…as LECSA schools secretary is accused of misuse of funds
Mathatisi Sebusi
THE Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa (LECSA) is allegedly embroiled in a financial mismanagement scandal, with its schools’ secretary accused of misusing and failing to report funds collected from the church-owned primary and secondary schools.
The LECSA schools’ secretary, Moses Phole, is alleged to have diverted a M50 000 government subvention meant for his office’s annual administration, using it instead for church contributions rather than operational expenses.
LECSA schools reportedly collect annual administration fees of M2 per learner at primary level and M10 per learner at secondary level. The church operates about 500 primary schools and 75 secondary schools nationwide.
Given that LECSA primary schools are free and have an estimated enrolment of about 600 learners each in urban areas and 300 in rural areas, the total collections are believed to run into millions of maloti. Secondary schools are estimated to have around 700 learners each in urban areas and 400 in rural areas.
Mr Phole is further accused of failing to have the office’s books audited since assuming office in 2023. He reportedly only submitted the 2024 financial records for auditing after realising that his conduct was under scrutiny.
A source close to the matter said Mr Phole reports only on the government subvention received, while allegedly failing to disclose funds collected from schools. This, the source said, creates the impression that the office relies solely on government funding.
According to the source, since taking office in 2023, Mr Phole has neither reported nor accounted for school collections, while allegedly diverting the subvention from the ministry.
An audit note by M Putsoa & Associates, dated 4 November 2025, alleges that Mr Phole doctored the 2024 financial records. The auditors raised serious concerns about poor bookkeeping, the omission of the 2023 financial year, and unexplained expenditure.
“We have, in the past, raised the issue of poor bookkeeping or accounting in the Secretariat’s office,” the auditors wrote.
“We note an effort to write an analysis book for the year ended December 2024. Our last audit was in 2022 and there are no financial statements for 2023. How do you explain this gap and what happened to the transactions of that year?”
They further stated that figures in the analysis book were recorded without explanations, making it difficult to allocate expenses accurately.
“We compared the submitted Income and Expenditure Account with data from the analysis book. These do not match, except for a few figures here and there. It gives the impression that the information extracted from vouchers was not properly analysed when recorded,” the auditors stated.
The audit firm also raised concerns over staff loans.
“In previous audits, we requested a policy on salary advances or staff loans, but we are yet to receive it. In October, a loan of M6000 was issued, yet there is no name of the recipient and no evidence of repayment. This practice exposes the Secretariat to abuse and potential loss of funds,” the auditors warned.
They also questioned payments recorded as cellphone expenses and official allowances, noting the absence of any policy governing such benefits.
A colleague who reportedly uncovered the alleged misconduct, Lehlohonolo Mokoena, is said to have warned Mr Phole but was instead threatened with dismissal.
Mr Mokoena subsequently wrote to the Minister of Education and Training, Professor Ntoi Rapapa, on 1 January 2026, alerting him to the alleged unreported funds and misuse of the subvention. He has reportedly not received any response.
In the letter, Mr Mokoena alleged that since 2023, Mr Phole has been collecting administration fees from schools without reporting them to either the ministry or the LECSA board. He further claimed that the subvention intended for administrative purposes is being used to pay church contributions.
“The secretary of LECSA schools has been collecting administration fees from schools since 2003 but has never reported such money to the board and the ministry,” the letter reads. “Every primary school learner pays M2 annually and every high school learner pays M5.”
Mr Mokoena added that once concerns about non-reporting and misuse of funds emerged, Mr Phole rushed to submit the 2024 financial statements for auditing.
The LECSA Schools Secretariat is said to have only been submitting financial reports relating to the subvention received from the Ministry of Education and Training.
However, LECSA Board chairperson, Reverend Nkopane Monyane, has dismissed the allegations, saying all funds collected by the secretary are reported to the board.
“We are waiting for the audit report you are referring to. Its contents will help us establish whether there is cause for concern. We are aware that administration fees are collected annually and that this money is reported to the board,” Rev Monyane said.
On the audit concerns, he said he had not yet seen the report and would consult board minutes to confirm whether all the relevant years had been audited.
“I cannot comment much on the audit issues because I have not seen the report. Now that you have mentioned it, I will demand it so that it can be presented to the board,” he said.
Responding to Mr Mokoena’s letter to the ministry, Rev Monyane claimed Mr Mokoena was driven by personal grievances, alleging dissatisfaction over not being employed on a permanent and pensionable basis.
“He has been fighting colleagues who are permanent and pensionable. When he does not get what he wants, he causes chaos and drags people’s names through the mud,” Rev Monyane said.
Contacted for comment, Mr Phole did not respond to calls made to his mobile phone.
Ministry of Education and Training principal secretary Ratšiu Majara said he was not aware of the letter, suggesting it may have been received by his deputy. He said he would follow up on the matter.
