MASERU – Reverend Adam Lekhoaba, died at Mediclinic in Bloemfontein last Thursday. He was 38. Rev Lekhoaba was the owner and manager of popular private radio station Harvest FM. As a fearless broadcaster Lekhoaba was a thorn in the flesh of the government of Lesotho He was a controversial but colourful figure who did not […]
MASERU- “I am neither right nor left. I take every situation as it comes.” This is the self description of Mothetjoa Metsing, the new LCD secretary general. He defeated Ralechate ‘Mokose (minister of forestry and land reclamation) by 999 to 773. He prefers to call himself a moderate. That might be true considering that he […]
MASERU – By the time he reached the age of 16 Mpho Malie was already a politically conscious teenager. When other boys of his age were chasing girls Malie, the outgoing general secretary of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), was already involved in serious politics. At 20 he was a student activist and a […]
MASERU – Natural Resources Minister Monyane Moleleki’s political ambitions took a big dent last week when he lost the editorship of the ruling party’s newspaper. Moleleki was seeking to retain his post as editor of Mololi, an influential newspaper for the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party. Moleleki lost the post to Dr Motloheloa […]
MASERU-Popular Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) stalwart Monyane Moleleki could have paid dearly for his ambitions. Moleleki lost his seat in the LCD’s National Executive Committee at the conference held over the weekend. This is the first time that he finds himself out of the LCD national executive since the formation of the party in […]
BUTHA-BUTHE – Thabiso, 18, takes a deep and long pull from a plastic bottle. He repeats the process again after a breather. After some few minutes of taking “the stuff” it is clear that he is no longer in control as he staggers from one side of the road to the other. Even his speech […]
MASERU – Suspended deputy police commissioner, Motsotuoa Ntaote, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court to answer charges of fraud. Ntaote, 44, is being charged with making false per diem claims to the treasury department when he attended a fully sponsored trip to South Africa in 2005. The crown says Ntaote misrepresented […]
MASERU – The High Court has turned down a bail application by a South African national who was extradited to Lesotho to answer murder charges. Mpumelelo Mbobo is alleged to have waved down a taxi, fired several shots at passengers killing four people. Two others were seriously injured in the attack. The attack happened on […]
MASERU – A soldier who fatally shot his two colleagues and wounded two others was on the verge of insanity, a psychologist called as a witness told the court last week. Daniel Louw from the University of Free State said Moeketsi Scout, 38, who is an officer in the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) could have […]
MASERU – The executive secretary of Lesotho Public Service Staff Association (LEPSSA), S’khulumi Ntsoaole, says he was forced to go on leave by some members of the executive committee. Ntsoaole said he was booted out of the office on January 14 by some members of the executive committee. He said some members of the executive […]
MASERU – Lehlohonolo Tséhlana’s grip on Mokhotlong faces an acid test on Sunday when he launches his Senkatana party at a time when the All Basotho Convention (ABC) will be having a rally in the same constituency. The Mokhotlong legislator split from the ABC late last year accusing the leadership of lacking vision and personalising […]
MASERU – Lesotho’s biggest mining firm, Letséng Diamonds, last Friday awarded scholarships to seven students to enable them to study at South African universities. The seven join 15 other students who are already studying at South African colleges and universities under the Letsing Diamond scholarship scheme. The students will study electrical engineering, mining engineering, environmental […]
MAFETENG – Police in Mafeteng district have arrested eight men for allegedly burning four members of one family to death in ‘Masemouso after accusing them of witchcraft. Sergeant Motlalehi Phihlela said the couple and their two children were burnt to death after some villagers set their house on fire two weeks ago.Phihlela said the villagers […]
MASERU – The principal secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Ponts’o Lebotsa, was yesterday sentenced to five years in prison for flouting tender regulations. Lebotsa, 47, was however given the option to pay a fine of M10 000 within the next 30 days in order to escape jail. The crown had alleged that in February 2007 […]
MASERU – The discontent that has been simmering in the All Basotho Convention (ABC) leadership is beginning to spread to the grassroots structures of the party. There are signs that Lesotho’s biggest opposition party is on the verge of cracking at its foundation. The first real indication of these fissures emerged this week with revelations […]
MASERU – King Letsie III prorogued parliament last week but no reasons were given for the move which observers say is quite unusual. The house will resume business on February 6. There is speculation in political circles that the move could be in preparation for the eventual dissolution of parliament. The speculation has been gathering […]
MASERU – The Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) will refund over M100 million to workers who have been paying excess tax for the past 10 months. About 48 000 workers will get refunds for the excess pay-as-you-earn tax that they have been paying at a time when the tax rate should have been reduced. The reduction in […]
MASERU – Three people who were arrested last month in connection with a M4.3 million heist at First National Bank (FNB) were last week Tuesday granted bail by a Maseru magistrate. Presiding magistrate Mokoenihi Patsi granted a M1 000 bail each to Lehlohonolo Tsikinyane, 26, Sekhonyana Justice Ntlhabo, 65, and Seemane Qhoai, 30. A fourth accused, […]
MASERU- A police officer was shot and killed by unknown people last week on Tuesday morning at his home in Mohalalitoe. Raphael Rakoro who was based at Police Training College (PTC) died on arrival at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Maseru. Senior Inspector Moshe Raleting confirmed the incident. An eyewitness said Rakoro was talking to […]
MASERU – A security company boss was lucky to escape with a M2 000 fine last week after he undressed and severely assaulted his worker in Maseru two weeks ago. Moeketsi Rafuthu, who is the boss of Lion Mount Security Services, assaulted Mohau Lesenyeho who was a security guard at the security firm. The “accused did […]
MOKHOTLONG – The police in Mokhotlong last week recovered 79 cattle that had been seized by villagers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The recovery of the cattle followed a joint operation carried by Lesotho and South African police following the cattle raids three weeks ago. Police spokesman Senior Inspector Moshe Raleting said the joint police operation […]
MASERU – The Minister of Health and Social Welfare Mphu Ramatlapeng says although there has been a general decline in HIV prevalence among pregnant women in Lesotho, the prevalence of mother-to-child infection remained high. A 2007 survey shows that the prevalence rate among pregnant women in Lesotho has declined from 28.9 percent in 2003, to […]
MASERU – Troubled MKM firm has filed an application at the High Court to stop the Central Bank of Lesotho from liquidating the company arguing that it has already filed an appeal against the High Court decision declaring it insolvent. The central bank filed the petition to liquidate MKM after auditors declared the firm insolvent. […]
