Soldier's widow sues

A Lesotho widow is claiming damages amounting to US $125,000 following the death of her husband during an air strike by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on the Katse military base last September, media reports said. The reports said Matokelo Chaka claims her husband Sergeant Makhooane Chaka of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) "was wrongfully and unlawfully killed by SANDF soldiers acting on the authority, and/or instructions, and/or consent of the Lesotho government." Chaka has cited the respondents as Lesotho's Minister of Defence and Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, the Commander of LDF Lieutenant-General Makhula Mosakeng and the Attorney-General Fine Maema. According to the reports, Chaka's widow argues that the respondents "were aware and/or should reasonably have foreseen that the soldiers at the base would resist the attackers and may be killed in the action". She adds that the respondents "were negligent in not warning the soldiers of the attack or ensuring that they were arrested or removed without danger to their lives". Chaka adds: "The respondents should have foreseen that the deceased may be killed in their operation and by taking no reasonable precautions caused the deceased's death." The SANDF, together with the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), entered Lesotho last September at the invitation of the country's prime minister in the wake of sustained protests by opposition parties outside parliament and the king's residence. The protestors were dissatisfied with the results of the elections in which the ruling Lesotho Congress of Democrats (LCD) won all but one of the 80 parliamentary seats. As the protests continued, members of the LDF mutinied and arrested senior officers whom they forced to resign, prompting Mosisili to ask South Africa to intervene to restore order. The SANDF's and BDF's entry into the mountain kingdom was resisted by sections of the LDF, leading to pitched battles that lasted about three days. At least a dozen LDF members and three SANDF soldiers died in the skirmishes.