Lefa Mabusane, a notorious double-murder accused in Lesotho, has pleaded guilty to strangling a woman, Mpho Matholi, for close to an hour. However, he is now asking the Maseru Magistrates' Court to acquit him. Mabusane, who is also facing charges of murdering two nurses, Mpho Khutsoane and Mathebane Ramatabooe, in 2014, appeared before the court in connection with the alleged 2024 assault of Matholi.
According to the Crown's case, Mabusane unlawfully and intentionally assaulted Matholi with the intention of causing serious bodily injury by strangling her and hitting her on the head with a blunt object. The incident occurred on April 14, 2024, when Mabusane met Matholi at a shop in Maseru Mall and offered her a lift, which she initially declined. They later agreed to meet, and Mabusane allegedly strangled Matholi when she refused to kiss him.
The Crown's summary of the case, presented by Advocate Moeketsi Tšolo, revealed that Matholi sustained bruises to the head, tenderness and bruising to the neck, and bruises on the knees, with the degree of force classified as moderate. Despite Mabusane's guilty plea, his lawyer, Advocate Molapo, argued that the facts admitted by Mabusane did not establish the offence of aggravated assault as charged.
Advocate Molapo cited Section 31(1) and (2) of the Penal Code, which requires either the intentional causing of serious bodily injury or lasting physical disablement, or the use of an instrument or substance with the intention of inflicting serious physical injury. He submitted that the medical report did not establish serious bodily injury or permanent disability, and therefore, the injuries did not meet the threshold required for a conviction for aggravated assault.
In response, Advocate Tšolo argued that the defence had accepted that Matholi was strangled until she could not breathe and that such an act could result in death. He submitted that even if the court found that aggravated assault had not been proved, Mabusane should be convicted of the competent verdict of common assault. The case has been postponed to September 30, 2026, for a ruling on whether Mabusane should be acquitted.
Mabusane is also facing trial before the High Court for the murders of nurses Mpho Khutsoane and Mathebane Ramatabooe, who were killed at Ha Mosalla, Thaba-Bosiu, on August 11, 2014. He is further charged with robbing Khutsoane of her blue Volkswagen Golf 4. His murder trial has recently been postponed to December 1, 2026, after the Crown reported difficulties tracing three witnesses.
Mabusane was granted bail in the murder case in June 2024 but remains in custody in connection with the Matholi assault case. The assault case exposed the mystery of how Mabusane came to be walking free while prosecutors believed he was behind bars. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is investigating how he secured his release.
Key points
- Mabusane pleads guilty to strangling Matholi but seeks acquittal citing lack of evidence for aggravated assault.
- Mabusane faces additional charges of murdering two nurses and robbing one of them of her vehicle.
- The case has been postponed to September 30, 2026, for a ruling on Mabusane's acquittal.
