Lesotho premier no-show in court on murder charges

JOHANNESBURG

Lesotho’s prime minister failed to appear in court Friday where he was due to be charged with plotting the killing of his estranged wife, according to local media.

South Africa's national broadcaster SABC reported that Lesotho police said it is still too early for them to issue an arrest warrant for Tom Thabane, 80, who reportedly went to neighboring South Africa for medical treatment.

Lipolelo Thabane 58, was gunned downed on the outskirts of the capital Maseru in 2017 two days before Thabane took office as prime minister.

Thabane and Lipolelo had separated in 2012 and their divorce proceedings were ongoing when she was murdered.

Months after Lipolelo’s death, the prime minister took a new wife, Maesaiah Thabane, 42.

Maesaisah Thabane appeared in court earlier this month and was formally charged in Lipolelo’s murder.

She was also charged with the attempted murder of Thato Sibolla, a friend who was with Lipolelo at the time of the shooting and survived the attack.

Prosecutors accuse the prime minister of colluding with Maesaisah to murder his estranged wife.

Lesotho, a landlocked kingdom, is encircled by South Africa and has faced political volatility since an attempted coup in 2014.

Thabane announced Thursday he would resign by the end of July a day after his ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) gave him an ultimatum to resign by Thursday.