…as wife lands top refugee post
Hopolang Mokhopi
THE Matelile legislator, Maimane Maphathe, appears to have finally been “rewarded” by the ruling Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) after ditching the opposition Democratic Congress (DC) to bolster the party’s presence in Parliament, the Lesotho Times can reveal.
Sources say Mr Maphathe’s wife, Nthati Mosebi Maphathe, has been appointed Commissioner of Refugees in the Department of Home Affairs—a coveted government position.
Mr Maphathe left the DC for RFP in April last year, claiming his move was driven by business ambitions rather than political rivalry.
“At this point, I am preparing to retire from politics in the next two years and focus on business. Politics has become expensive. Competing with someone like Lebona (Lephema), who is my best friend and a billionaire, is impractical. He can invest M70 million in elections, or M40 million across constituencies in just three months. How does one compete against that?” Mr Maphathe said then.
He added: “I want to establish a construction company, and since the RFP is in power, working with them would facilitate that process. I am not leaving the DC out of spite. Unlike those fighting for political positions, my departure is purely driven by a different vision.”
Wife’s appointment
Ms Maphathe was one of three candidates shortlisted by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police for the position of Commissioner of Refugees. The others were Monaheng Ramakatsa and former Acting Commissioner of Refugees Nthatisi Thabane.
All three candidates underwent psychometric evaluations on 23 June 2025.
However, a source close to the process alleged that Ms Thabane was deliberately disqualified to eliminate competition and pave the way for Ms Maphathe’s appointment.
“You will recall that a Member of Parliament crosses the floor only when he is promised something better in the opposite party. It is therefore clear that Mr Maphathe is now being rewarded by giving his wife this lucrative job,” the source said.
“She was a lecturer at one of the local universities, so we cannot say she has experience in refugee matters.
“Just look at how ’M’e Nthatisi was eliminated. She was first suspended without clear reasons, only on allegations that she was being investigated for corruption. By law, a civil servant cannot be suspended for more than three months, but her suspension was extended after the initial three months lapsed. This was done to make way for Mr Maphathe’s wife, because ’M’e Nthatisi was the most deserving candidate and the strongest contender.
“It makes no sense that her suspension resulted in her disqualification from the recruitment process. It was a calculated political game,” the source alleged.
Contacted for comment, Mr Maphathe said his wife was deserving of the position and dismissed suggestions of political influence.
“I cannot respond to these issues. That person is qualified for the position. She went through interviews and psychometric testing and was successful. I therefore cannot comment on her matters,” Mr Maphathe said.
Ms Maphathe, for her part, laughed off the allegations.
“Who said I got this job as a reward? I believe it is that Qeme Member of Parliament. Don’t make me laugh. You have made my day.
“I have just come from a long meeting and I am now busy working in the fields here at home in Matelile, so I cannot talk to you regarding this matter,” Ms Maphathe said.
Thabane’s court challenge
Ms Thabane has since approached the High Court, seeking to review and set aside the recruitment process for the Commissioner of Refugees post, arguing that her disqualification was unlawful. Her case is scheduled to be heard on 9 February 2026.
In her court papers, Ms Thabane, who has been acting Commissioner of Refugees since October 2024, alleges that her suspension was deliberately designed to remove her from contention for the substantive post.
She was suspended on 24 June 2025 by the ministry’s then Principal Secretary, ’Mamphaka Mabesa, who cited corruption investigations and stated that the suspension would not exceed three months. Ms Thabane says she was shocked when Dr Mabesa extended the suspension by a further three months on 16 September 2025, allegedly to allow for a “thorough and impartial investigation”, albeit with full pay.
Ms Thabane states that the Commissioner of Refugees post was advertised in January 2025 while she was acting in the position. She applied and was subsequently sent to the United States for training under the American International Visitors Leadership Programme.
She further states that around 8 June 2025, she met the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Lebona Lephema, to discuss delays in processing refugee status applications and was later sent to Mozambique for further training.
On 25 June 2025, she was served with a letter placing her on suspension for three months. She says she wrote to Dr Mabesa seeking permission to participate in Public Service Commission interviews for the post, but her request was denied.
Despite being shortlisted, Ms Thabane was excluded from the recruitment process. She initially challenged her suspension in the Labour Court and sought an interdict to halt the recruitment process, but the court declined, allowing the process to proceed in her absence. She later turned to the High Court following the extension of her suspension in September 2025.
She declined to comment when contacted by this reporter.
“I cannot comment on the issue since it is the subject of my court case which is yet to be heard, and that might jeopardise it,” Ms Thabane said.
On Tuesday, Ms Thabane was also charged in the Maseru Magistrates’ Court for allegedly issuing refugee certificates illegally while acting as Commissioner of Refugees. She was released on M5 000 bail.
RFP stance
RFP spokesperson, Mokhethi Shelile, declined to comment on allegations that Ms Maphathe’s appointment was a reward for her husband’s defection to the ruling party, simply saying: “No comment.”
