POLICE boss Dr Mahlape Morai says the police will arrest anyone playing famo music associated with banned gangs, including radio and TV presenters. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Dr Morai also threatened to arrest journalists who source news from anyone professing to be a member of a banned gang.
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Dr Morai said playing songs on radio or TV will show that the presenter is supporting the banned organisations and therefore committing a crime.
She said the gazette issued by Police Minister Lebona Lephema criminalises the organisations, their attire and songs.
“If you are promoting their music or encouraging it, know that it is a crime,” Dr Morai said.
“Listening to a song purely translates into supporting it. By listening to that song I am supporting (it), and that is a crime,” she said.
She said the law does not only apply to members of the famo gangs, but even individuals who have not joined them but are listening to their music.
She said journalists can interview famo gangsters “but when they come back and tell the public about it they are committing a crime”.
She said information received from the famo gangs should be for the journalist’s information alone and not for public consumption.
“I will see your media house as a promoter of illegal gangs in Lesotho.”
She said the police have a grace period for people to surrender their illegal guns to the police without facing arrest.
“Those who give out the guns willingly will not be arrested,” she said.
She however said the other condition is that the gun should not have been used to commit a crime.
Dr Morai said in April the districts of Berea, Leribe, Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong had 57 murders.
“Guns used were 47. It shows that now guns used in crimes are more than that,” she said.
“This week alone, we have five deaths with four cases, two of them were shot at the same time.”
“Every week we get information about people killed.”
She added that last weekend alone, a soldier and a policeman were killed while coming from the Lioli-Matlama match in Teya-Teyaneng.
The duo was killed at Ha-Buasono.
“Investigations are still ongoing,” she said.
Dr Morai’s appointment as interim police boss has coincided with a surge in famo gang-related murders.
At the same time, other murders and violent crimes are escalating. Ill-discipline is also rampant in the police force, with some officers reportedly being members of the gangs terrorising communities.
Nkheli Liphoto
