1.   Police were investigating possible charges of murder and stock theft.

2.   Makoakoa Lekunuthu, a farmer from Lesotho, accused local chiefs and police from both countries of being involved in stock theft.

3.   The clashes could have been caused by stock theft or revenge for an earlier incident, Nqadini said.

4.   The family belonged to an organization that gathered information on stock theft and cattle rustling whose members have been the target of revenge attacks in the past.

5.   The killings, in the traditional Xhosa homeland, are believed to be related to stock thefts and related revenge attacks.

6.   Building on his tough reputation, the general promises to uproot growing lawlessness in Lesotho that has seen stock theft, robbery and rape soar.

7.   But police spokesman Superintendent Thamae Lenka downplayed the fears, explaining that evidence pointed to cross-border stock theft.

8.   The plan is a short-term programme focusing on flashpoints of serious crimes such as murder, armed robberies, car theft, political violence and stock theft.

9.   Stock theft has been a problem along the Lesotho-South Africa border for years, prompting South African farmers to hire security companies to look after their cattle.