Lesotho: accused of murdering his first wife, Prime Minister flees to South Africa

Text by: RFI Follow

In Lesotho, Prime Minister Thomas Thabane will not appear this February 21 in court where he was to appear for the murder of his ex-wife. His personal secretary announced that he was in South Africa for a medical check-up.

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The announcement caught everyone off guard. Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, now 80, has been in South Africa since February 20, when police announced that he would be formally charged for the murder of his first wife, Lipoleto Thabane. He announced the same day that he would resign from office by the end of July, during an address to Lesotho public radio and television.

The case dates back to June 14, 2017. On that day, Lipoleto Thabane, 58, was murdered in his car when she was driving home to Maseru, the capital. Two days later, her husband was officially invested Prime Minister of Lesotho and appeared accompanied by another woman, Maesiah, whom he married two months later.

The investigation into the death of Lipoleto Tabani stalled for two years until this coup. In early February, Maesiah Thabane was charged with the murder of her rival . She is currently on bail. For the police, Thomas Thabane was not necessarily present at the crime scene, but acted in concert with the murderer (s). Especially since the couple was going through a divorce at the time.

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