Ts'enolo FM Current Affairs Host Shot Dead in Maseru; Unsolved Attacks on Media Practitioners Continue

Maseru, Lesotho - Ralikonelo 'Leqhashasha' Joki, the current affairs program host for Ts'enolo FM, was fatally shot on the night of Sunday, May 14, 2023, in Maseru, writes Keiso Mohloboli.

The incident adds to the growing list of unsolved murders and attempted murders targeting media practitioners in Lesotho and Southern Africa.

Joki, 44, was gunned down by unidentified assailants around 10 pm as he left the radio station premises and headed home. Colleagues immediately contacted the police and soldiers, who arrived at the crime scene and declared him dead.

He is survived by his heavily pregnant wife and three sons.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, local Facebook accounts bearing names such as Enock Enock and TP Fox initiated an online death threat campaign against Joki as early as March 2023, accusing him of bias, negligence, and unprofessional behaviour in his radio program, "Lehlokoana la tsela" (meaning "anonymous informant" in informal Sesotho).

Providing details of the incident, Ts'enolo FM's station manager, Tshabalala Mshengu, stated, "Two unknown assailants shot at the deceased's car outside the station's gate. The vehicle lost control and collided with a shop wall across from the station. He sustained gunshot wounds to the head and body."

In a brief statement to this publication, Joki's father, speaking on behalf of the family, revealed the extent of his son's injuries: "He suffered a close-range gunshot wound to the head, three wounds on the left arm, and four wounds on the left side of the body. Although I am no expert in shootings or crime scenes, I believe the fatal shot to the head indicates the assailant's proximity. The preliminary postmortem examination revealed broken ribs, a ruptured bladder, and damaged kidneys."

MISA Lesotho and the Committee for the Protection of Journalists strongly condemn this heinous act and call upon the government to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into Joki's murder.

The continued targeting of media practitioners underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures and the protection of press freedom in Lesotho.