The High Court in Lesotho will rule whether Prime Minister Thomas Thabane can be charged with the murder of his estranged wife in 2017.

This was the decision of a magistrate after Mr Thabane's lawyers objected to him being charged while in office.

His lawyers said they wanted to approach the Constitutional Court, but the magistrate referred the case to the High Court, which is a lower court.

Mr Thabane previously said he would step down as prime minister in July, resisting pressure from his own party to leave office immediately.