By Neo Kolane
The community of Ha Rantalenyane in the Mohale’s Hoek district is living on a knife-edge and enduring sleepless nights following three suspected gruesome ritual killings that have left them shell shocked.
To make their situation even more unbearable, the murders were allegedly committed within a space of five days in February this year by one of their own, a seemingly innocuous Lehlohonolo Masoleng.
The villagers say they have been affected mentally and emotionally after witnessing scenes of lifeless bodies on the three separations occasions.
They are now always scared and want to be comforted and assured that they will be able to live normal lives again.
Masoleng (29) has been charged with murder for the savage killings of the trio whom he lured through social media platform Facebook through his account “Ntta Koloi Hadipalangoe Puodifele” (loosely translated let the vehicles be ridden once and for all).
Pouring her heart out, Esther ‘Manthako Letsie, a local villager from Ha Rantalenyane said fear has gripped the community, especially those who stay alone.
Area chief, Khotso Ntakatsane is also breathing fire, noting that the whole Brakfontein is equally angry about the horrendous incidents.
Chief Ntakatsane said the community comprises mostly women and they do not feel safe at all times.
“I try by all means to reassure,” he told theReporter in a telephone interview on Monday.
Chief Ntakatsane narrated that the first body was discovered at around 7pm when a herder came across a strong and suffocating smell. Upon inspection at the nearby rocks, the herder was greeting by a pile of flies.
“I arrived at the scene soon after and started digging. I immediately came across a white all-star sneaker and pulled it, when I tried to pull the other one, it was heavy.
“I quickly informed other villagers and eventually the police were called who then dug further found a handbag,” he recounted.
The deceased’s left arm and leg were not attached to the body and the skull was prised open, he noted, adding they put the body in a bag and buried it at the local cemetery.
According to Chief Ntakatsane, not even a week had passed when another villager from the area came across ‘something’ covered with a blanket between two big rocks.
He and other villagers dug and saw a bag and some flat shoes and a female body. In the bag was a passport, phone and ID.
The lady’s skull was also smashed, the chief said subtly accusing Lehlohonolo’s mother,‘Masello Masoleng, of protecting her son and professing his innocence.
But a calm ‘Masello Masoleng denies all this.
She told this publication on Tuesday this week that she has since been chased away from that area after fellow villagers accused her of being a witch.
They also accuse her of bewitching Chief Ntakatsane after a snake allegedly suddenly appeared during a recent gathering meeting following the murders and forced him to sleep instantly, she said.
The mother of six further noted that the killings occurred while she was sick and bed-resting.
“The chief told me to leave his village as my family and I are rumoured to have blood on our hands,” the 61-year old woman said.
“I fled the area and I’m living elsewhere. My eldest son is looking for a site where I will call home,” she indicated, adding most of her belongings are still at the home she deserted because she was not able to take them.
“My children want nothing to do with that place because they are being accused of hiding information pertaining to the killings.”
‘Masello said Lehlohonolo was well behaved and therefore she cannot imagine him committing the crimes he is accused of.
“Litaba tsena tsohle se ke li behile matsohong a natate Molimo, Ha ele lefatṥe lona hale bona hore ho nale ntho leo le nka nketsetsang lona” (loosely translated: I have put everything in God’s hands, I do not think the world has anything to offer me,” she said.
Following the horrifying incidents, the MP for the Mekaling constituency, Thabiso Lekitla, organised a public gathering last week to soothe the community.
Addressing the meeting, councillor Rethabile Makhaleme said the Brakfontein community was still baffled and desperate for answers.
“The community needs to urgently be counselled lest they take matters into their hands, because this idea has been on their mouths for some time,” he said.
For his part, the district commissioner of police for Mohale’s Hoek, Senior Inspector ‘Matholoana Tholoana said the spate of murders in the area was worrying.
She recalled that the trend started in 2022 when police dug out the dead body of a lady from Ha Sankatana at Makhaleng
The body was thrown into the donga after the deceased was stoned to death.
A man was later arrested and appeared in court where he was released on bail.
Snr Insp Tholoana also indicated that the community of Ha Rantalenyane discovered another dead body in a field at the beginning of this year.
Only five days later, police found a second body at the same place and that made them very suspicious.
“It was very uncommon to find female dead bodies at the same,” she said.
“Those dead bodies were now only bones, making it difficult for us as police to figure out how these people died,” she added.
A police pathologist identified that the deceased’s skulls were broken which meant they were killed the same way.
Police investigations led them to Lehlohonolo.
After his arrest, the accused reportedly told police that there was another dead body buried nearby.
“We now wonder if there are more bodies somewhere,” Snr Insp Tholoana noted.
She explained that the accused lured all the three victims through Facebook where he proposed to them and later met them.
Deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Tṥepang Tṥita-Mosena, urged women to desist from looking for love on social media.
She also called on parliament to pass the Computer Crime and Cyber Security Bill, which calls for stiff penalties for people convicted of harassing and threatening others through social media.
She further urged local non-governmental organisation, Transformation Resource Centre, to unpack the Counter Domestic Violence Act to help the community understand and make use of it to get justice.
