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Lastest News Nigeria, Politics, Business, Sport, Interview
Lesotho’s Prime Minister, Thomas Thabane has appeared in court for a rescheduled hearing where he is expected to be charged with the murder of his estranged wife.
Thabane, 80, had initially been scheduled to hear the charges on Friday but left for South Africa, which surrounds the mountainous kingdom, for what aides said was a medical appointment.
The leader is suspected to have been involved in the murder of his wife at the time, Lipolelo, who was shot dead in June 2017, two days before he took office for a second stint as prime minister and two months before he married his current wife, Maesaiah.
Maesaiah Thabane, 42, has also been charged with the murder and police suspect her of ordering assassins to do the job. Both she has however denied any involvement.
On Friday, a warning was sent to Thabane’s for his failure to show up for the preliminary appearance which the police claim could lead to an issue of an arrest warrant.
His aide initially claimed Thabane had gone to neighbouring South Africa for “routine” health checks, but later his office said he was seeking “emergency” medical attention and would appear in court on his return.
On Saturday, the police said the authorities would wait for Thabane’s return to resume his case after his lawyers said they had a sick note proving that the premier would be “unfit” until February 27.
The long-serving prime minister has said he will tender his resignation at the end of July because of old age, but several members of his own All Basotho Convention (ABC) party have been pressuring him to go sooner to avert a political crisis.
Lesotho, a mountain territory of two million people, has a history of coups and political instability. Many fear a power vacuum unless the ABC can agree on a successor, and analysts expect a general election will have to be called soon.
There will be a Rescheduled hearing which came after Thomas Thabane missed initial court date which was said to be due to his medical appointment in South Africa.
