Musician gunned down

MASERU – JUST before dusk last Sunday, two men walked into the yard of Lehlohonolo Moqomisa’s home in Ha-Mabekenyane in the Berea district.

They asked the children playing in the yard where their father, Moqomisa, was.

The children directed them to the back of the house where their father was sitting with a visiting friend.

A few seconds later 10 gunshots rang into the night.

The children rushed to the back house to find their father riddled with bullets but still alive.

The men, now wearing balaclavas, fled the scene, leaving Moqomisa’s shaken family making frantic efforts to get him to hospital.

A councillor, Moqomisa, 40, was chairman of the Kanana Community Council and a well-known All Basotho Convention (ABC) musician.

Thabiso Moqomisa, Moqomisa’s uncle, said their car broke down as they rushed to the Teya-Teyaneng Government Hospital.

When they eventually got another car and arrived at the hospital there was no doctor on duty. Desperate, they drove to Maluti Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Mapoteng where Moqomisa was confirmed dead on arrival.

“Police found 10 9mm pistol shells at the scene of the crime,” Thabiso told thepost on Tuesday.

Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said the two assailants are still at large and investigations are ongoing.

S/Supt Mopeli appealed to the public to help with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects.

Describing his nephew as “a loving individual who was always at peace with other people”, Thabiso said they could not speculate on the motive behind the murder.

“He was a pillar of strength in this family,” Thabiso said, adding that he was “always mediating between family members”.

Moqomisa leaves behind four children, the youngest of whom is two-months old.

His wife, ’Malemohang Moqomisa, received the devastating news when she was in South Africa where she works as a maid.

Forcing back tears, ’Malemohang said they could not understand why anyone would want to murder her husband because “he was always at peace with other people”.

“He was a loving person who could joke with almost everyone regardless of their status and age,” ’Malemohang said.

’Malemohang met Moqomisa in a choir where he was the lead singer.

“He was a good singer,” she said, adding that he could compose a song with his children in the family and by the time they go out to other choir members, the song would be perfect.

Moqomisa was a member of the Cecilia Roman Catholic Church.

“I knew which button to press when he was upset. I would cook him bobatsi (stinging nettle vegetables)” she recalled.

’Malemohang said Moqomisa was about to release his solo track next week.

But she did not know its name as they had only discussed it.

She said she only knew that her husband featured some artistes in the ABC and even released a track titled with them.

Their track was Linaleli tsa ABC (ABC Stars).

The ABC leader Nkaku Kabi said his “party has lost a strong and principled man”.

“He was always productive and willing to help others navigate their way out of poverty,” Kabi said.

“We are all wondering why he has been killed,” he said.

Kabi said they were together with Moqomisa on Saturday, a day before his murder.

Majara Molupe & Tšepang Tšepe