By Kefiloe Kajane
The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) has strongly quashed claims the army has usurped powers of the police to clamp down on criminal activities.
The denial came out this week following claims doing the rounds that the army’s action to arrest and detain members of the gangs around Maseru was tantamount to taking over duties to be performed by the police.
Many gangsters, that include several girls, were rounded up by military personnel in the areas of Koalabata, Naledi and Qoaling two weeks ago.
The groupings were allegedly involved in an assortment of criminal acts that included attacking and robbing unsuspecting citizens of their belongings such as cellphones, bags and money.
The LDF command then issued a stern appeal for victims who fell prey in the hands of the gangsters to report to the military police offices.
Shrugging off the claims at the Makoanyane Barracks, Captain Bokang Melato emphasized the army works hand in glove with the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS). He said required processes were followed by the army leading to placing the suspects in the soldiers’ custody.
Captain Melato was speaking at the occasion to hand over of basic necessities like cosmetics, heaters, hand sanitisers, mattresses, sanitary pads as well masks to the detained 63 young gang members aged between 15-26 who are in military custody.
He explained that the army was determined to ‘turn them into better people who are accepted by society’. The youngsters also go through physical and mental training while also being offered counselling by a pool of army personnel.
“We are faced with an array of challenges that include lack of necessary clothing and cosmetics. They are well and healthy, and we hope to keep the situation that way. We are making attempts to find deep-rooted problems in order to assist them to rehabilitate. They are not being tortured, contrary to popular claims.
“We realised that many of them are from single parent headed families with lictlle enforcement of discipline. We are sure that when they leave here, they will be changed people,” he said.
At the same occasion, LDF Commander Lieutenant-General Mojalefa Letsoela said the army was highly appreciative of efforts to rescue the youngsters by pulling them out of a life of crime.
This initiative, he added, has saved many people who were victims of the attackers, while also sparing potential victims; as for the youth, they were always going to be arrested sooner or later.
“We are expecting more, but we wanted to have this batch and release them before we welcome others. We want the communities to be free and safe,” he warned.
The distributed items were handed over to the LDF by sports, youth and recreation minister Likeleli Tampane and the Lesotho Red Cross Society secretary general Kopano Masilo.
Tampane was delighted that the young boys and girls were being trained to become better people, promising that programmes are to be designed to absorb them into various projects when they leave the barracks.
