Maseru- A man who resides in Thabana-Mokhele, Botha-Bothe, died on 28th October after beating up his biological mother to death, using a spade as a murder weapon. The villagers of Thabana-Mokhele took it upon themselves to beat up Mahlomola Mafotha, who had become a problem to the villagers. He was known for terrorising women in that village, this is according to the village chief, ‘Mamohale Molapo (30). “We were now tired of cases of this man, first he harassed women in this village, him killing his mother made us mad so we decided to give him a little beating but we still did not mean for his death to be on our hands,” Molapo stated . When interviewed, Phokojoe Mafotha (45), Mahlomola’s older brother said he at first did not believe his little brother when he said he was going to kill their mother.

“My little brother said when I returned to from the fields I was going to find my mother dead, I did not believe him because he sometimes goes mad and starts talking nonsense. I thought this was one of the days where he lost his mind. Coming back home, I found out he had done as he said he will,” Mafotha explained. “When the villagers started beating him up and dragging him to the chief ’s house I was there and being as mad as I was I let them beat him up. There were already complains of him hitting on widows in the village, so it was easier for me to believe he deserved those beatings he got,” said Mafotha. One of the eye witnesses and a neigbour, ‘Mamothae Maolane (34) said she had never seen such a thing in her entire life and seeing that shuttered her soul.

When I got to my neighbour’s house, I found her face disfigured. I couldn’t believe it was really her. What Mahlomola did is terrible. My neighbour was such a good person and a helper in our village and losing her is a great loss,” Maolane stated. “When the villagers were done with him, he was taken to hospital. He died a few days later. I did not expect his ending to be so early and so horrible,” Mafotha explained.