Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE President of the Senate, Dr ’Mamonaheng Mokitimi, and her husband, Tsietsi Mokitimi, are being investigated by the police for malicious damage to property, thepost can reveal.
It is however still not yet clear as to who between Dr Mokitimi and her husband will face the actual criminal charge while the other would be an accessory, according to a source in the police.
The complainant is Dr Mokitimi’s brother, Thabang Buti, who filed the complaint at the Maseru Rural police headquarters in Mazenod last Thursday. Dr Mokitimi’s secretary told thepost yesterday that her boss was not prepared to talk about the issue.
When this newspaper called Dr Mokitimi again, she said she was in a series of meetings and could not comment. Dr Mokitimi and her husband are accused of destroying Buti’s maize crop after they lost a case in which they were claiming ownership of a piece of land in Maburung, Ha-Mphoto, a few kilometres outside the Maseru city.
The two lost the case which was before Justice Polo Banyane in June 2021. They were also slapped with costs of the suit. They however did not pay the costs until June last year when the Land Court issued a writ of execution against them.
The sheriff was then directed to attach from them movable property and auction it for M18 380. While waiting for the execution Buti continued using the land and planted maize on it but the Mokitimis allegedly destroyed it.
Police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, told thepost that the police are aware of such a case. “The case is there and investigations are on-going,” S/Supt Mopeli said.
Justice Banyane found that they were in occupation of the land pursuant to an oral agreement of sale in terms of which Buti agreed to dispose of his rights over the land in favour of them for a certain consideration.
“There is a dispute between the parties as to the exact amount or consideration for sale,” Justice Banyane found.
She said the Mokitimis insisted that the purchase price was M120 000 which was paid in two equal installments of M60 000 to Buti. “(Buti)’s version is conversely that the parties agreed on 20 herd of cattle as consideration,” the judge said.
The Mokitimis were complaining that Buti declined to facilitate the transfer of the land to them on grounds that they had not honoured the agreement. The Mokitimis also requested that Buti must be evicted from the portion of the field allocated to them at Leqhetsoaneng, Ha-Mphoto.
They also requested that an order be issued on the existing dimensions of the area agreed between them and that their share should be taken to be final and definitive on the distribution of the parties’ estate.
They requested an order interdicting Buti and his agents from entering into any agreement that places an encumbrance upon or creates any charge, pledge or option, or any similar rights in respect of the place.
Buti told the court that in 2016 the Mokitimis approached him seeking advice on a viable farming business “which they were keen to launch, he suggested dairy farming”.
He said the Mokitimis then identified a portion of land within his field for the purposes of implementing this business. “They then agreed on twenty freelance heads of cattle as a consideration,” Justice Banyane found.
He told the court that after the conclusion of the agreement, they proceeded to South Africa to buy the cattle and “the applicant subsequently took occupation of this piece of land in 2016”.
When the Mokitimis approached him demanding a transfer, he turned them down saying they must first fulfill their obligation under the contract by giving him 20 cattle. Further attempts by thepost to speak to Dr Mokitimi last night were not successful.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
