A village chief was last weekend brutally assaulted by soldiers in Mohale’s Hoek during a search for illegal guns. Chief Mokhele Chabeli of Ha-Chabeli in Taung, Mohale’s Hoek, told thepost that he is nursing injuries after soldiers beat him for a gun that he did not have.
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Soldiers stormed the village early on Saturday morning searching for unlicensed guns.
Chief Chabeli said he met three soldiers who ordered him to come to them as he was walking out of his house.
“As I walked with them, they ordered me to roll on the ground,” the chief said.
After some time they ordered him to lead them to his close relative’s house where they said he was to retrieve a gun.
His relative, Hlomelang Chabeli, was arrested two years ago in South Africa but the soldiers wanted the chief to produce his gun.
At Hlomelang’s house, the chief said, they found children only because their mother has also crossed to South Africa to work as a domestic worker after the husband’s arrest.
“I told them that I did not know anything about the gun they wanted since that house was not mine but they would not listen,” he said.
Chief Chabeli said the soldiers searched the house and found a hat and jersey that is often associated with the banned famo group, Seakhi.
“They ordered me to wear them,” he said.
“I was ordered to roll on the ground.”
In the process, Chief Chabeli said he was beaten with an iron rod.
He said he sustained serious injuries during the assault.
But no firearm was found on him.
Chief Chabeli said he had to see a doctor following the ordeal.
“I fail to understand why the soldiers beat me up yet they did not get any dangerous weapon from me.”
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sakeng Lekola said the soldiers were in Taung on an operation called Operation Hard Fist to seize illegal guns.
A week earlier soldiers stormed Taung, Ha-Mohohlo village in the wee hours of Saturday vociferously searching for unlicensed guns and ammunition.
Chief Sebaila Mohohlo of the area said the soldiers frogmarched villagers to a playground just outside the village where the beatings started.
“The soldiers beat up both men and women indiscriminately,” he said.
“They did not care if one was a man or a woman,” he added.
Chief Mohohlo said the soldiers stormed his village with three helicopters and some armoured vehicles.
He said two helicopters landed while another was hovering in the sky.
Chief Mohohlo said the soldiers asked who had guns in their possession.
When no one stood from the crowd as ordered, a soldier who seemed to be in command of the operation produced a list of people who were believed to have guns.
“My name was on the list,” Chief Mohohlo said.
“They threatened me,” he said.
He said the soldiers used harsh words against him.
He said the soldiers beat up his people with sticks and seriously injured them.
Chief Mohohlo said killings are common in the village.
He said his people kill each other in South Africa while others kill each other back home.
Lt Col Lekola confirmed that they also launched Operation Hard Fist in the area.
He said they managed to confiscate a 9mm pistol, two magazines and seven bullets which were in wrong hands.
“The operation was successful,” Lt Col Lekola said, adding that they have saved lives of people who were going to be killed with the confiscated pistol.
“We are worried by the rampant killings in the country,” he said.
He said the killings are badly impacting Lesotho’s economy.
Majara Molupe
