MASERU — The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) national executive committee has lashed out at the opposition for capitalising on the Sir Ketumile Masire’s report to sow confusion in Lesotho. Speaking at a press conference the LCD public relations officer Khotso Matla said the “opposition has gone too far by calling for a stay-away”. Matla […]
MOHALE’S HOEK –– Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili last Sunday told ruling party supporters in Mohale’s Hoek to ignore next week’s stay-away that has been called by opposition parties. Mosisili told about 4 000 supporters of his ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party that the 21 proportional representation (PR) seats at the centre of the […]
MASERU –– Nurses at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital are set to down tools in protest over poor pay and working conditions. Sources at the hospital said the nurses two weeks ago handed a letter to the medical superintendent, Dr Maama Mojela, notifying him of their intention to strike. The Lesotho Times last month reported that […]
MASERU — A group of about 100 opposition supporters yesterday marched in the streets of Maseru and handed a petition to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) requesting that it rectifies the disputed allocation of proportional representation seats. They also petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Ntlhoi Motsamai, to immediately deal with the position of the leader […]
MASERU — Suspended deputy police commissioner Motsotuoa Ntaote is not yet off the hook despite his acquittal on fraud charges last month. The state has appealed against the High Court judgment which acquitted him. High Court Judge Justice Gabriel Mofolo last month acquitted Ntaote of fraud charges saying there was a conspiracy within the police […]
MAFETENG — A 30-year-old man from Likhoele Ha Lempetje in Mafeteng was arrested this week for allegedly killing his pregnant wife. Mafeteng Criminal Investigation Division spokesman, Detective Sergeant Motlalei Phihlela, said the murder suspect is a student at the National University of Lesotho. He said the man allegedly assaulted his wife until she died. The […]
MAFETENG –– Battle lines are drawn between villagers and a diamond mining firm at Ha-Petlane in Kolo about 60 kilometres south of the capital Maseru. Villagers have demanded that Angel Diamond stop all mining exploratory operations because they were damaging their houses. They have also demanded written assurances from Angel Diamond that it will help […]
MAFETENG –– Deputy Prime Minister Lesao Lehohla has been drawn into a tree felling dispute pitting a businessman in Mafeteng against a principal chief in the same district. Mosito Ramahloko, who operates an agricultural inputs business in Mafeteng, accuses the principal chief of Likhoele, Lerotholi Seeiso, of seizing his two diesel-powered chainsaws. Ramahloko says his […]
MASERU — The leader of the main opposition All Basotho Convention (ABC) party, Thomas Thabane, on Monday repeated his call to stage mass protests next month to “straighten out this country”. In an interview with the Lesotho Times a day after he made the protest call, Thabane said the mass job action will go ahead […]
MASERU — The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will meet tomorrow to discuss the implications of Sir Ketumile Masire’s report on the allocation of proportional representation seats in parliament. The meeting will discuss other matters but sources say the main agenda will be the issue of the disputed allocation of seats. The IEC is under immense […]
MASERU — The director of the beleaguered MKM, Simon Thebe ea Khale, is in trouble again. This time it’s not about his alleged failure to pay depositors or operating banking and insurance business. He is facing criminal charges for allegedly failing to report an accident at his company. Thebe ea Khale appeared in the Maseru […]
MASERU – The national executive of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party and youth league are at odds over a letter written by some party youths calling for the dismissal of cabinet ministers. The letter was written to Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili. The executive committee says it does not believe that the letter […]
MASERU –– A letter purportedly written by the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) youth league asking Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili to fire some ministers has caused consternation. The youth leader, Mosala Mojakisane, has disowned the letter but admits the letter was handed to him by a youth league member. He, in turn, handed the letter […]
THE opposition is livid about the allocation of seats. Their anger has heightened following the announcement that the Southern African development Community appointed moderator, Ketumile Masire, was abandoning his mission. The government is adamant that it did not do anything wrong. As part of our search for answers this week we run a lightly edited […]
MASERU –– Disgruntled members of the Lesotho Public Service Staff Association (LEPSSA) have lost their court battle to dissolve the association’s executive committee. The LEPSSA members formed an interim committee in May to replace the incumbent committee which they accused of abusing property and misappropriating funds. They wanted the executive committee to be disbanded so […]
LERIBE –– A police officer accused of soliciting a bribe was sentenced to two years in prison or a fine of M10 000 after the Leribe Magistrate’s Court found him guilty as charged. The officer, Trooper Thabo Shale, 30, was working in the Child and Gender Protection Unit in Leribe. According to evidence presented in […]
MASERU – Judgment in a child mutilation case against Chief Masupha Posholi of Ha Ralimpe in Semonkong and 10 other people has been postponed to August 3. The ruling had to be postponed after Justice ‘Maseshope Hlajoane fell ill and could not make it to court to read the judgment. Chief Posholi together with his […]
QACHA’S NEK –– A 29-year-old man from Ha Moleleki in Qacha’s Nek could not object after being charged with dealing in dagga without a prescription and admitted the drug was his. Moora Makoa was sentenced to one year in prison or a fine of M1 000 by the Qacha’s Nek Magistrate Court for contravening provisions […]
MASERU — A meeting called by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to deal with electoral issues collapsed yesterday after opposition parties insisted they wanted the dispute over parliamentary seats resolved first. The meeting, which was held at Victoria Hotel and attended by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, had to be adjourned after opposition parties said they […]
MASERU — The government has withdrawn a gazette dealing with ministers and legislators’ pensions because of errors. The gazette, issued on May 22, was dealing with pensions and benefits for MPs, the prime minister and ministers. The Public Service principal secretary, Tsukutlane Au, said the gazette had to be withdrawn because it had serious errors. […]
MASERU — The government remains adamant that it did not sabotage the dialogue process with opposition on the dispute over proportional representation seats as Ketumile Masire said in his statement last week. The government has been on the defensive since last week insisting that they did nothing wrong. The opposition has been on the offensive […]
MASERU — Prince Harry says the people of Lesotho will be decimated by Aids if action to fight the disease is not intensified, British tabloid the Daily Express has reported. Harry was speaking an event to celebrate the third anniversary of Sentebale, his charity foundation in Lesotho. “Lesotho is such a wonderful country and is […]
MASERU — A 22-year-old man from Roma was beaten to death by angry villagers who accused him of raping a dog and assaulting two people on Monday last week. Eyewitnesses said Retsélisitsoe Ntlhanngoe from Ha-Mafefooane in Roma was beaten with sticks and stones by the angry mob made up of villagers from Chief ‘Mamohale Maama’s […]
MASERU — The government this week failed to launch an application in a South African court to extradite Makotoko Lerotholi to face charges of armed robbery, abduction and murder. Lerotholi, popularly known as Mashai, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. He was arrested on May 8 and released on June 23 on R2 […]
MASERU — Africa Media Holdings (AMH), publishers of the Lesotho Times, have announced the launch of a new weekly paper to be published every Sunday. The Sunday Express, the country’s first Sunday newspaper, is set to hit the newsstands on August 16 2009. It comes 16 months after the launch of the Lesotho Times. Speaking at a ceremony […]
MASERU – Former president of Botswana Sir Ketumile Masire arrived in Lesotho yesterday to resume talks between the government and opposition parties over the 2007 election dispute. Masire will this morning pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili and His Majesty King Letsie III at the Royal Palace. Masire will meet representatives of […]
MASERU — A police officer is suing the commissioner of police and the attorney general for M3.6 million as compensation for the alleged assault that he suffered at the hands of fellow policemen eight years ago. Bokang Letele claims that he was arrested by the police from the now defunct Counter Crime Unit (CCU) on […]
MOKHOTLONG — Two brothers were last Friday jailed for 10 years each without an option of a fine for raping their 12-year-old niece. The minor fell pregnant and dropped out of school earlier this year after her teachers suspected that she was pregnant. She later confessed to the school authorities that she had been raped […]
MASERU — The Minister of Finance, Timothy Thahane, has blamed the teething problems of the government’s new financial management system on the people whom he says are still to fully understand how it works. Thahane said the problem was not with the system but with some civil servants who were operating it. Suppliers and contractors […]
MASERU — The Thaba-Tseka business community is up in arms against the district administrator over allocation of contracts to traders from other districts. The business people marched to the DA’s office last month wanting him to call for a meeting between them and the district government department heads to explain why they were not getting […]
