…as Prime Minister Thomas Thabane flees to South Africa Staff Reporters ANARCHY reigned in Lesotho yesterday after Prime Minister Thomas Thabane fled into South Africa as the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) staged what the premier has since described as a coup d’état. On a day of high drama, many nervous Basotho, including ministers and senior government […]
Keiso Mohloboli THE LESOTHO Congress for Democracy (LCD) Deputy Secretary General, Tšeliso Mokhosi, yesterday said the LCD-led march which had been earmarked for tomorrow has since been cancelled. The march was aimed at putting pressure on Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to lift the nine-month suspension of parliament which he effected on 10 June 2014 at […]
Premier insists Lieutenant General Kamoli is no longer army commander Staff Reporters PRIME Minister Thomas Thabane has assured Basotho that he remains in charge of the government and will shortly be back in the country to assert his authority after Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli’s attempt to stage a coup. The Prime Minister also insisted that he had fired Lt […]
Keiso Mohloboli LIEUTENANT General Tlali Kamoli says he is still the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) commander despite a statement to the contrary issued by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s Press Secretary, Thabo Thakalekoala, yesterday. In an interview with the Sunday Express, Lt General Kamoli scoffed at Mr Thakalekoala’s radio announcement, insisting he remained the LDF boss. Mr […]
Billy Ntaote NEWLY-APPOINTED Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, escaped unharmed when unknown gunmen attacked his Koalabata home yesterday morning. Lieutenant General Mahao was appointed the new LDF boss on Friday, taking over from Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, according to an Extraordinary Government Gazette Volume 59 published on Friday 29 August 2014. […]
Lekhetho Ntsukunyane A Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) sub-inspector was shot dead, while three constables were seriously injured during yesterday’s clashes between the police and members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF). The violence, which took place at Maseru Central Police Station, Police Headquarters and Ha-Mabote Police Station, started at around 3am and resulted in […]
SUSPECTS held at the police headquarters in Maseru have been released following the storming of government and police buildings and jamming of radio stations by military units today. The army units have since left the police headquarters but left anarchy in their wake as police had fled the building fearing for their safety. Due […]
SUSPENDED Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao survived an assassination attempt at 4 am this morning after his Koalabata home was attacked by suspected armed soldiers. Brigadier Mahao managed to escape unscathed from the attack in which his dog was shot dead and three cars were partly destroyed. According to family spokesperson, Lehloenya Mahao, […]
Lekhetho Ntsukunyane PROMINENT Lesotho businessman, Edward Poone, was arrested in Kimberley, South Africa, on Friday last week for allegedly illegally dealing in diamonds. Mr Poone briefly appeared before the Kimberly Magistrate’s Court on Monday this week, alongside 26 other suspected illegal diamond dealers. All the 27 suspects were released on bail of between M30 […]
Public Prosecutor Leaba Thetsane and Attorney General Tšokolo Makhethe still coming to terms with their unceremonious removal from office Keiso Mohloboli Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Advocate Leaba Thetsane (King’s Counsel) and Attorney General (AG) Tšokolo Makhethe say they are in a state of “shock” after being “forcibly evicted” from their respective offices by […]
ABC-linked UTTA accused of planning to stop next week’s LCD-led march Billy Ntaote and Bongiwe Zihlangu Lesotho will sit on a knife edge on Monday as the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) embarks on protests to force Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to end the prorogation (suspension) of Parliament amid fears that the planned demonstrations […]
. . . as Sejanamane contests Mahao appointment Keiso Mohloboli NATIONAL University of Lesotho (NUL) Acting Vice Chancellor Mafa Sejanamane is challenging the appointment of Nqosa Mahaoas the substantive vice chancellor of Lesotho’s largest university, effectively arguing that he should have been considered for the post. Professor Sejanamane outlines his concerns in a letter […]
Tefo Tefo THE High Court on Monday this week ordered the Ministry of Health Principal Secretary (PS), Lefu Manyokole, to apologise “within two days”, for disobeying an instruction issued by Justice Molefi Makara on 19 March this year. The order followed Mr Monyokole’s arrest on Monday morning after the High Court issued a warrant […]
Tefo Tefo THE corruption trial of former Natural Resources Minister Monyane Moleleki has been postponed yet again due to his illness. The case was set to proceed for the whole of this week beginning Tuesday, but Acting Chief Justice Tšeliso Monaphathi postponed it to 10 September 2014 after Mr Moleleki’s lawyer, Advocate Salemane Phafane […]
Bongiwe Zihlangu DEPUTY Prime Minister (DPM) Mothetjoa Metsing is hoping next Monday’s “peaceful march” against the current prorogation of parliament would “finally drive the message home”. Mr Metsing’s Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) is set to lead the march to urge Prime Minister Thomas Thabane to lift the nine-month prorogation he requested King Letsie […]
Billy Ntaote THE Lesotho Council of Nongovernmental Organisations (LCN) leadership yesterday vowed to continue lobbying for “peace and a stable democracy” regardless of allegations they betrayed the nation at the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit held in Zimbabwe. The LCN stands accused of plotting Lesotho’s failure to assume the chairmanship of the […]
Billy Ntaote THE All Basotho Convention (ABC) and Basotho National Party (BNP) have cancelled plans for party supporters to descend on Moshoeshoe I International Airport today to give Prime Minister Thomas Thabane a “hero’s welcome”, due to fears of violence. ABC leader Dr Thabane and BNP leader Thesele ‘Maseribane arrive in Lesotho this morning […]
Tefo Tefo ARGUMENTS on whether former Natural Resources Minister, Monyane Moleleki’s corruption case should proceed or not would be made on Tuesday next week when the trial is set to start before the High Court. This decision was made on Monday this week when state and defence lawyers met in Acting Chief Justice […]
’Mantoetse Maama The police are yet to make any arrests regarding the theft of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs from Paki Health Centre of Mazenod two weeks ago. According to Superintendent ’Mapuleng Setsomi of Mazenod Police Station, the “large quantity” of ARVs was stolen from the clinic on the night of 5 August. “The Paki manager […]
…accused of sabotaging Lesotho’s SADC Organ chairmanship Billy Ntaote THE Lesotho Council of Nongovernmental Organisations (LCN) leaders are fighting to clear themselves of any wrongdoing after being accused of influencing Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to deny the country chairmanship of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation last weekend. Prime […]
Tefo Tefo FOUR Lerotholi Polytechnic students appeared before the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on Monday this week charged with two counts of murder. The students — Abiel Mokete (19) from Le-Coop in Mafeteng, Refiloe Mohale (21) from Wepner also in Mafeteng, Moloi Makoanyane (20) from Baroeng in Butha-Buthe and Tseko Sebata (23) from Likhutlong — […]
Bongiwe Zihlangu LESOTHO failed to secure the highly anticipated Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation chairmanship on Sunday due to the country’s political instability and bad blood between the army and police. According to Sports Minister Thesele ‘Maseribane, the on-going bickering between the leadership of the three ruling […]
Bongiwe Zihlangu FAILURE by Lesotho to secure the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (OPDS), is an embarrassment and a lesson for politicians to always take their responsibilities seriously, analysts say. According to commentators who spoke to the Lesotho Times this week, losing the leadership […]
Tefo Tefo THE fate of suspended Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Brigadier, Maaparankoe Mahao, is still hanging in the balance after the Military Court on Monday postponed his case indefinitely for Judge Advocate Lieutenant Baholo Matobo to make his ruling. Brigadier Mahao was suspended on 15 January this year for allegedly “behaving in an unbecoming […]
Govt denies selling US property . . . American media reports claim Lesotho has sold, for $7.6 million, a Manhattan building government acquired in 1989 Lekhetho Ntsukunyane LESOTHO authorities this week shot down American media reports that government had sold its building in Manhattan, New York, for $7.6 million (about M82.3 million). According to the […]
Keiso Mohloboli THE Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Selibe Mochoboroane, found himself with two principal secretaries (PS) this week, leaving him at a loss as to his next course of action. This was after Nonkululeko Zaly — who was fired as the ministry’s PS early this year after constantly clashing with then communications […]
Lekhetho Ntsukunyane TALKS aimed at resolving a “misunderstanding” between Letšeng Diamond Mine and the Maluti Community Development Forum (MCDF) over the proposed establishment of an abattoir in Mokhotlong, begin this afternoon at Senqu Hotel. Last month, the mine indicated its intention to establish a slaughterhouse for the Mokhotlong community, where it is located, drawing […]
Tsitsi Matope Queen Elizabeth II Hospital is back to life once again, with the cry of babies following medical interventions that induce a little pain to save their fragile lives, confirming the rise from the ashes of this erstwhile epicenter of Lesotho’s health sector. Yesterday morning, some heavily pregnant women could be seen inside […]
Lekhetho Ntsukunyane LEROTHOLI Polytechnic students have been warned not to attend the funerals of their colleagues, Motlatsi Matete and Tokelo Masiu, whose bodies were found along Mohokare River last month. According to both grieving families, the students should stay away from the burials, set for this coming weekend and next week, or face unspecified action. […]
Deputy premier says religious leaders only answer to Lesotho’s political woes Billy Ntaote DEPUTY Prime Minister (DPM) Mothetjoa Metsing says Lesotho should establish an “all-inclusive” structure led by church-leaders, which would decide what the country needs to adopt from a report submitted last month by the Commonwealth’s Expert Adviser to Lesotho, Rajen Prasad. The […]
