MASERU – The magistrates’ court last week ordered army commander Thuso Motanyane to pay M16 500 to a Maseru law firm for services rendered by the firm to the army. Maieane & Company had approached the court after the army failed to pay for legal services rendered by the firm three years ago. The law firm’s […]
LERIBE – Three family members in Leribe died two weeks ago after eating poisoned food. It is suspected that the poisoned food was prepared by their house keeper. The house keeper has since been arrested for allegedly deliberately poisoning the family. Teboho Matjeketjane, 37, and his two children, Thuso, six, and one-year-old Puleng, died on […]
MASERU – Two opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) exchanged blows at parliament last Friday. Lithoteng MP Eliabe Mokhanoi and Molobeli Soulo who is a legislator through the proportional representation system had a brief brawl after a heated argument. The Lesotho Times can reveal that the fracas happened at around 8:50 am as the two legislators […]
MASERU –The state said he was guilty of sedition. He said he was innocent. The High Court acquitted him but the state would have none of it. They upped the tempo by appealing to the Appeals’ Court which ordered his retrial. This week he was back to square one–in the dock at the High Court. […]
THABA-TSEKA – A 26-year-old man from Ha Rantsimane was arrested last week for allegedly killing his wife after accusing her of having an extra marital affair. A police report said the man came home from a cattle post in the afternoon and knocked on the door pretending to be his wife’s lover. “He knocked on […]
MASERU – Three men appeared in court this week accused of armed robbery, attempted murder and unlawful possession of arms. The three – Francis Mokoma, Samson Malakane and Thato Katisa – looked unperturbed as one witness described how they attacked him. Motsamai Nyokole, 41, who is one of the key witnesses was brought to the […]
MASERU – Four Maseru men appeared in the magistrates’ court on Monday facing charges of armed robbery. The prosecution alleged that Liteboho Nchephe, Lehlohonolo Marole, Monyane Molibeli and Khalala Lerotholi robbed Pin Chen, a Chinese citizen, of M30 000 at gunpoint. “The accused threatened the complainant saying if he did not allow them to take away […]
BEREA –Police discovered a truck loaded with 258 bags of dagga abandoned along the road to Teyateyaneng two weeks ago. Superintendent Lerata Fobo of Berea confirmed the find. “Police became suspicious when they found a truck parked along the road. When they opened the car they found it heavily loaded with dagga,” said Fobo. He […]
MASERU – Lesotho last Friday became the sixth African country to officially unveil Coca-Cola Zero, a sugar-free beverage targeted at the health-conscious market. The latest brand is also marketed as a calorie-free variation of regular Coke. The Coca-Cola Company first introduced Coca-Cola Zero to the United States in 2005. Lesotho is the latest country in […]
MASERU – The arrangement between the governments of Lesotho and South Africa to allow cross-border taxis to freely operate between their boarders failed to take off as planned last week amidst violent clashes between taxi operators from the two countries. The arrangement was that cross-border taxis that were operating from the South African border side […]
BEREA – Two relatives of the late ‘Mapaulosi Marou who was burnt to death for alleged witchcraft two weeks ago have fled their home in Sehlabeng after villagers threatened to kill them as well. Marou, 54, together with ‘Malitséoane Lefaphane, also 54, were burnt to death after villagers accused them of bewitching 18-year-old Paseka Makhanyane. […]
MASERU – He is a taxman. A bad golfer. A saxophone player. An avid reader. A rock climber. A crossword fanatic. A fisher. He loves Africa. That pretty much sums up how the outgoing commissioner general of the Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA), Charles Jenkins, defines himself. Many colleagues he worked with at the revenue authority […]
MASERU -Youth, Sports and Recreation minister Mathabiso Lepono was almost reduced to tears after National University of Lesotho (NUL) students heckled the vice-chancellor at the official opening for the Intervarsity Games on Monday. Trouble started when the master of ceremony called the vice chancellor Adelani Ogunrinade to deliver his speech to officially open the games. […]
MASERU – The opposition Basotho National Party (BNP) party was on Tuesday thrown into fresh turmoil after five suspended officials vowed to resist attempts to oust them from the party. BNP leader Major General Metsing Lekhanya on 11 February finally ruled that the five be suspended from the party for the next two years. Lekhanya […]
MAFETENG – The Khoete village in Mafeteng, about 130 kilometres south of the capital Maseru, is in mourning. Thirteen people, including 11 children between the ages of 9 and 13, were washed away into Motsepe River during flash floods that pounded the district. The children were travelling in the back of the Isuzu truck when […]
MASERU – A 30-year-old Maseru man, Kepotsa Mbele, will spend the next 20 years behind bars after he was found guilty of murder by the High Court on Monday. The prosecution told the court that Mbele killed Tsépo Molise by stabbing him with a knife on April 20 2004 at Ha-Hlajoane in Berea. Mbele had […]
MASERU – Four civil servants who work at the Passport Office appeared in court last week to answer charges of fraudulently issuing Lesotho passports to two foreigners. The four, ‘Matobatsi Mokhaboli, 40, Fumane Tsinyane, 36, Seipati Makumane and Libuseng Phatoli, 32, were remanded out of custody to March 6. The state says by issuing the […]
MASERU – A 71-year-old woman last week pleaded with a Maseru magistrate to keep a rape suspect behind bars as she feared for her own safety. ‘Ma-Amelia Lekaka told the presiding magistrate Mampho Mokoena to deny bail to Joel Ntsooa. Joel Ntsooa, from Ha James Makhobalo in Mazenod on the outskirts of Maseru, is accused […]
MASERU – Finance Minister Timothy Thahane yesterday spelt out a 10-point plan to boost the economy and remove barriers to doing business in the country. Presenting his budget speech in parliament Thahane said the government will put in place structural reforms to create a conducive and competitive investment environment. The government says it is also […]
MASERU – The state has filed an appeal against a High Court judgment that awarded M450 000 in damages to a woman whose leg was amputated at a Bloemfontein hospital 10 years ago. ‘Mammutsoe Nteso, 48, successfully sued Queen Elizabeth II Hospital last year alleging that doctors at the hospital had misdiagnosed her. Apart from Queen […]
THEY are routinely pilloried as Likuena or crocodiles. They endure daily lives of insults and abuse. They are blamed for every vice in society. The world is never short of epithets with which to stigmatise them. It seems no one ever spares a moment to reflect on what drives these young girls and women into […]
MASERU – Deputy Police commander Kizito Mhlakaza on Tuesday told the High Court that the suspended deputy police commissioner Motsotuoa Ntaote altered documents to fraudulently get per-diems. Mhlakaza was testifying in court against Ntaote, 44, who is charged with fraud for allegedly misrepresenting to the treasury department that he and other police officers were entitled […]
MASERU – The wife of a former Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) officer in exile says she is living in fear after some people claiming to be police officers attacked her house last Friday. ‘Mamalebanye Lerotholi, whose husband, Makotoko ‘Mashai’ Lerotholi is in exile after the 2007 political instability said three heavily armed men raided her […]
Jo! Bathong! This past weekend was something else! Something different…ok not really but then… After work Friday, I literally started seeing red! What! For a minute I imagined I had just been afflicted by a really bad, warped case of instantaneous colour blindness. Scar y hey! I tell you, everywhere and everything I looked there […]
MASERU – It’s good to be a Matlama fan once more. A new year has a brought a new dawn. Three wins in four games. Much of the transformation has been down to Ntebele Taole. Appointed at the beginning of the year when Matlama down in the dumps and sliding Taole has lifted the side […]
MASERU – Only a native of Mohale’s Hoek will understand the true meaning of Majantja FC. Born six decades ago the club have brought untold joy and pride to its people. In that time the team has won two league titles. Those were the good old days. Fast forward to 2009 and the picture is […]
Likhopo………………..(1) 2 Mphatlalatsane…….(0) 0 MASERU – Two goals either side of halftime from Mokone Marabe and Salebone Lekhooa were enough to earn Likhopo a 2-0 victory over Mphatlalatsane on Sunday. On a rain soaked Central Prison pitch Likhopo dominated throughout for a comfortable win. Coming off the back of a four match winning streak Mphatlalatsane […]
MASERU – Police in Maseru have launched a manhunt for two dangerous prisoners who broke out of the maximum security prison in a movie-style escape a fortnight ago. The fugitive prisoners, Patrick Molekane and Thato Ramafikeng, were part of a group of five hardcore criminals who broke out of the maximum security section of the […]
WE wish to congratulate the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party for holding a successful conference last weekend. With a new revamped leadership the LCD appears to be in a strong position to tackle the many challenges facing Lesotho. It is our hope that the party leadership will bury their differences which were so […]
Ex-LRA boss eyes Swaziland post
MASERU – Charles Jenkins, the outgoing commissioner-general of the Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA), could assume the same title in Swaziland where he attended a job interview a fortnight ago. His three-year contract at the helm of the LRA ended last Friday. The much-travelled Jenkins, 53, said his next stop could be Swaziland where he was […]