Malibamatso — On Thursday, Lesotho’s King Letsie III said the killing of the country’s army commander last week had caused "embarrassment", and "scared" the country. Khoantle Motsomotso was gunned down by rival officers as the struggle between the tiny nation’s military and politicians continues to be marred by violence. Letsie, who rarely makes public speeches, was addressing mourners at the funeral of the army commander, who was attacked at a military barracks in the capital Maseru on Tuesday. Flanked by army chiefs from several neighbouring countries, the king said the killing had "embarrassed us as a nation … making us a laughing stock of other nations". "Khoantle’s death has scared us all," he said. The funeral was held in a village about 80km north of Maseru and was attended by hundreds of mourners. The king, a highly respected figure across all political spectrums, urged leaders to stop using the army for "dirty" work. "My plea to all leaders is to stop sneaking around, appro...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.