Unsolved · charges withdrawn
The Unsolved Murder of Lipolelo Thabane
Lipolelo Thabane was killed and Thato Sebolla wounded in Ha Masana in 2017. Charges against two defendants were withdrawn in 2022 when critical witnesses could not be located.
Lesotho true crime: documented cases and unresolved investigations
Direct answer: The Lesotho archive currently contains one unresolved case file: the murder of Lipolelo Thabane, who was shot while travelling home in Ha Masana outside Maseru on 14 June 2017. Her acquaintance Thato Sebolla survived gunshot injuries. Thomas Thabane and Maesaiah Thabane were later charged, denied involvement, and had the charges against them withdrawn on 26 July 2022 after prosecutors said critical witnesses could not be located. No person has been convicted, so the archive classifies the case as unsolved and does not treat any allegation as established fact.
1 documented case0 solved cases1 unresolved caseLast reviewed: 22 October 2026
Original editorial illustration; not a photograph, crime-scene image or depiction of Lipolelo Thabane, any accused person or physical evidence.
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Solved cases
Cases appear here only when reliable records establish criminal responsibility through a documented judgment or equivalent final resolution.
No Lesotho case is currently published in this section.
Unsolved cases
Documented cases in which no person has been convicted and the available proceedings did not establish who committed the crime.
How this archive classifies the case
A charge is not a conviction
Thomas Thabane and Maesaiah Thabane were charged and both denied involvement. The archive reports those proceedings without identifying either former defendant as a perpetrator.
Withdrawal is a legal outcome
The Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the charges in July 2022 because critical witnesses could not be located. The case did not reach a verdict establishing criminal responsibility.
Unresolved does not invite speculation
Witness-security concerns and the failed prosecution are documented. They do not prove who ordered, planned or carried out the attack.
Frequently asked questions
How many Lesotho case files are published?
One: the unresolved 2017 murder of Lipolelo Thabane.
Is the murder solved?
No. Charges against two defendants were withdrawn in 2022, and no one has been convicted.
Where did the attack happen?
In Ha Masana, outside Maseru, while Lipolelo was travelling home on 14 June 2017.
Who else was harmed?
Lipolelo's acquaintance Thato Sebolla was shot and survived. Some reporting spells the surname Sibolla.
Why were the charges withdrawn?
Prosecutors said critical witnesses could not be located. Earlier reporting documented threats, flight and the death of a person regarded as a key witness.