Police re-arrest Wife of Lesotho’s former Prime Minister

Maesaiah Thabane, Wife of Lesotho’s former Prime Minister has been rearrested over the 2017 murder of the then-estranged wife of recently resigned Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.

Maesaiah Thabane, who was out on bail, is suspected of being behind the shooting of Lipolelo Thabane, the then-estranged wife of Thomas Thabane in the capital, Maseru. 

Lesotho’s court of appeal had revoked her bail on grounds that the procedure was not followed correctly and ordered her rearrest. On Wednesday, Maesaiah arrived at the magistrate court in Maseru under the escort of armed police officers. She was told she would be taken to the female correctional facility in fulfilment of the appeals court judgement. “The decision of the High Court to grant you bail has been set aside by the Court of Appeal,” said the magistrate. “You will remain in the correctional facility. You will report back on June 16, 2020 to find out the progress of your case.”

The former prime minister stepped down in May after months of calls for his resignation over the case. Lipolelo was murdered in June 2017, just two days before Thomas took office. The couple was in the midst of a divorce when she was shot outside her home. Two months later, Thomas married his current wife.