Mohalenyane Phakela  TO many, the pseudonym Mosotho rings terror.  But for others, among the communities of Liphakoeng in Leribe, the name evokes smiles. It represents a true “Messiah”.  Mosotho leads the Famo gang called, Terene ea Khosi Mokata, which has been infamous for numerous murders over the years.  However, Mosotho says his group has since reformed itself and […]

Moorosi Tsiane  PROMINENT Lawyer, Rethabile Setlojoane, has fired his last shot towards unshackling himself from the fraud and money laundering charges he has been slapped with for receiving a M100 000 payment from his alleged fraud mastermind client, Lehlohonolo Selate.  Advocate Setlojoane presented his case before the Court of Appeal yesterday through his lawyer, Salemane […]

The governments of Lesotho and the United States (US) will today launch the Entry Into Force (EIF) arrangement of the MCC Compact II to unlock the USD$322 million (M6.7 billion) Lesotho health and horticulture compact signed in 2022.  The launch comes after the Lesotho government successfully passed the three outstanding pieces of legislation which were a […]

Moorosi Tsiane  THE Court of Appeal is sitting physically for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Its last physical sitting was in October 2019 and it only resumed this setup this week when its first session of 2024 got underway.  This time Chief Justice Sakoane Sakoane has joined the apex court […]

…but economists warn bankrupt gvt can hardly afford it  Mohloai Mpesi  A chorus has erupted calling upon the government to implement a food subsidy program on grains and other basic foods for Basotho in the face of rising commodity prices.  Civic groups and politicians have come out in one voice to urge Prime Minister Sam […]

Moroke Sekoboto  LOCAL retail outlet, Winner Star Supermarket, won a brand-new Mahindra Bolero valued at M300 000 during a Sefalana Cash & Carry contest yesterday.  Winner Star was one of the 10 finalists in the Sefalana Car Giver competition which ran from 19 February to 6 April 2024.  The 10 finalists included retail outlets and […]

…misses annual target for 2023/24 fiscal year by 9%  …but collects more than the previous year  Leemisa Thuseho  THE Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) has collected 8.87 billion in taxes despite missing the set target of tax collection for the fiscal year 2023/24 by 9.3 percent.  The taxman had set a target of M9.78 billion.  This was announced by the RSL Commissioner […]

…as former NRA boss, Adv Motanyane, replaces him at LHWC  Moorosi Tsiane  THE government has agreed to pay the former Lesotho Highlands Water Commission (LHWC) chief delegate, Themba Sopeng, a whopping M8.4 million for terminating his contract prematurely.  The M8 401 778.28 golden handshake was reached last Thursday as an out of court settlement after Mr Sopeng […]

Moroke Sekoboto  CIVIC groups have urged the government to halt the near 10 percent increase in electricity tariffs announced recently, saying hard pressed Basotho could hardly afford it.  Lesotho was saddled with a comatose economy, low or non-existent wages due to the high rate of unemployment and endemic poverty.  Effecting such a huge increase was […]

…as National Assembly scraps clause 69 of the Act thereby disadvantaging “illegitimate” children  Mathatisi Sebusi  THE National Assembly’s decision to remove Clause 69 from the new Administration of Estates and Inheritance Act 2024 is proving controversial. It has split opinion among human rights defenders, who think the decision is retrogressive, politicians and principal chiefs.  Some principal chiefs did not […]

…emphasizes strategic shift to focus on disease prevention     BEFORE Selibe Mochoboroane took over the Ministry of Health after the October 2002 general elections, Lesotho’s health sector was dysfunctional and in complete paralysis. Services at the main referral hospital, Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital, had grind to a virtual halt amid incessant disputes between the then […]

Mathatisi Sebusi/Hopolang Mokhopi  THE government finally met the deadline to unlock the implementation of the multi-billion maloti Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact II.  The project will now be officially launched on 11 April 2024 at the Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village.  This after parliament successfully enacted the three outstanding laws which the United States government has […]

…as new Chinese medical team arrives  …while three more China-funded projects are in the pipeline  Mohloai Mpesi  THE medical specialists which China has been sending to Lesotho from 1997 have greatly and positively impacted on Lesotho’s health delivery system, Health Minister Selibe Mochoboroane has said.  This was attested to by the commendable efforts of the […]

Moroke Sekoboto  THE Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) has kept the repo rate unchanged at 7.75 percent, cushioning hard pressed consumers from immediate interest rate hikes.  The repo rate is the rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks. An increase in the repo rate immediately translates into increased interest rates on things […]

Hopolang Mokhopi  FINANCIAL services platform, Mukuru, has implored Basotho in the diaspora to use its safe mobile money transfer platform, when sending money back home, to avoid getting robbed of their hard-earned cash.  The Mukuru platform has grown in popularity over the years and has become a major platform for the African diaspora to transfer […]

THE Amnesty International says it is shocked by the recent findings by the Lesotho Ombudsman, Tlotliso Polaki, on the inhumane treatment of inmates at the Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI).  According to Amnesty International, Adv Polaki’s report exposed a disturbing pattern of human rights violations, including torture, excessive use of force and denial of medical […]

The Government of Lesotho has endorsed and launched the Emergency, Preparedness, and Response Flagship Initiative Roadmap. This was done with the support from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa CDC.   In 2023, the country enrolled in the WHO EPR Flagships initiative. The overarching goal of the Emergency, Preparedness, and Response flagship initiative is to […]

 -as power tariffs are hiked by nearly 10 percent  Mathatisi Sebusi  ELECTRICITY tariffs have been hiked by nearly 10 percent, adding more woes to already suffering consumers.  The latest hike is effective from 1 April 2024.  The Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority (LEWA) said yesterday it had approved a 9.6286 percent hike in both the “energy […]

Hopolang Mokhopi  THREE Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) officers, who were arrested in South Africa last week were on a trial for cattle which had been stolen from Mafeteng, the Lesotho Times has learned.  LMPS spokesperson, Senior Inspector Kabelo Halahala, said the three officers had been arrested “in their line of duty” but were released the following day.  The […]

…asks police to complete investigations in six months  Mathatisi Sebusi  OMBUDSMAN Tlotliso Polaki wants 114 Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) officers investigated and prosecuted for the brutal assaults of 299 inmates and another’s death in December last year.  The assaults and death took place on the night of 21 December 2023 following a prison break by […]

Moorosi Tsiane  FORMER Police Commissioner, Holomo Molibeli, acted within his office’s powers when he secured a High Court order to attach the property and monies belonging to 15 people implicated in the alleged theft of M40 million from Tholo Energy company.  The police had swooped on the popular restaurant and car wash – Shelly Brown […]

THE government has until end of this month to pass three laws central to unlocking the $322.5 million (about M6.14 billion) aid package from the United States under the Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) II.  Lesotho risks losing the humungous amount required for much needed interventions in health and horticulture to boost the economy if it […]

alleged to have given patient wrong medication   resulting in his “malfunctioning” manhood  Moorosi Tsiane  A CASE of negligence by doctors at the state-owned Mabote Filter Clinic has resulted in a Berea man allegedly losing his manhood.  Makata Mokhalinyane has dragged the Mabote Filter Clinic to court demanding M500 000 compensation for being given wrong pills […]

—threatens to withdraw from high profile case unless it’s cancelled  Staff Reporter  FORMER Principal Secretary (PS) Colonel Tanki Mothae (Retired) is furious over a warrant of arrest issued against him for contempt over his “failure” to appear in court as a Crown witness in a high-profile treason and murder case involving prominent politicians and former soldiers […]

Letsatsi Selikoe  LESOTHO is gearing to hold its inaugural mining indaba, a historic event aimed at reshaping the future of the country’s extractive industry.  The Lesotho Mining Indaba (Khotla) 2024 will bring together key stakeholders in the mining sector to discuss critical issues and chart a path towards sustainable and equitable development.  The Indaba is slated for 25 and […]

…claims the newspaper is operating “illegally”  Mohalenyane Phakela  FORMER Police Commissioner, Holomo Molibeli, and his “ally”, Thabiso Moroahae of Tholo Energy, want the Lesotho Times newspaper banned from operating.  Mr Molibeli will move a bizarre application in the High Court tomorrow asking the court to shut down this newspaper because it is operating “illegally”.  It seems to […]

…to promote financial inclusion and wean Lesotho off reliance on SA’s payments system  Leemisa Thuseho  IN its bid to promote financial inclusion and join the rapid evolution of the payments landscape, the Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) has launched a national payment switch dubbed- Leswitch.  A Payment Switch is a system that can interface with […]

Mohloai Mpesi  THE Public Officers Defined Contribution Pension Fund PODCPF) has roped in security agencies to try and help it deal with its various crises.  The PODCPF has been enmeshed in various scandals and has so far been successfully interdicted from appointing a new Administrator. It has faced various allegations of mismanagement and corruption and […]