MASERU — The High Court will deliver judgment tomorrow on an application in which the Law Society of Lesotho is challenging the conferment of the title of King’s Counsel (KC) on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Leaba Thetsane. Thetsane is one of senior lawyers who were conferred with the title of King’s Counsel by […]
MASERU — A warrant of arrest has been issued for a suspected robber who skipped bail a few minutes before he was due to appear in the Maseru Magistrate’s Court last Friday. Sello Maphepa, 33, had come to court on Friday to face trial for allegedly robbing an omnibus in Ha-Abia in 2009. Just before […]
MASERU — The ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) MPs together with their National Independent Party (NIP) allies on Friday rejected a motion by the opposition to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate how many foreigners have gained land unlawfully in Lesotho. The motion, tabled by the leader of the opposition Marematlou Freedom […]
MASERU — Youth Minister ’Mathabiso Lepono on Monday said the recently introduced national youth volunteer programme is above board rejecting opposition charges that the project was being run along partisan lines. Lepono said it was virtually impossible for the government to tamper with the selection process to allow members of the ruling Lesotho Congress for […]
MASERU — A pastor of a local church has been accused of being a “crook” after he allegedly refused to repay a loan he got from a daughter of one of his parishioners. Reverend Selengoane Tsikoane of the Abandoned Church is being sued by Lindiwe Morrison who alleges that he refused to repay the M14 […]
HOLOLO — A rugged road. A clinic far from the people. Villagers ravaged by HIV and Aids. Rampant unemployment. Welcome to Hololo constituency, one of the places where poverty has sunk its roots — perhaps permanently. One would have expected that this would form the crux of any candidate’s last major campaign in the constituency. […]
HOLOLO — There is something about the Hololo by-election that seems to bother the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party. To understand what’s really nagging them you have to look at how the people of Hololo voted in the 2007 general election. The ruling party romped home but with only a mere 700 votes […]
MASERU — The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has for the first time accredited 66 opposition All Basotho Convention (ABC) party activists to observe this weekend’s three by-elections. The ABC activists are among the 112 election observers who have been accredited by the IEC to observe the by-elections in Mpharane, Sebapala and Hololo constituencies this Saturday. […]
AFTER a two-week hiatus, I guess we should start this instalment with a multiple-choice quiz. How would you best describe Rantelali Shea, the Lesotho Workers Party PR legislator? A. Silly B. Vey silly Don’t scratch your head until it’s bald because the answer is . . . C. All of the above. Honestly, Scrutator […]
MASERU — The agriculture ministry will have a “crisis” stakeholders’ meeting on the state of the agricultural sector and food security in Lesotho from June 2 to 4, the Lesotho Times can tell. The ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, Liteboho Mofubetsoana, yesterday told this paper that a wide spectrum of stakeholders in agricultural affairs including farmers, […]
MASERU — The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has reversed its decision to fire nurses and their assistants who went on strike last Monday protesting against poor working conditions and meagre salaries. Last Thursday the principal secretary in the health ministry Kararabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana informed the striking Queen Elizabeth II Hospital health workers through a […]
MASERU — Police confiscated fake R200 notes worth R93 000 from five men in Butha-Buthe last week. The three Basotho and two South African men are currently in police custody awaiting trial, said police spokesperson Masupha Masupha. They will be charged with possession of counterfeit notes. “The Butha-Buthe police got a tip-off from one member […]
MASERU — DHL Lesotho has introduced pre-noon import deliveries backed by on-time guarantees, the courier company has announced. This follows a move by DHL Express to further expand its import express services on a worldwide basis. According to DHL Lesotho, the service is aimed at customers who receive shipments from production facilities or suppliers in […]
MASERU — Veteran Radio Lesotho presenter, Motlatsi Ncholu, who was facing a charge of sexual harassment, is finally a free man after the crown lost interest in prosecuting his case. Ncholu was charged with unlawfully, wrongfully and intentionally committing a sexual act with a 15-year-old girl by fondling her at Quthing, about 152 kilometres south […]
MASERU — A 26-year-old man from Ha-Molungoa was this week slapped with an eight-year jail term by the Maseru Magistrate’s Court for raping a 29-year-old woman at gun point. Monyane Rasekoai had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Magistrate Senekal Qobolo sentenced him to eight years in prison without an option of a fine. Magistrate […]
MOHALE’S HOEK — Mpharane is usually a very quiet place. People here talk about cattle diseases, the rains and the harvest. Politics is discussed in hushed voices unless they are having a traditional brew and the liquor has freed everyone’s tongue. Yet on Sunday the tranquility and hushed political discussions came to a brief end. […]
MPHARANE — The ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) government has run down the country because its leaders are more concerned with enriching themselves than alleviating poverty, according to All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader Thomas Thabane. Thabane made the remarks at a campaign rally in Mpharane on Sunday. The ABC is contesting the by-election in […]
MASERU — The management of Boliba Savings and Credit (BSC) says some members of the co-operative are plotting with the government to shut down the bank. BSC is owned by Boliba Multipurpose Co-operative Society (BMCS) which is owned by 50 Basotho who invested varying amounts when it started a decade ago in 2000. BSC’s acting […]
MASERU — In a rare show of unity opposition and ruling party MPs this week ganged up and pushed for the political editor of the Sunday Express and Lesotho Times to be thrown out of parliament. The MPs were not happy with the way Bongiwe Zihlangu reported the story about how they were going to […]
MASERU — Deputy Prime Minister Lesao Lehohla yesterday paid tribute to the late Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) governor Motlatsi Matekane saying he did a lot to uplift Lesotho’s economy. Lehohla was speaking at a memorial service for the late central bank chief held at Lehakoe Club in Maseru. Matekane died of cancer two […]
MAFETENG — A senior education officer for Mafeteng district, Thabang Lesenya, has appeared in court to answer charges of fraud. The charge sheet indicates that Lesenya falsely misrepresented to three individuals that he would offer them a school catering job if they paid him some money. Lesenya then demanded M9 500, M6 000 and M1 […]
MASERU — A Maseru man, Nyakasela Tetsa, is suing Police Commissioner ‘Malejaka Letooane for M49 591 after he was assaulted by two police officers two years ago. Tetsa on Tuesday told High Court Judge Nthomeng Majara that the police officers assaulted him for no valid reason. He said he was summoned to Mabote Police Station […]
MASERU — Six schools in Maseru took part in a tree planting and cleaning campaign at Lesotho High School last Friday. The campaign was organised by the Geography and Environment Movement (GEM) in conjunction with Lesotho Sun Hotel. The students planted trees and flowers at the school. The chairperson of the movement, ‘Malintle Kheleli, said […]
MASERU — A 48-year-old man from Ha-Jobo in Thaba-Bosiu was on Tuesday slapped with a 15-year jail term without an option of a fine for raping a four-year old girl. The Maseru Magistrate’s Court found that on April 26 the man unlawfully and intentionally had sexual intercourse with the minor. He was charged with violating […]
MASERU — A senior Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) official, Sam Mashinini, on Saturday lambasted factory owners in Lesotho for paying “pitiable” salaries to workers. Mashinini, who is Cosatu’s provincial secretary general for the Free State province, said it was a shame that factory workers in Lesotho were earning salaries that were not […]
MASERU — Two magistrates on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of defeating the ends of justice after they set free an alleged fraudster five years ago. ‘Mampai Lesupi and Itumeleng Letsika are accused of tampering with court records to show that fraud charges levelled against Stephen Dlamini had been withdrawn. Dlamini was, together with […]
METOLONG — There are rumblings of discontent in Metolong, a village about 30 kilometres north-east of Maseru. Metolong is the site of the giant Metolong Dam, one of Lesotho’s biggest water projects in recent years. Construction of the dam is scheduled to begin in October and is expected to finish in 2012. The project seeks […]
MASERU — The executive and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) have played a major role in undermining the administration of justice, an opposition MP has told a Law Society inquiry into the problems affecting Lesotho’s judiciary. Parliament too has become part of the problems, said MP Sello Maphalla, who is the deputy leader of the […]
MASERU — Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili yesterday said youths have a key role to play in the development of the country. Mosisili was speaking at the launch of the National Volunteer Corps programme at a local hotel in Maseru yesterday. The National Volunteer Corps is an initiative of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation […]
MASERU — Opposition MPs drove Youth Minister ‘Mathabiso Lepono to the brink of tears with hostile responses after she announced the launch of the National Volunteer Youth Corps programme in parliament on Tuesday. Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili launched the National Volunteer Youth Corps at a local hotel in Maseru yesterday. Lepono got hostile responses from […]
