FORMER Commissioner of Police Khothatso Tšooana says President Cyril Ramaphosa is to blame for the assassination of Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao in 2016. Tšooana made the bizarre claim while testifying as the 11th witness in the high profile murder case on Tuesday. He did not give details to back up his claim.
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Tšooana only said Ramaphosa, the SADC-appointed mediator in Lesotho’s chaotic political upheavals, “was not fair in his mediation in the Lesotho affairs”.
He told the Zimbabwean judge, Justice Charles Hungwe, that had it not been because of Ramaphosa, Mahao could not have died.
“Maaparankoe Mahao could not have died,” he told the court.
He told the court that he did not like Ramaphosa at all because of how he conducted himself as the SADC-appointed mediator.
“He did not mediate in Lesotho’s political turmoil in a fair manner,” he said.
Tšooana recalled that at the instigation of South Africa he, together with Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli who was fighting for the commander’s position with Lt Gen Mahao, were sent on leave outside the country.
Tšooana was taken to Algeria while Lt Gen Kamoli was destined for Uganda. Lt Gen Kamoli however ended up staying in South Africa while Lt Gen Mahao was sent to Sudan.
Tšooana said when they returned home, Ramaphosa showed his approval of Lt Gen Kamoli over them.
Tšooana, who became Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in just six years of service, told the court that he was being targeted for elimination together with Lt Gen Mahao under a cooked up mutiny.
“Indeed Mahao has died now,” he said.
“He died under the name of mutiny.”
He said they got intelligence that they were going to be killed.
“Those were terrifying moments,” Tšooana said.
“Things were not as relaxed as they are now,” he added.
He told the court that movement was not as easy as it is now.
Tšooana, who informed the court that he joined the police force in 2006, said Lt Gen Kamoli did have a good working relationship with him.
He said Lt Gen Kamoli was uncooperative when he wanted to interview soldiers he suspected of committing crimes.
Asked why he could not report the conspiracy to kill him, Tšooana responded that Lt Gen Mahao was killed and SADC took over.
He said everything was then reported to SADC.
Staff Reporter
