MASERU — Lesotho’s opposition parties told SADC’s executive secretary, Tomaz Salamao that they have lost confidence in the ability of the regional body to mediate in the ongoing dispute over proportional representation seats. Salamao jetted into the country on Sunday purportedly to check on the progress that the government and the opposition have made to […]
MASERU — A convicted serial rapist yesterday stunned the court when he refused to plead for clemency saying it was tantamount to admitting guilt. Convicts are given an opportunity to address the court and give factors that could lessen the sentence that they face. They may talk about family obligations, ill-health and their state of […]
LERIBE — The government’s proposed Land Bill (2009) has come under a barrage of attacks from opposition parties that have vowed to block it from being passed into law. The opposition says the Bill is the government’s plan to dispossess the poor of their land. The Bill, which was recently tabled in parliament seeks to […]
MASERU — Steven Dlamini, who is facing charges of defrauding the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) of M2.8 million, on Monday pleaded with the Court of Appeal to review his bail application. Dlamini allegedly defrauded the LHDA of M2.8 million in 2004. In 2006 while Dlamini was still attending remand hearings in the magistrates’ court, […]
MASERU — Students at Lerotholi Polytechnic on Monday petitioned the National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS) to speed up the processing of their loans. The president of the Students’ Representative Council, Lesoma Leboneng, said the NMDS was still to process their allowances. The students said they were supposed to get M8 000 each for the first […]
MASERU — Smoke emerges from the cracks of an old wooden door. As you get closer to the house a pungent stench almost over-powers you. It is in Ha-Leqele in Maseru where 39-year-old ‘Matebatso Tlali lies on a make-shift bed. Tlali is suffering from tuberculosis (TB). Tlali pants heavily for fresh air. She is weak […]
By Nat Molomo MASERU — A branch manager at FNB Bank is facing a M15 million lawsuit over harassment which has been linked to an alleged sexual assault against the complainant’s girlfriend employed at the same bank. Retsélisitsoe Tsósane, the manager at FNB’s branch at the Star Lion building in the capital, could find himself […]
By Ntsebeng Motsoeli MASERU — ‘Meisi (not her real name) of Ha-Toloane could not stop blaming herself for the rape of her 15-year-old daughter. She wishes she had done the right thing to report her brother to the police when her daughter first revealed that he had raped her. But because she thought involving the […]
By Bongiwe Zihlangu MASERU — Senkatana leader Lehlohonolo Tséhlana on Wednesday said his party could hold its elective conference for the national executive committee in January next year. “In January we plan to hold our first annual general meeting whereby we will conduct a post-mortem of our party’s successes and failures since its establishment. “There […]
Alcoholic Liver Disease ALCOHOLIC liver disease is damage to the liver that results from excessive drinking of alcohol. It is a common but preventable health problem. In general, the amount of alcohol consumed determines the risk and the degree of liver damage. Women are more vulnerable to liver disease than men. In women who drink […]
By Tefo Tefo MASERU — Six former Precious Garments factory workers who are on death row on Monday begged the Court of Appeal to quash their sentences imposed by the High Court three years ago. High Court Judge ‘Maseshophe Hlajoane found the six — five men and a woman — guilty of brutally killing their […]
IT seems that road accidents and deaths have now become the new face of the annual graduation season as shown by the story you carried last week. It was reported that at least 35 road accidents happened during the graduation weekend two weeks ago. Every year we read about cars involved in serious road accidents […]
ROMA — Some senior government officials recently suggested that the government stops subsidising the National University of Lesotho (NUL) saying there was a clear indication that management at the university were mismanaging funds, the Lesotho Times can reveal. Several sources in the ministry of finance’s upper echelons told this paper that there had been a […]
MASERU — Workers at Sky Country Pty (Ltd), a meat wholesale in the Pitso ground area boycotted work last Saturday morning to protest against what they said were poor working conditions at the company. The workers accuse their employer who they say they knew only as Chen of deliberately breaking the law by paying wages […]
MASERU — About 30 people suffered minor injuries in 35 accidents that happened in and around Maseru during the National University of Lesotho’s graduation weekend, the police have said. Superintendent William Mosili said seven people were also arrested over the weekend for traffic offences. Mosili said most of the arrests were related to driving under […]
MASERU — The president of the main opposition All Basotho Convention (ABC) youth league says Basotho students studying in South Africa should be allowed to get internships there. Libe Moremoholo said the ABC youth league had engaged their counterparts at the African National Congress (ANC) to push for the change. Moremoholo said the youth league […]
MASERU — Ten LGI Sales factory workers yesterday appeared in the magistrates’ court to answer theft charges brought against them by their employer. The workers, seven men and three women, allegedly stole clothes from the LGI Sales factory in May this year. The prosecution alleges that they stole clothes worth M372 000 from the LGI […]
MASERU — Thakane Matsoai says she is still traumatised two weeks after armed robbers threatened to shoot her during a robbery at her sand distributing company in Maseru. One of the robbers drew a pistol and ordered Matsoai to give him some money. She complied and handed over M6 200 to one of the robbers. […]
MOKHOTLONG — A 27-year-old man was on Saturday found dead near a cliff in Ntsiking in Mokhotlong. Rethabile Motokoa’s body was found naked below the cliff by villagers who alerted the police. The police suspect that he could have fallen from the cliff but they are not ruling out foul play as investigations into the […]
MASERU — In Moruthane village there is a little hut that is falling apart. The roof looks like it’s about to curve in. The walls have huge cracks. The yard looks neglected. Until you knock on a broken wooden door it’s nearly impossible to imagine that such a hovel can be somebody’s home. Yet when […]
MASERU — A former captain alleged to have been involved in the 2007 political disturbances has spoken out about his brutal torture at the hands of military police officers who accused him of being linked to the All Basotho Convention (ABC) party. Ramabele Mokhantsó said he was subjected to electric shocks, suffocation and beating by […]
MASERU — Police Commissioner ‘Malejaka Letooane escaped jail last week after Chief Justice Mahapela Lehohla granted her the right to appeal at the High Court. The judgement was delivered ex tempore last Wednesday meaning that the written reasons will be given at a later date. Chief Justice Lehohla heard the case after it had ping-ponged […]
MORIJA — A mining company based in Morija has accused the leader of a local labour union of trying to push it to violate the law. Moradi Crushers, a quarry mining company said the secretary general of the Construction and Allied Workers Union (CAWULE), Thabo Thelingoane has been harassing them. The company has since asked […]
“It all began on June 14 2007. The LDF Commander had called a meeting strictly attended by officers whose agenda was unknown until it started. It is the norm for the commander to announce his meeting’s agenda on the spot. In the meeting the commander addressed the issue of weaponry allegedly stolen from soldiers guarding […]
MASERU — The case in which a former police officer is suing the police commissioner for alleged torture suffered at the hands of fellow officers resumed on Tuesday with one of the accused alleging that the officer had made up the story. Bokang Letele who retired from the force six months ago is claiming M3.6 […]
NUL stirs into action to slow spread of HIV among students MASERU — When Lebo (not his real name) enrolled for a course at the National University of Lesotho in 2003 all he wanted was a degree to help him secure a job. He was studying Public Administration and Political Science. The degree would be […]
MASERU — Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili (pictured) says he has little time remaining in power as the leader of the government and the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party. Mosisili said this while speaking on Tuesday at a press conference to brief the media about his trip to the African Union Summit in […]
MASERU — Three money lending companies being sued for overcharging on interest say they are entitled to charge extra fees over the stipulated 25 percent interest on loans they offer to their clients. This was said during High Court proceedings yesterday in a case in which over 100 civil servants are suing Select Management Services, […]
MASERU — A man from Sehlabeng yesterday committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in an attempt to escape arrest after he allegedly robbed a sand distributing company, Lehlabatheng. His accomplice is in police custody. According to the police who collected the body the bullet penetrated his skull and got out through the other […]
MASERU — A 27-year-old police officer, Lesia Rakhoba, will serve the next 20 years in jail after he was convicted of fatally shooting his father for calling him a “a pig” last September. Rakhoba in a mad rage also shot and killed his brother, Fusi Rakhoba, and seriously injured another brother, Morake Rakhoba at Likoting […]
