Grisly murder details emerge

’MATHATO SEBOKA

MASERU – On Tuesday morning, the air in the High Court was thick with tension as Justice ’Maliepollo Makhetha delivered judgment to a chilling crime of passion that has send shockwaves throughout Maseru. Limpho Lethunya, 40, of Sea-Point, Maseru, was found guilty of the brutal murder of his girlfriend, ’Mathabo Lelimo.

The case, which had gripped the nation for over three years, culminated in a verdict that highlighted the callous nature of the crime. The courtroom was silent as Justice Makhetha spoke, her words cutting through the air with gravity that weighed heavily on all present.

“The accused is found guilty of murder,” she declared firmly. She went on to explain that Lethunya’s bail was immediately revoked so he would remain in custody until his sentencing.

“His bail is revoked, and he will remain in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for October 29, 2024,” Justice Makhetha said. The journey to this verdict had been fraught with heartache, shocking revelations, and deep revelations of the complexities of human emotion and relationships gone tragically wrong.

Lethunya had pleaded not guilty through his lawyer, attempting to claim that intoxication and provocation had led to his drastic action. However, the Crown, led by a determined prosecution team, did not accept his plea and presented six key witnesses whose testimonies painted a harrowing picture of the events leading to Lelimo’s death. Justice Makhetha did not mince her words when addressing the court.  “The accused failed to meet the requirements of intoxication as a defence. He did not provide evidence to show the extent of his intoxication that night. In fact, the court finds that the accused did not consume enough alcohol to lose control to the point where he did not know what he was doing.”

She went on to detail the medical evidence, which was a critical part of the prosecution’s case. “The post-mortem report revealed that the deceased died of cerebral bleeding and a fractured skull. She had multiple wounds on her legs, thighs, and face. All evidence indicates that she was mercilessly bashed against the walls and tiles, which directly caused her death. It is clear that there was a direct intention to kill.”

Makhetha’s summary of the evidence presented by the witnesses was harrowing, particularly the testimony of the first witness, the 10-year-old son of the deceased.

To protect his identity, he testified in-camera, recounting the events of that fateful night when his world was shattered. The boy, only seven years old at the time of the crime, said he had been watching television with his mother and her boyfriend, who he knew as ‘Tally,’ before being sent to bed.

In the innocence of childhood, he did not understand what had transpired during the night.  All he recalls is that the next morning, he found his mother covered in blood, lying motionless on the sofa, and he went outside to play with friends, unaware of the gravity of what he had witnessed.

The second witness, ’Maselebalo Lelimo, sister of the deceased, delivered another heart-wrenching account. She testified that she had last seen her sister on May 15, after they spent time together at a salon in Naleli.

Little did she know that it would be the last time she was to see her sister alive. The next day, ’Maselebalo went to pick her sister up to go to church, as planned. However, upon her arrival at Sea Point, she was greeted by her nephew, who delivered the devastating news, “Mother is dead.” On rushing inside, ’Maselebalo found her sister’s body on the sofa, swollen and battered, with a white fluid oozing from her nose.

Blood was splattered on the walls, curtains, and carpet, painting a gruesome picture of the violence that had occurred. Her testimony sent waves of emotion through the courtroom as she described the brutal injuries her sister had sustained and how her lifeless body lay in the same clothes she had worn the previous day, except for her missing socks.

The pain in her voice was palpable as she recounted how she cried out for help, summoning the neighbours and police, who eventually transported the body to the mortuary. The third witness, Katiso Lebabo, a friend of the accused, provided yet another chilling insight into Lethunya’s mind-set after the crime.

He testified that on the morning of May 16, 2021, he noticed a missed call from Lethunya. When he eventually spoke with him via WhatsApp, Lethunya admitted to having had a fight with his girlfriend and shockingly confessed, “I killed her.”

He also revealed that soon after committing the crime he had fled to Bloemfontein, South Africa, in a desperate attempt to escape the consequences of his actions.

The subsequent testimonies of ’Mamotebo Mabote, Detective Police Constable Makhanye, and Detective Lance Sergeant Sakoane added to the growing pile of evidence against Lethunya. Mabote, the sister-in-law of the accused, painted the picture of a man with an uncontrollable temper when under the influence of alcohol.

Detective Sakoane, who attended the crime scene, meticulously presented the court with exhibits that further corroborated the prosecution’s case. When Lethunya took the stand in his own defence, he attempted to rewrite the narrative of that fateful night. He claimed that his relationship with the deceased had been a happy one, and they had even been planning to get married.

He recounted how they had spent a peaceful day together, and after returning from a political meeting, they were “chatting nicely” when an altercation erupted over a text message from a man named ‘Peter,’ with whom Lelimo had had a past relationship. According to Lethunya, the fight escalated, and Lelimo fell, hitting her head on the tiles.

He said he panicked and fled, fearing police torture. However, Justice Makhetha dismissed his version of events, pointing out the inconsistencies in his testimony and his failure to provide credible evidence to support his claims.

“The accused is not a reliable person,” she stated firmly. “I am satisfied that the Crown has proven that the deceased was unlawfully and brutally assaulted to death by the accused.”

As the courtroom waited for the sentencing date, scheduled for October 29, 2024, the weight of the verdict settled on everyone present. Lethunya’s attempt to flee to South Africa after the crime only complicated matters.

After his arrest in Botshabelo for illegal border crossing, he was swiftly deported back to Lesotho on June 29, 2021, where justice would ultimately catch up with him.

The case had come full circle, from a crime of passion to a court of law, where the truth was laid bare for all to see. The murder of ’Mathabo Lelimo, a commissioner at the Lesotho Recreation and Sports Commission (LSRC), was not just a personal tragedy but a loss felt by the entire nation.