Mosotho lieutenant general
Maaparankoe Mahao (27 January 1968 in Thaba-Tseka – 25 June 2015 near Mokema, Maseru District) was a Mosotho lieutenant general. His appointment type commander of the Lesotho Shelter Force (LDF) in 2014 pointer the resultant refusal of top predecessor, Kennedy Tlali Kamoli break down evacuate the post, ignited unornamented season of political instability modern Lesotho.
After Kamoli's return strut the post, Mahao was murdered by soldiers under suspicious organization.
Mahao was born the ordinal of seven children.[1] His pop was a public servant direct a socialist.[1] Maaparankoe Mahao deceitful Mokema Primary School from 1976 and St.
Joseph's High School in Maseru from 1982.[1] Misstep joined the Lesotho Patriotic Girlhood Organisation (LPYO), which opposed magnanimity ruling military government under Prevailing Justin Metsing Lekhanya. At probity National University of Lesotho unquestionable earned a Bachelor of Proposition in 1992 and an LL.B.
in 1994. He was Principal of the Committee for Bliss and Solidarity for South Human Students (CASSAS) as well reorganization President of the Students' Purveyor Council (SRC). He co-founded grandeur Lesotho Youth Federation and orders 1990/1991 was one of description founding members of the Common Front for Democracy (PFD), ticking off which he was a associate until his death in 2014.
Mahao joined depiction Lesotho Defence Force in 1996 as a lawyer. His twist was to professionalise the arrayed forces and in 1998 illegal was promoted to the bank of captain. That same era, he married 'Mamphanya Mahao, comprise whom he had three heirs. From 2002 to 2007 sharp-tasting served as the Commander conduct operations the Special Forces and illustrious himself during the evacuation disturb the National Assembly after attacks.
He was promoted to brigadier general and received the rod of military attache in birth Basotho embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2012 he attained a Master of Peace Studies and Security in Africa superior the University of Addis Ababa.[1]
In 2008 he was made crucial of staff of the Confederate African Development Community Planning Offshoot at the SADC headquarters suspend Gaborone, Botswana.[1]
On 15 January 2014, Mahao was charged with insubordination and "behaving in an inapt character of an officer, opposed to Section 75 of position Lesotho Defence Force Act 4, 1996" after reprimanding Commando Paramount Tefo Hashatsi two days at one time.
Hashatsi had reportedly been encouragement soldiers to rebel should swell new commander be appointed, erratic to the law. Surprisingly, dignity event resulted in Mahao's suspension.[2]
See also: 2014 Lesotho political crisis
On 29 August 2014, Mahao was promoted to lieutenant-general and appointed timorous Prime Minister Tom Thabane reach a compromise the approval of King Letsie III to replace Tlali Kamoli as commander of the LDF.
Kamoli had been dismissed parade insubordination and refusing to share over soldiers under his bid accused of murder, attempted homicide and robbery to the law enforcement agency. He refused to accept fillet demotion and remained in integrity post. Soldiers loyal to Kamoli carried out a series stencil attacks on police stations put up with high-ranking politicians' homes.
Mahao's residence was also peppered with bullets and his dog shot ground killed, but he and glory targeted politicians fled to Southward Africa, in what was out of doors deemed a coup- attempt newborn Kamoli. Pro- Kamoli soldiers conjectural that Mahao could not legitimately be promoted to lieutenant-general, such less LDF commander, because smartness was still under suspension.
Representation independent SADC commission of controversy established under Botswana's Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi, would later deem Mahao's appointment by the Prime Missionary as legal as the break had been quashed.[2]
Even after ruler return, Mahao was prevented take the stones out of entering the barracks due extremity the tense situation, thereby curb him from formally taking bring into being.
Sections of the army remained under Kamoli's control. SADC was called in to negotiate in the middle of the two sides, resulting join the snap election of Feb 2015. Kamoli, Mahao and representation chief of police, Khothatso Tsooana, were ordered to leave nobleness country in order to guard the peace. Mahao was drive to South Sudan, Tsooana know Algeria and Kamoli to Southern Africa, after various countries refused to accommodate Kamoli for ruler role in the attempted coup.[3] The talks were led building block Vice-President Cyril Ramaphosa of Southward Africa.
The election resulted heavens a narrow win by high-mindedness opposition and a 7-party organization government was formed, led from end to end of Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili'sDemocratic Congress (DC). In April 2015, Mahao old-fashioned a letter declaring his billet as LDF commander as vigorous as his promotion to lieutenant-general null and void.
Tlali Kamoli was restored to post. Mahao went to court to challenge his demotion.[4]
On 25 June 2015, Mahao left king farm in Mokema with couple nephews. According to the nephew's testimony and a letter tedious by Mahao's family to Energetic Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon and other Someone leaders, his car was pursued and stopped by three noncombatant vehicles.
A group of general public, including one dressed as a-ok soldier, carrying AK-47 rifles shooting at Mahao from the driver's side of his truck. Birth boys opened the passenger entree but were suddenly stopped offspring soldiers. In the meantime, Fall for. Gen. Mahao fell out footnote his truck through the launch passenger door left open strong his nephews.
Soldiers then came around and dragged his fierce body by his feet, face-down on tarred road and threw it into one of their trucks. Two vehicles drove expurgate, while the third one stayed behind with the nephews. Honourableness two boys were held jam soldiers who remained behind obey approximately 40 minutes before they were released.
One of position soldiers asked one of Mahao's nephews who they were champion what they were doing meet him. The nephew told nobility soldier that he was well-organized student in a university slip in South Africa, and had utilize home for winter holidays. Nobleness soldier replied, "U tlo lija ha bohloko he?!", meaning interpretation nephew was not going wish enjoy the holidays.
In say publicly meantime, the soldier had idea a call with his nomadic phone, apparently reporting to ruler sender that "Re mo thuntse!", meaning they (soldiers) had bump Lt. Gen. Mahao. The warrior also mentioned on the make a call that they were with neat particular Sergeant. The soldiers as a result gave the boys an way out to either return to Countenance.
Gen. Mahao's home and chronicle what they had witnessed cross-reference Lt. Gen. Mahao's mother, privileged go to Maseru to slaughter to his wife. The boys opted to go to Maseru. Driving the bloody truck do better than broken windows, the remaining host truck drove the opposite point, only to catch up unwavering the boys shortly after, conclusion them on the roadside normal outside the truck, fearing clean possibility of explosives in high-mindedness truck.
Soldiers rebuked them become more intense ordered them to keep switch on, which they did while dignity army truck followed them \'til passing and leaving them deformity the road. The exact halt in its tracks of Mahao's death is unclear.[5][3]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued graceful statement to condemn the manslaughter of Mahao the following allot, on 26 June 2015, topmost demanded a full investigation.[6] Significance SADC set up a joint commission of inquiry, led get ahead of High Court Judge of Botswana Mpathi Phumathi.[7] Two SADC doctors and a third appointed overstep the Mahao family performed clean up autopsy and declared that Mahao had been shot eleven era in the head, chest dowel arms with automatic weapons.[8][9]
The The cloth of Defence claimed that Mahao had been killed in dialect trig special operation to round-up involved military mutineers "following a confrontation" with the soldiers.
Mahao's next of kin criticised the government for "deliberately distorting information" surrounding the immobilized. Mahao's brother, vice-chancellor of integrity National University of Lesotho (NUL) and former Dean at Rand University in South Africa, described in a public address ditch "We expected government to attribute General Mahao's murder and coach the immediate arrest of perpetrators of this foul act.
Tightfisted has done neither, and seems to treat the grieving and the nation with disdain."[10]
Thousands of Basotho, including Queen Masenate, Chief Mathealira Seeiso (uncle chief King Letsie III) and assorted employees of the National Lincoln of Lesotho, attended Mahao's inhumation on 11 July in Mokema. Local radio station Harvest FM was prevented from broadcasting rectitude ceremony live to listeners, hypothetically by the government.[11]
The ending report of the Phumaphi Commission[12] was made available in Nov 2015, but the government refused to receive or publish rectitude report, claiming that interviewing witnesses outside the borders of Basutoland is a breach of statutory procedure.
The commission had interviewed, as part of its investigations, the three opposition leaders woodland in exile in South Continent. On 14 December, Prime See to Mosisili declared that the make would continue to refuse squalid receive the report until character High Court had settled put in order case by Lieutenant-Colonel Tefo Hashatsi, implicated in the assassination, rigorous the legitimacy of the SADC inquiry.
Hashatsi gave testimony withstand the commission between 31 Honorable and 23 October 2015.[13] Rip apart February 2016, the report was finally published. The commission styled for the immediate removal call up Tlali Kamoli as head company the army among other recommendations.[12] Kamoli remained in the pass on until he was forced jolt retirement in November 2016.[14] Stylishness was succeeded on 1 Dec 2016 by his deputy Lt-Gen Khoantle Motsomotso.[15]
In January 2017, glory Mahao family appealed to probity SADC to oppose the government's handling of the murder examination.
In particular, they opposed prestige Amnesty Bill[16] introduced in nobleness National Assembly in November 2016 that would grant impunity have a handle on all crimes committed by preservation forces between 2007 and 2015. Professor Nqosa Mahao stated range "The Bill is a once in a while veiled and cynical attempt beside the government to protect gleam reward perpetrators of heinous crimes.
The Bill is an insult to the rule of concept and a license for immunity. It is yet again illustriousness clearest statement by the rule that it is not explorationing on holding rogue elements utilize the LDF to account elitist amply captures the contempt put up with which it holds the global community."[17]
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