Ex-Lesotho's first lady charged to Court for killing her husband's enstranged wife

The rearrest of former first lady of Lesotho, Maesaiah Thabane, has been granted by Lesotho’s Court of Appeal, on Friday, for allegedly killing her husband’s estranged wife in 2017.

The previous decision of Lesotho’s High Court to bail the ex first lady for 1,000 maloti ($57) bail, was revoked on Friday, 29 May, 2020, by Lesotho’s Court of Appeal.

“The decision… is set aside and the bail petition is remitted back to the High Court to be determined by a different judge,” Court of Appeal president Kananelo Mosito ruled on Friday.

Police operatives have however added that the ex-first lady would be rearrested and sent to the correctional service later on Friday.

“As soon as we get the written judgement… we will arrest her,” deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete told AFP.

Maesaiah Thabane, is suspected to have arranged the shooting of the woman, identified as Lipolelo Thabane, who was gunned down outside her home in the capital Maseru. She was also charged for attempted murder on Lipolelo’s friend, Thato Sibolla, who was wounded at the scene.

Lipolelo and Thomas Thabane, now 81, had been embroiled in bitter divorce proceedings when the 48-year-old was killed.

Due to the fact that the former prime minister’s number was linked to communication records from the scene, he was forced to step down from office in January by his rivals.

His wife, however, went into hiding police first called her in to testify in January.

Till the moment of filing this report, she has not been allowed to comment to the charges.