State witness recounts horror of nurses’ murders

Moorosi Tsiane

A High Court courtroom fell silent this week as a key state witness recounted the horrifying events that allegedly culminated in the brutal murders of two Ministry of Health nurses whose battered bodies were dumped in a donga at Ha Mosalla, Thaba-Bosiu, in August 2014.

Setsokotsane Majalle, an accomplice-turned-state witness, told the court he watched helplessly as his friend, Lefa Mabusela, allegedly robbed the women before bludgeoning them to death with a stone after luring them to a secluded area under the guise of a lovers’ reunion.

The testimony was heard during the ongoing murder trial of Mabusela, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering Mpho Khutsoane and Mathebane Ramatabooe on 11 August 2014. He also faces a charge of robbing Ms Khutsoane of her blue Volkswagen Golf 4.

Mr Majalle was initially charged alongside Mabusela but was later acquitted and turned state witness.

The court heard that both deceased women were nurses employed by the Ministry of Health. Ms Khutsoane worked at the ministry headquarters in Maseru while Ms Ramatabooe was based at Motebang Hospital in Leribe. At the time of their deaths, they were attending a workshop at Mmelesi Lodge in Thaba-Bosiu.

Recounting the events leading to the killings, Mr Majalle said he and Mabusela crossed into Lesotho from Bloemfontein on the day in question and arranged to meet their “girlfriends”.

“After crossing the border, I called my girlfriend, Mpho Khutsoane, and she suggested that we meet at Ha-Leqele because she could not see well at night,” he testified.

The pair travelled by taxi from the border to Maseru, where they met the two women. Ms Khutsoane handed over the keys to her Golf 4 and asked Mr Majalle to drive.

“Mpho and Mathebane sat in the back seat while Lefa sat next to me in the front passenger seat. We were supposed to go to Mmelesi Lodge where the women were attending a workshop,” he said.

What began as an ordinary drive soon turned into a nightmare.

Mr Majalle told the court that after crossing the Ha Makhoathi bridge, Mabusela asked him to stop the vehicle, claiming he needed to relieve himself.

“Mathebane told him we were almost at the lodge and he could wait, but he insisted he was pressed and had been holding it in since Bloemfontein,” Mr Majalle said.

Moments later, Mabusela allegedly returned and produced a firearm.

“He pointed the gun at me without saying anything. The ladies were busy talking about how handsome he looked and did not realise what was happening. When they saw my face, they screamed and asked what was going on.”

Mr Majalle said Mabusela ordered him to switch off the engine before directing the group to drive deeper into nearby fields.

Along the way, Mabusela allegedly demanded money from Ms Khutsoane.

“He asked Mpho what she had. She said she had about M400 in her wallet. He said he was not playing. Mpho then told him she had more money in her bank account but could only withdraw M1000 a day. He demanded her PIN number.”

Mr Majalle said they eventually reached a donga where the situation escalated dramatically.

“He struck me with the butt of the gun and I fell into the donga. He said: ‘This devil is the one who is going to set the police after me’.”

Inside the donga, Mabusela allegedly ordered all three victims to lie face down with their hands stretched out in front of them.

According to Majalle, Ms Khutsoane attempted to fight back.

“Mpho managed to stand up and grabbed him around the waist. There was a struggle and she called for my help, but I felt weak and terrified. Then I heard a gunshot.”

She collapsed moments later.

“She moaned and said, ‘Jonna, I am going to die because of adultery’.”

The witness told the court that Mabusela then ordered him to fetch a stone. His first attempt to flee failed when the accused threatened to shoot him.

“I eventually found a stone about 20 to 30 centimetres long and brought it to him.”

What followed, he said, remains the most horrifying moment of his life.

“He sat on Mpho’s chest and struck her repeatedly with the stone. I heard something crack and believed it was her skull. There was a strong smell of fresh blood.”

Fearing he would be next, Mr Majalle said he pleaded for his life and even offered to help the accused flee to South Africa.

The court heard that Mabusela then turned his attention to Ms Ramatabooe.

“She begged him not to kill her and told him he could take whatever he wanted.”

Mr Majalle testified that the accused then asked whether she would agree to have sex with him.

“Mathebane said she would do anything if he spared her life.”

Her plea allegedly fell on deaf ears.

“He struck her numerous times on the forehead with the same stone until blood was gushing from her head.”

After the killings, Mr Majalle said he was ordered to search the victims’ bodies for mobile phones before they drove away in Ms Khutsoane’s vehicle.

He testified that they later travelled to Roma and then to his parents’ home in Mazenod, where he collected an old passport that Mabusela allegedly intended to use to flee to South Africa.

Police investigators had previously described the crime scene as one of the most gruesome they had ever encountered. The bodies of the two nurses were discovered in a donga at Ha Mosalla with severe head injuries and crushed skulls. Investigators also recovered a blood-stained rock believed to have been used in the killings.

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