M125k reward for journalist’ killer

MASERU – THE management of Tšenolo FM radio station is offering a M125 000 reward to anyone who will provide information that could lead to the arrest of Ralikonelo Joki’s killers.

“The radio station will pay M125 000 to anyone who will come up with truthful information of the perpetrators,” Mohau Kobile, the radio station’s founder, told thepost.

Joki, widely known as Leqhashasha, was gunned down after knocking off from his current affairs show called “Lehlokoana-la-Tsela” on Sunday night.

He had hosted Public Service Minister Richard Ramoeletsi in the studio on the fateful night to discuss the government’s deal with Principal Secretaries who were challenging their dismissal.

The police said Joki was ambushed by unidentified gunmen as his car was passing the gate out of the radio station’s premises.

His brother, Motseki Joki, said a post-mortem had revealed that his brother was hit by seven bullets with five of these hitting critical organs.

He said the most fatal had got stuck in the head.

Two other bullets entered from the left side and rampaged his insides while two others hit him on the right shoulder.

“We are from a post-mortem, those people made sure that they killed him,” Joki said.

“My brother should be the last journalist to die like this because his death was painful,” he said.

The government has since imposed an indefinite curfew starting from Tuesday night under the pressure from some MPs and individuals who called for immediate action.

Joki was a controversial journalist who was well known for his critical and bold journalism in questioning government policies, political leaders and famo music gangsters.

The Tšenolo FM station manager, Mshengu Shabalala, said “Joki was a hero”.

He said he died because of “the job he was doing at the radio station”, saying it “attracted many enemies”.

“He was a hero, he died like a hero. I remember he used to say he would die for the truth and the nation,” Shabalala said.

Shabalala said the murderers were hiding next to the office’s gate when they attacked him.

He said Joki’s car crashed into the wall as his car windows were smashed and tyres ruined.

Shabalala said he last spoke to Joki on Sunday night a few hours before he was killed. He said he was always respectful and cheerful.

“He was a man who could respect those who respected him, and disrespected those who disrespected him,” he said.

“By killing Leqhashasha (Joki) you did not kill all the journalists in the country,” he said.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Lesotho) deputy chairperson, Celina Leteketa, said Joki’s death came as a shock to Basotho and the entire media fraternity.

“If you kill one journalist, you are strengthening 100 more to carry on with the job,” Leteketa said.

“The entire country is weary of illegal guns that are taking people’s lives,” she said.

“These guns must be confiscated from the wrong hands as soon as possible.”

A police officer investigating the murder, Sergeant Makhalemele, said the police condemned the killing.

He said Joki’s murder shows that democracy in Lesotho is not yet mature, adding that their job is to protect Basotho from any harm.

“Let us put aside human rights that are used to defend criminals and fight crime,” Sgt Makhalemele said.

“The victims are never talked about,” he said.

“After heinous crimes people only talk about criminals’ rights.”

Sgt Makhalemele said they are embarrassed with Joki’s murder.

Communications Minister Nthati Moorosi condemned the killing saying Joki’s death “brings a lot of instability in the country”.

She said the murder has the potential to intimidate other journalists so that they stop investigating issues that affect the public.

“The government is embarrassed with this situation that is bothering the entire nation,” Moorosi said.

“Conflicts should not be solved through violence,” she said.

“Today journalists are scared to do their job freely. We hope the perpetrators will be apprehended soon.”

Meanwhile, the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network has called for an “independent and impartial investigation into the killing of Joki . . . with a view to bringing those responsible to justice”.

It said in March and April this year, “Joki received at least three death threats from different Facebook accounts due to his work and the issues he covered on his show”.

Nkheli Liphoto