Inmate kills another

A double murder suspect on remand at the Maseru Correctional Central Institution (MCCI) yesterday fatally assaulted another inmate.

The incident occurred around 11am.

MCCI’s Senior Superintendent Martin ‘Molaoa told a press conference that the deceased had been serving a sentence of seven years and six months.

He was stabbed on the right side of the neck, hands and also four times on the stomach by Moeketsi Sefafe.  

Snr Supt ‘Molaoa said Sefafe is currently on remand for killing his father and another inmate at the same institution.

‘Molaoa also noted that Sefafe, also known as Mali-a-Konyana, arrived at MCCI in 2020.

“Despite showing no signs of being mentally disturbed, he required constant supervision due to his violent history,” he stated.

‘Molaoa explained that it was not until 2023, after checking their records that the MCCI realised that Sefafe had not been taken to court, despite being on remand for a long time.

“We tried to look into the matter, but nothing was clear.

“We followed this up, and he was eventually taken to court, starting his appearances on July 4, 2024,” he said.

He added that it was during these proceedings that the court observed signs of abnormal behaviour in Sefafe and issued an order for a psychiatric evaluation.

The accused has been attending sessions, even a day before the fatal incident.

On behalf of MCCI and the Lesotho Correctional Services, ‘Molaoa apologised to the nation for the incident, saying their responsibility is to serve inmates and ensure that they leave there alive. But in this instance, they had failed their duty, he pointed out.