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Herald Reporter
Police in Lesotho have launched an investigation into the case in which Zimbabwean journalist and Lesotho Times editor Lloyd Mutungamiri was shot and seriously injured by unknown assailants at his house in Maseru, Lesotho, in unclear circumstances at midnight on Saturday.

He was found bleeding in his car with a bullet in his jaw by his wife Tsitsi Matope, who had heard several gunshots coming from outside their house at Thamae residential area.

Mutungamiri is receiving treatment at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital in Maseru.

According to media reports, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service are still not certain on what might have prompted the shooting.

Spokesperson Superintendent Clifford Molefe was quoted as saying: “The incident occurred around 23:30 hours on Saturday and we are still investigating what could be the cause of this tragedy. The public will be informed once the investigations are completed.”

On Sunday, Matope was quoted as saying she suspected the army of attempting to assassinate her husband following stories that had been published.

She said she had no doubt that the shooting was linked to a recent story published by the newspaper revealing secret negotiations about an exit package for Lesotho’s army commander Lieutenant-General Tlali Kamoli.

The army chief was unhappy with the story, which suggested that he was demanding more than R40 million.

Mutungamiri and the reporter who wrote the story were briefly detained by police on June 23.