VZCZCXRO2080
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0125 1191421
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291421Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4124
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 4551

UNCLAS MASERU 000125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S, DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA, AND DS/DSS/CC 
PRETORIA FOR DATT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV LT
SUBJECT: POLITICIAN'S SHOOTING UNRELATED TO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT 
 
REF: A. 07 MASERU 75   B. MASERU 109 
 
¶1.  A member of parliament (MP) representing the National 
Independent Party (NIP), Dominic Motikoe, was shot and killed by 
the husband of another NIP member and fellow MP, `Mamotonosi 
Nkhahle.  The fatal shooting took place Monday, April 27, 2009, 
in Maputsoe, about 90 kilometers from Maseru.  According to the 
police, the two MPs travel to and from Maseru together daily to 
work at Parliament.  Reports indicate that `Mamotonosi's husband 
suspected his wife was having an affair with Motikoe.  Rumors 
further suggest that the husband had previously warned Motikoe 
to stop travelling with his wife. Upon encountering his wife in 
the car with Motikoe last night, Mr. Nkhale shot Motikoe 16 
times with his pistol, then immediately surrendered himself to 
the police.  Mrs. Nkhale was not hurt and her husband is still 
in police custody. 
 
¶2.  Motikoe was relatively unknown in political circles prior to 
the February 2007 elections.  He came into the spotlight in the 
media when he formed a controversial alliance with the governing 
Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party against the wishes of 
his party leader (ref A).  This alliance came under scrutiny by 
the opposition and (together with the opposition's own alliance) 
has been the focus of the SADC-sponsored mediation between the 
LCD and the opposition, which has attempted to resolve disputes 
over the allocation of parliamentary seats that resulted from 
the two alliances. 
 
¶3. Comment:  The shooting temporarily ignited concern in Maseru, 
as rumors suggested that it was politically motivated and 
perhaps connected to the failed assassination attempt last week. 
That panic was quickly quelled when information revealed that 
the shooting was a domestic affair. This shooting comes less 
than one week after attacks on the Prime Minister's residence 
and the military barracks (ref B), and about two weeks after a 
member of the Lesotho Defense Force shot his wife and 
sister-in-law outside a popular local cafi in an apparent 
domestic dispute.  Despite this violence which has marred the 
Kingdom's otherwise peaceful existence, the political climate is 
currently stable, though it will remain tense until further 
information concerning the identity of the Prime Minister's 
attempted assassins is uncovered. 
 
POWER