Lipholo lamants ill-treatment in prison.

The Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM) leader, Dr Tšepo Lipholo, has alleged severe ill treatment while in detention, claiming that he lost a tooth after being assaulted inside the correctional facility. He also claimed his food was once mixed with powdered soap, which he described as an attempt to humiliate and harm him.

Dr Lipholo made these claims while appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Thamae Thamae in Maseru on Friday last week, where his legal team also argued that the magistrate should recuse himself from presiding over the case. The BCM leader, who is currently detained, is applying for release, asserting that his case has stalled without meaningful progress.

According to Dr Lipholo, the ill-treatment extended to being denied access to the toilet while in court. He said he asked one of the prison warders to inform his lawyer that he needed to use the restroom, leading to a brief adjournment. When the session resumed, however, he informed the magistrate that a senior officer, identified as Makhakhe, had angrily refused to let him go.

Dr Lipholo also told the court that his health had deteriorated during his imprisonment, reiterating that he lost a tooth after being assaulted by chiefs inside the correctional facility and claiming that at one point, his meals had been tampered with, mixed with powdered soap.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Thamae expressed concern over the allegations, Emphasizing that the welfare and dignity of accused persons fall under the court’s protection.

However, the magistrate did not invite prison officers to respond to the allegations, advising instead that any complaints about Dr Lipholo’s treatment should be pursued through his legal representatives.