates rang out. Makhoali described the scene with harrowing detail, as the recruits went cell to cell, searching for specific individuals.

“We heard cries from the lower cells near the change rooms. At that time, I was with Sergeant Nkhapetla and an officer named Seleke. I heard recruits asking where Nyakane stays, and Nkhapetla directed them to cell 49,” he said.

It was clear to Makhoali that Nkhapetla was complicit, if not orchestrating, the brutality that followed. The violence was indiscriminate and severe. Inmates were beaten mercilessly, with some suffering significant injuries.

“I saw Officers Jane, Thetso Posholi, Hlalele, Mohejane, Lehlohonolo Moabi, Kopano Tseka, and Refiloe Mothae assaulting Motanyane until he was bleeding heavily. When I called out to Jane to stop the beating, they turned on me. Moabi, Mokhejane, Hlalele, Tseka, and others came at me, hitting me until they broke my small finger,” Makhoali recalled, his voice trembling with the weight of the memory.

Desperate to stop the violence, Makhoali managed to leave his cell and seek help. He found Chief Officer Ratšele outside but was met with indifference. “I told him to go to my cell because the recruits were killing an inmate. He just looked at me and walked away,” Makhoali said, his frustration palpable.

The situation only grew more dire as the injured inmates were denied medical attention. “Later, we went to the clinic with others. On my way, I saw Nkhapetla with his colleagues, loudly declaring that those who were inside would be locked up as bloody as they were and not be taken to the doctor,” he added.

In a chilling recount, Makhoali described how Sergeant Nkhapetla sought to bribe inmates to conceal his involvement in the violence. “He bought one inmate cards after the incident to cover up his presence during the assault,” said Makhoali, referring to an inmate named Tikiso who stays in cell 47.

This act of bribery was just one more layer of deceit in what Makhoali portrayed as a calculated campaign by Nkhapetla to manipulate and control the narrative within the prison.

Makhoali’s testimony did not end with the recounting of the violence. He offered insight into the power dynamics within the prison, noting that no sergeant could claim that recruits defied their orders.

“With just a voice, a sergeant can make everyone stop whatever they are doing; there is no need to use muscles or money to enforce control,” he stated, underscoring the complicity of the officers in the abuses that occurred.

As the Commission of Inquiry continues its work, the stories emerging from the Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS) paint a disturbing picture of life behind bars in the main Maseru prison. The testimonies like Makhoali’s reveal not just the physical abuse suffered by inmates but also the psychological manipulation and betrayal by those entrusted with their care.

The revelations have sent shockwaves through the community, prompting calls for accountability and justice. Sergeant Nkhapetla, now under intense scrutiny, faces serious questions about his conduct and the role he played in the events of December 22.

The Commission’s findings will be eagerly awaited by many, especially the victims and their families, who seek justice and reform within Lesotho’s correctional institutions.