Assassination attempt slammed
2009-04-22 20:07
Johannesburg - President Kgalema Motlanthe condemned the assassination attempt on Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili on Wednesday.
Mosisili survived an attempt on his life after gunmen opened fire at his home in the capital Maseru.
"SADC (Southern African Development Community) condemns without equivocation the attempted assassination of the democratically elected Prime Minister of Lesotho Pakalitha Mosisili," Motlanthe, who is also the SADC's chair, said in a statement.
"It is the firm view of the region that no cause can ever justify such heinous acts.
"I commend the South African security forces who successfully apprehended two of the perpetrators of this act, and express the hope that no stone will be left unturned in ensuring that all those implicated face the full might of the law," he added.
Privately owned Harvest FM reported that three men were killed in a gunfight with police after a group of heavily-armed men stormed the presidential residence, in what was described as a botched assassination attempt.
According to the broadcaster, one of the men killed was a member of the Lesotho defence force.
Some of the men managed to escape, but a South African and a Mozambican national were arrested and a number of weapons were seized, the report noted.
Mosisili, 64, was elected in 1998 as Lesotho leader. He was defence minister before becoming prime minister.
- SAPA