Thomas Thabane: Lesotho prime minister charged with murdering estranged wife after bitter divorce battle

Lesotho’s prime minister is to be charged with the murder of his estranged wife just weeks after his current wife was charged over the same killing, police have said.

Thomas Thabane will become the country's first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime following the 2017 shooting of his estranged wife Lipolelo.

Mr Thabane, who is 80 years old, said on Thursday he would be stepping down as prime minister in July but did not comment on the case in his announcement and cited his age as the reason for his retirement.

His current wife, Maesaiah, was charged earlier this month after briefly fleeing the country over the murder case which has shocked the southern African kingdom.

Lipolelo was shot dead near her home in the capital of Maseru on the night of 14 June 2017, two days before Mr Thabane was sworn in for his second term as prime minister.

Her friend, Thato Sibolla, who was travelling in a car with her, escaped with gunshot wounds and has since fled to neighbouring South Africa in fear.

Lipolelo had been living apart from her husband for five years at the time of the shooting and was still involved in a bitter divorce battle with him.

In 2015, she won a court case which allowed her to continue to be recognised as Lesotho’s first lady and keep the benefits of the role after Mr Thabane instructed officials to remove her spousal benefits and give them to Maesaiah, who was then living with him.

Maesaiah accompanied the prime minister to his inauguration soon after Lipolelo’s death and the pair got married two months later in a ceremony at a packed sports stadium in Maseru.

Paseka Mokete, the country's deputy commisioner of police, has said the prime minister will appear at the Maseru Magistrates Court on Friday “to face a murder charge in connection with the killing of Lipolelo Thabane.”

Mr Thabane will also face an attempted murder charge in connection to the shooting of Mr Sibolla, the police commissioner said.

Maesaiah is currently out on bail and will appear in court on 17 March.

Mr Mokete added that police investigations were now complete and more people will soon be charged.

The prime minister’s resignation came after pressure from his party, the All Basotho Convention, to step down immediately.

“I have served my country diligently,” Mr Thabane said on state radio.

“I’ve worked for a peaceful and stable Lesotho. Today ... at my age, I have lost most of my energy ... I hereby retire as prime minister with effect from the end of July.”

Maesaiah has been accused of hiring eight assassins to kill the prime minister's estranged wife but she is not thought to have been present at the shooting.

After Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli filed court papers declaring the prime minister as a suspect in the killing, Mr Thabane unsuccessfully attempted to oust the police officer from his position.

Mr Molibeli also said the prime minister attempted to get immunity for himself and his wife.

Additional reporting by agencies

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