…Former DPM Metsing fingered in scam
…while police boss Matsoso denies involvement
Mohloai Mpesi
THE Anglican Church of Southern Africa is said to be embroiled in a M5 million debt saga stemming from alleged financial mismanagement and corruption within the church.
According to a letter seen by the Lesotho Times, written by Reverend Maieane Makalo Khaketla and addressed to Bishop Vicentia Kgabe, the church is drowning in the M5 million debt.
In the letter titled “The Five Million Maloti Diocesan Debt”, Rev Khaketla offers to assist in settling the debt, on condition that the Archbishop of Cape Town, Rev Thabo Makgoba, releases a long-awaited report by Bishop Ndwandwe.
According to Rev Khaketla, Bishop Ndwandwe was appointed by Rev Makgoba to establish a commission in Lesotho to investigate alleged embezzlement of church funds in 2016.
At the time, Bishop Ndwandwe was serving as the Bishop of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Rev Khaketla says although the commission completed its investigations and submitted the report to Rev Makgoba, it was never released. Consequently, the church remains unaware of the report’s contents.
“I attended the diocesan meeting you called at Christ the Healer, Lithoteng, on Saturday the 12th instant, to discuss the above-mentioned matter. This letter is in response to your call regarding the huge debts that the diocese finds itself in,” Rev Khaketla wrote.
“I am writing to offer to assist the diocese with the payment of the M5 million debt, but only under the following three conditions:
“Firstly, the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, should immediately release the report of the Bishop Ndwandwe Commission on the Status of the Diocese of Lesotho. The Commission sat in Maseru from 25 to 30 May 2016 and presented its findings to the archbishop,” Rev Khaketla wrote.
He further stipulated that a forensic audit must be conducted into all the church’s financial records, and that the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) should resume its investigation into the matter.
“You should order the forensic audit of the books of the Anglican Church of Lesotho, the Anglican Training Centre, and St James Mission Hospital from 2015 to 2019. I promise to assist with the audit fees.
“You should also request the DCEO to resume its investigation into the Anglican Church’s accounts in local commercial banks and the Diocesan investment with the Central Bank of Lesotho. These investigations were unilaterally stopped by the then Director in September 2016,” he said.
When contacted for comment, Rev Khaketla confirmed the authenticity of the letter and said after Bishop Ndwandwe’s commission (whose report they never received), they reported the matter to the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), who then referred them to the DCEO, which subsequently began investigations.
“In 2016, I raised concerns that the church’s money was being misused. We wrote to the Archbishop of Cape Town to address the matter. He delegated Bishop Ndwandwe to establish a commission to investigate. The commission sat and submitted its findings to the archbishop, but he has not released the report to this day,” he said.
He alleged that, just as the DCEO investigations were nearing completion, then Director General Advocate Borotho Matsoso, now Commissioner of Police, ordered the probe to be stopped.
According to Rev Khaketla, sources claimed that then Deputy Prime Minister and Lesotho Congress for Democracy leader, Mothetjoa Metsing, had instructed Adv Matsoso to stop the investigation.
“We approached the police, but they directed us to the DCEO. We submitted documentation, and the DCEO obtained bank statements and began investigations.
“But when the investigations were close to completion, Adv Matsoso stopped them. Sources indicated that the order came from the then Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Metsing.
Asked directly whether Mr Metsing was involved in the matter, Rev Khaketla said, “Yes, he is”.
He also said a 2016 audit had already revealed serious irregularities, including unaccounted funds and suspicious withdrawals.
“The audit revealed unaccounted deposits and unknown sources of money, along with unexplained withdrawals. The report was presented before the Synod, which recommended an investigation, but the bishop at the time refused.”
Rev Khaketla also disclosed a suspicious investment case in which a M4 million church investment in South Africa increased to M6 million upon transfer to Lesotho.
The former bishop, Mallane Taaso, claimed the extra M2 million was his personal money.
“There was an investment of M4 million in South Africa. When transferred to a bank in Lesotho, the total was M6 million. When questioned about the extra M2 million, Bishop Taaso claimed it was his. But how his personal money ended up mixed with church funds remains a mystery,” he said.
He further accused Bishop Taaso of taking a church-owned vehicle upon retirement.
“There were also vehicles that disappeared. Just before retiring, Bishop Taaso bought a Toyota Fortuner for the church. He took it with him when he retired,” Rev Khaketla said.
Bishop Taaso passed away in December 2023 at the age of 70.
Rev Khaketla also revealed that the church owes the Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL), despite regular monthly deductions shown on priests’ pay slips meant for tax.
“Now the church owes RSL, yet monthly receipts show deductions made for tax. The question is: where did the money go?” he asked.
He also raised concerns over priests’ pensions, which are supposed to be paid to Liberty in Cape Town, but have allegedly not been paid since 2018.
“Every month the church deducts money for priests’ pensions. However, Liberty says they have not received payments since 2018. We must ask, where is that money going?
“I advised the current bishop to begin her tenure with a forensic audit of all church accounts, but she refused.
“Today, priests are not being paid, and the excuse is that there is no money. But the real question is: where did the money go?” he said.
In her response to the Lesotho Times, Bishop Kgabe confirmed the church is facing a M5 million debt but declined to elaborate further.
“The person who gave you the letter should also share with you my response. That letter was a private communication between Rev Maieane and me.
“Yes, the debt exists – it is not a secret. Rev Maieane’s letter was between him and me. I don’t know how it got to you. The debt is longstanding, and I have already convened a meeting of the Diocese to discuss how to repay it. There is no secret about this,” Bishop Kgabe said.
Asked about the church’s plan moving forward, she said the public will be informed once the church finalises its internal processes.
“We will communicate once we are ready. For now, let us respect the Anglican Church. I know it has been a subject of controversy, but these are not secrets.
“Rev Maieane’s letter contains suggestions. We are still deliberating on how to address the debt. That is our main focus,” she said.
Also contacted for comment, Adv Matsoso said he does not recall ever receiving an instruction from Mr Metsing to halt the DCEO investigation.
“I do not remember that, but the records are there, and DCEO can continue from where they left off. I did not take the records with me. I don’t remember that issue,” Adv Matsoso said.
Asked whether Mr Metsing gave him a directive, he flatly denied it.
“It is a pure lie. The person saying that is dreaming. There is nothing like that,” he said.
Repeated attempts to contact Mr Metsing for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer his phone.
This is not the first time Mr Metsing and Adv Matsoso have been linked to alleged interference in DCEO investigations into the Anglican church.
In April, suspended DCEO Principal Investigation Officer, Tsotang Likotsi, claimed that DCEO Director for Public Education and Corruption Prevention (PECP), Litelu Ramokhoro, helped shield Mr Metsing from money laundering charges dating back to 2015.
According to Mr Likotsi, Mr Metsing allegedly laundered money through the Lesotho Anglican Church since 2011, but investigations were frustrated under Mr Ramokhoro’s leadership. He also alleged that Adv Matsoso was aware of Mr Ramokhoro’s actions in this regard.
