’Marafaele Mohloboli

THE Lesotho Police Staff Association (LEPOSA) has rejected the recent ban of its activities saying neither the Commissioner of Police, Holomo Molibeli nor the Minister of Police, ‘Mampho Mokhele have the powers to suspend its trade union activities.

The Secretary General of the union, police Inspector Moraleli Motloli, said this at a press conference held at the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) offices in Maseru this week.

The statement comes after the Lesotho Mounted Police Services wrote to its staff on Monday announcing the suspension of LEPOSA.

“Kindly note and be informed that the management of the LMPS has suspended all activities of LEPOSA with effect from the date of this memo until further notice,” the memo signed by the police’ human resources officer LC Ralethoko reads.

“You are therefore requested to abide by the decision appropriately.”

And on Tuesday Leposa said neither the Compol nor the Minister of Police had the powers to suspend the body.

“LEPOSA acknowledges receipt of the Commissioner’s letter on 5 November 2018 dated 2 November titled suspension of LEPOSA activities, contents of which are regrettable,” Inspector Motloli said on Tuesday.

“Notwithstanding, LEPOSA’s reaction to the contents and the letter itself is thus, from the outset the title of the letter is not in order. The office of the commissioner is vested with no powers in law and otherwise to issue a suspension letter to an independent entity like LEPOSA which he does not at all control nor command.”

He said LEPOSA remains an autonomous organisation established by the Police Act No. 7 of 1998 Section 66 (3).

“The Act further establishes the bodies in which the association is a party to, being the police negotiating council Section 67 and the Training Advisory Board Section 70.

“Nothing therefore contained in the Police Act 1998 or any other law as purportedly alleged stipulates that the operations of LEPOSA shall be subjected to the instructions or command of the Commissioner.

“The Commissioner of Police was the president of this union and is still a member but he has no right to tell us to suspend our activities as a union, he is just a member,” Inspector Motloli said.

He further said provisions of the LMPS (Administration) Regulations 2003 Section 24 should be observed.

The provisions read: “There shall continue to be Lesotho Mounted Police Staff Association which shall be a body corporate, independent, having a right to sue and be sued and have a right to issue summons and be summoned in its own name”.

“In the result, the effort to write LEPOSA a letter of suspension simply is to misplace his powers or energy, hence runs ultra vires and misinformed. In fact is unconstitutional and of no legal force whatsoever.”

Inspector Motloli further said it should also be noted that “the minister too does not have powers to tell us who to see and who not to see”.

“We are not subjected to the bureaucratic operations of government and we will not consult, not now and not in the future.”

He said Ms Mokhele’s primary role is to guide police officers especially where there is a possibility of a looming instability “because when we are not happy, this also means that crime will be rife”.

“The Minister of Police should be available when LEPOSA knocks at her door. She is a retired police officer and our relationship with her is not good at all. We are however, still waiting for her response as she promised to respond when she has time.”

Inspector Motloli disputed allegations that the union’s activities were suspended for fear that they could pose a threat to the security of the police force.

“We are a police union but at the end of the day we are police officers who have an interest of the national security and tranquillity of this country at heart. We have just emerged from a very turbulent time in 2014 and we shall not go there.

“And any person who might threaten such under the frolic of LEPOSA, shall be taken to task especially because we have an obligation to help the Commissioner of Police to deal with crime. It is not true that we pose a threat to any security,” Mr Motloli said.

Earlier this year, LEPOSA marched and petitioned Prime Minister Thomas Thabane over the salary increase which they claimed some police officers did not receive along with other civil servants in 2015.

Mr Motloli said they are fighting for their six percent salary increment and that police officers be placed in their appropriate posts.

“We are fighting that officers be placed at appropriate points and that our salary arrears be paid. We have no interest in who gets to be promoted but all the promotions effected should be legal,” Inspector Motloli said.

He also said that the union was ready to take police authorities to court if the need arises.

“LEPOSA will approach the courts for contempt of court and evaluation of the six percent so that it keeps time with the inflation rate thus putting more debt on the government. The same shall apply for suspension of our activities. We will go to court if that’s what is needed,” Inspector Motloli said.

He said they had been dealing with this issue since 2015, “When the previous regime arbitrarily and with total disregard to the rights of police officers denied to offer us the same”.

“All that we want is our six percent. The sooner the six percent is paid, the sooner the stalemate is resolved.”

Inspector Motloli said it should be stated that “Without going back, the six percent issue now has the court ruling that states clearly that police officers” should be paid their dues, “and failure to do so we shall approach the courts of law again,” said Motloli.

He said as LEPOSA they were aware that their fight for the six percent has strained their relationship with Commissioner Molibeli and minister Mokhele.

Expressing their disappointment further as a union Motloli said, “We are very disappointed at the cavalier manner in which the office of the Minister of Police has handled this matter that involves the livelihoods of police officers.

“This has the possibility to compromise her statutory obligation of the overall direction of the police service thereby loosing legitimacy by which she intends to direct the police service,” charged Motloli.

On the other hand, the deputy president of LEPOSA, Senior Inspector Teboho Modia, said the national executive committee had received letters to “show cause why” they could not be dismissed from the police force.

“All 18 of us have received such letters and we are already responding to them as the deadline is on Friday and they will be fully responded to,” said Snr Inspector Modia.

He said they were fully aware that in Lesotho such letters are followed by summary dismissal.

However, Inspector Motloli said this would to deter them from doing what is right.

“In Lesotho corruption is institutionalised. It’s wrong but it’s accepted. Dismissal from the police force does not immediately warrant dismissal from the union, it only means you will be working full time at the union and people who don’t want to see you will see and feel you quite often and more aggressively now that you are out of sight and this means that one shall now speak as a politician” Inspector Motloli said.

Contacted for comment, police spokesperson Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, said that the police authorities would later issue a statement responding to the issues raised by LEPOSA.

“I can’t comment now but the management shall respond to these issues later,” Superintendent Mopeli said.

The post LEPOSA rejects ban appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Pascalinah Kabi

THE managing director of Meraka Abattoir, Mosito Khethisa, has accused three mining giants – Liqhobong Mining Development Company, Mothae and Kao Mines of colluding with some South African companies who continuously smuggle red meat for consumption at the mines.

The mines have however, flatly denied the allegations.

Early this year, the government banned the importation of red meat into the country in a move it said was aimed at capacitating the local meat industry.

The move was however met with criticism, with the opposition accusing the government of enacting the ban to ensure that Lesotho’s only abattoir, Meraka, enjoys an unfettered monopoly as the sole importer and supplier of red meat in Lesotho.

Meraka Abattoir however, refutes these allegations and in a recent interview with this publication, Mr Khethisa said the abattoir’s business had suffered due to the smuggling of red meat into the country by South African suppliers.

Mr Khethisa sensationally claimed that the three diamond mining companies were being supplied with smuggled red meat.  He made the allegations in an exclusive interview with the Lesotho Times.

He said that the criminal acts by the South African suppliers, who mostly used the Calendonspoort Border Gate in Butha-Buthe, had seriously affected his company’s viability.

“I cannot say the business is very good because a lot of meat is being smuggled in the country and there are a lot of businesses that are smuggling meat,” Mr Khethisa said.

“The Butha-Buthe border is the hub for this (smuggling) practice. We only supply meat to Letšeng Diamonds and the rest of the mines are being supplied with red meat from South Africa. The South African suppliers smuggle meat all the time to supply the mines. Almost of all them (mines) are supplied by South African companies and it is only Letšeng that is being supplied by us.”

Mr Khethisa said individual companies were not allowed to import red meat into the country without authentic permits from relevant authorities.

He however alleged that South African companies had disregarded the policy and were continuing to smuggle the red meat into the country by storing it at the back of cold room trucks. He said it was not easy for authorities at the border gates to detect that red meat was being smuggled into the country because the meat was disguised with vegetables.

“Relevant ministries and Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) have to put measures at the borders to curb this (smuggling) practice because it is not only affecting Meraka but also the government because it is not getting the revenue that it is supposed to get.

“We still have our own customers and we are trying hard to get new customers across the country but the red meat is being illegally imported into the country. Government has not tightened the screws,” Mr Khethisa said.

He said he was working with the Small Business Development ministry and the Lesotho Revenue Authority (LRA) to come up with strategies to curb smuggling.

In a separate interview, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Small Business Development, Lerata Pekane, confirmed receiving reports of the smuggling of red meat in Lesotho.

“We are working closely with Meat Traders Association of Lesotho and we gave them vehicles to travel across the country to investigate challenges facing the sector. They reported that the smuggling of red meat was one of the serious challenges they picked up during the countrywide study,” Mr Pekane said.

He said the exercise had inspired the meat industry to work closely with the ministry in finding long lasting solutions to this problem and many others facing the industry.

The mines however, denied the smuggling claims in separate interviews with the Lesotho Times this week.

Kao Mine authorities said in the aftermath of the ban on the importation of red meat, they sourced their supplies locally.

The manager of Site Worx, the company responsible for catering at Kao Mine, Mothibeli Mothibeli, said his company only uses “A Grade meat which is locally sourced to feed Kao Mine employees”.

“We have never smuggled meat into Lesotho. We have always, always abided by the law and only use meat bought in Lesotho for our catering. It is not true that we have smuggled meat,” Mr Mothibeli said.

Liqhobong General Manager,Gert Buitendach, also refuted the allegations, saying “Liqhobong’s catering contractor purchases all red meat from Pick n Pay Maseru so we find it strange that these allegations have been levelled against us”.

Pick n Pay manager Samuel Mphana yesterday concurred with Mr Buitendach, saying, “It is true that we supply Liqhobong with red meat”.

“The other mining company that we supply with red meat is Mothae. We buy carcasses from Meraka and the allegations that the mines smuggle meat is very wrong,” Mr Mphana said.

Mothae had not responded to questions sent to them by this publication at the time of going to print.

Meanwhile, Mr Khethisa praised the Ministry of Small Business Development, Marketing and Cooperatives for banning red meat imports, saying this promoted the local industry and created jobs.

“Previous governments did not implement the ban and there was no way the abattoir could make a profit while the borders were still open for the importation of red meat. Since this policy was introduced, my staff complement is almost 100 because I had to engage new employees. If borders are opened, I will fire them all and there will be no need for me to buy cattle. I will just apply for a butcheries’ license and import carcasses like everybody else.

“The main purpose is to create employment and we are trying to comply. Our economy will thrive. Government has to promote the private sector and it has to promote local production,” Mr Khethisa said.

The post  Abattoir cries foul over ‘smuggled meat’ appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Ntsebeng Motsoeli

THE long-drawn battle between Storm Mountain Diamonds (SMD) which operates Kao Mine and its host communities recently intensified when the public accused the company of working against its commitment to improve their lives.

SMD is jointly owned by South African company, Namakwa Diamonds Limited (75 percent shareholding) and the government (25 percent shareholding).

During a recent meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Mining, the mine management and the Butha-Buthe police, rowdy community members took turns to lash out at the guests, accusing them of letting foreign investors exploit them.

What was supposed to be a community orientation meeting leading to the election of the community liaison committee with the mine turned into a jeering session as the villagers took turns to scorn the guests for failing to address their grievances.

Some of the community’s major grievances are failure by the mine to adequately compensate the family of a man who was shot and killed by Butha-Buthe police officers on 8 February this year during a protest by the villagers to demand that the mine delivers on its promises of improving their lives.

Terene Pitae died and two others, Mokete Mohlomi and Hlopheho Lebona were critically injured on 8 February 2018 at Kao Mine after violent clashes broke out between the police and villagers who were protesting against the alleged failure by the mine to honour its promises to compensate and relocate them from the areas affected by mining operations.

The community said the mine has failed to compensate some villagers whose property they claimed got destroyed during the mining operations.

The community is also disgruntled over what they call a low-standard gravelled road that links their villages with the Ha-Lejone tarred road an hour and half’s drive away.

The road, the villagers said, has been nothing short of a nuisance which has caused floods due to its bad construction.

The villagers said two houses have since been flooded beyond repair with the road diverting the course of rain water towards family compounds.

One of the Ha Shishila villagers, ‘Maphakiso Khama, claimed that her homestead was submerged after the mine constructed a waterway that busted and directed rain water towards her houses.

In the event, Ms Khama said her houses and property were destroyed, her calf was killed and her plants were buried under the eroded soil.

“The mine dug the waterway despite of the committee’s warnings that our houses would be flooded,” Ms Khama said.

“The mine owners had the nerve to say that we have built at an awkward place. I have been staying there for over 20 years and none of this has ever happened during rainy seasons.”

Ms Khama said the mine only gave her compensation of M8000 which she claimed does not cover all the goods and infrastructure which she has lost in the flood.

In a different event in 2014, another villager, Paul Sekepe’s grocery store was washed away by rain water after the mine built a small culvert that got flooded during heavy rains and water was diverted towards the business.

Mr Sekepe said property and groceries worth M65 000 were destroyed and the mine only paid him M6000.

“I only got M6000 out of the M65 000 worth of loss. The mine operators told me that I was running a “spaza” shop and that there was no way I could have lost that much. I had to take the M6000 because I had nothing else left. They did me injustice,” Mr Sekepe said.

Mr Sekepe who is aged 75 said he suffered a lot to get his store back up and running.

“It was very hard for me to get the shop running again. I suffered a lot and would go for days without eating. I survived on food handouts from people,” Mr Sekepe said.

The Motete legislator, Tumelo Lerafa, came out strong on the government and the SMD management for failing to intervene in the Kao community disgruntlements with the mine.

Mr Lerafa accused those in government for conniving with mines just so they can “fill up their bellies” while failing to address the public’s needs.

“Our governments are so unfortunate. They make decisions in their offices in Maseru and do not engage the communities. They want to fill their bellies without caring about what the people are going through,” Mr Lerafa Said.

Mr Lerafa said that the Kao community has become boisterous because no one seems to be willing to addresses their gripe with the mine.

“The community seems to have become unorderly because they have long standing grievances. They want the mine to deliver on its commitments that it made when they reach an agreement with the community that they would improve people’s lives. Only a few of such undertakings have been met and the people are growing impatient,” Mr Lerafa said.

Mr Lerafa said the mine has failed the Kao people.

The SMD management has since denied all accusations levelled against its operations, declaring instead that the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) who have been advocating for the rights of the Kao community, was the one peddling the allegations

Addressing a media conference last month, SMD chairman Milford Mundell claimed the apparent problems the mine has with the community are non- existent and have been deliberately manufactured to cause conflict between the two parties.

Mr Mundell claimed that the real issues with Kao had nothing to do with the community but everything to do with some people who are trying to get their hands on the mine and that has resulted in money (bribes) exchanging hands in the process.

“Storm Mountain Diamonds (Pty) Ltd categorically denies all allegations made against it by the TRC in their press statement and as reported on by the SABC SMD regards the false statements and reporting to the media as irresponsible and reckless. SMD specifically denies any “gross violations of human rights” and “barbaric acts” perpetrated by it,” Mr Mundell said.

“SMD remains dismayed by the events of 8 February 2018, which led to the death of Terene Pitae and injuries to community members, Mokete Mohlomi and Hlopheho Lebona. SMD calls on the relevant regulatory body to launch an official inquiry to the events of that day. SMD has nothing to hide and will obviously lend all its support to such an inquiry,” Mr Mundell said.

The post Kao Mine, community rift continues appeared first on Lesotho Times.

’Marafaele Mohloboli

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Mothetjoa Metsing, is expected to return home on 25 November 2018 to participate in the national reforms process.

This was revealed by the opposition at a press conference in Maseru on Tuesday.

Mr Metsing has been holed up in South Africa since fleeing Lesotho in August 2017 citing an alleged plot to assassinate him. The government has nevertheless refuted his claims, insisting that he fled to escape prosecution for corruption.

The opposition set Mr Metsing’s return as one of the preconditions for its participation in the process to implement multi-sector reforms that are aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in the country.

Mr Metsing will return along with other exiled opposition leaders who include the deputy leader of the LCD, Tšeliso Mokhosi and the leader of the Socialist Revolution (SR) Teboho Mojapela.

Also expected to return are former police commissioner Molahlehi Letsoepa, former Director of the National Security Services (NSS), Tumo Lekhooa; Assistant Superintendent Bereng Ramahetlane who is an officer with the Lesotho Correctional Service and Mr Lebohang Setsomi who was head of procurement at the Lesotho Mounted Police Service.

The homecoming is the result of the agreement that was signed by the coalition of opposition parties and the government on 16 October 2018. The deal was mediated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) facilitator Justice Dikgang Moseneke and his team.

Clause 10 of the deal states that “Mr Metsing and similarly placed persons in exile will not be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the dialogue and reforms process”.

The opposition and the government’s deal has however, not gone down well with the families whose relatives were killed allegedly at the hands of security forces during the time that Mr Metsing and other opposition parties were at the helm of government.

Some of the families including that of slain army commander Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao have since filed a constitutional court application challenging the legality of clause 10 of the deal.

Speaking at the press conference this week, the leader of opposition in parliament, Mathibeli Mokhothu, said the deal which stayed the prosecution of Mr Metsing and others “is the very reason why we will see the return of those persons who are currently in exile”.

He said the opposition was aware of the lawsuit filed by the families as well as another case where one Mr Moferefere Senatla wants the agreement to be nullified on the grounds that it would be unjust to others who have pending cases before the courts.

“We are aware of all these issues that have been raised due to the signed declaration but we stand by our words that these (exiled) people shall be coming back home.

“It should be noted that all these (exiled) people shall be returning on the set date (25 November) because this declaration (for their return) has already been signed,” Mr Mokhothu said.

Mr Mokhothu further said that they had also written to Justice Moseneke to push for the reinstatement of the suspended Chief Justice Nthomeng Majara.

“It is therefore imperative to tell you that we have since written to Justice Moseneke pertaining the reinstatement of Chief Justice Nthomeng Majara who we feel has been treated unfairly. We have no relationship with her whatsoever but we feel that justice has to prevail,” Mr Mokhothu said.

Justice Majara was suspended with effect from 11 September 2018 to pave way for a three-member tribunal to try her over a litany of misconduct charges including her alleged failure to ensure the timeous delivery of justice.

The post Date set for Metsing’s return appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Staff Writer

THE European Union (EU) has thrown its weight behind the recent agreement between the government and the opposition to suspend criminal proceedings against former Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing and other politicians until after the completion of the multi-sector reforms process.

EU Ambassador Christian Manahl yesterday welcomed the deal, saying it was a temporary measure that was necessary “to break a vicious circle of violence and revenge and to give time for a negotiated solution of a conflict”.

Mr Manahl said this while addressing the National Leaders Forum in Maseru yesterday. The National Leaders Forum brings together government and opposition leaders to discuss how to conduct the process of implementing multi-sector reforms that are seen as crucial to the long-term stability of Lesotho.

Three weeks ago, the government and the opposition signed a deal meant to pave the way for the return of exiled opposition leaders to participate in the processes towards the implementation of the multi-sector reforms. The exiled leaders include former Mr Metsing, the deputy leader of the LCD, Tšeliso Mokhosi and the leader of the Socialist Revolution (SR) Teboho Mojapela.

Also expected to return are former police commissioner Molahlehi Letsoepa, former Director of the National Security Services (NSS), Tumo Lekhooa; Assistant Superintendent Bereng Ramahetlane who is an officer with the Lesotho Correctional Service and Mr Lebohang Setsomi who was head of procurement at the Lesotho Mounted Police Service.

Among other things, clause 10 of the agreement states that “Mr Metsing and similarly placed persons in exile will not be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the dialogue and reforms process”.

This did not go down well with the families whose relatives were killed allegedly at the hands of security forces during the time that Mr Metsing and other opposition parties were at the helm of government.

The families are adamant that the government must be stopped from implementing clause 10 of its agreement with the opposition.

Yesterday they filed a court application to interdict the government against implementing the clause, arguing that it was unconstitutional in as far as it seeks to protect politicians from criminal prosecution at least until after the reforms process.

However, Mr Manahl insisted the agreement was necessary for the success of the reforms challenge. He even welcomed the court challenge against the government-opposition deal, saying “it is actually a welcome opportunity to clarify some questions that have come up in the public about the scope of clause 10”.

“On 16 October, the government and the opposition signed a memorandum of understanding which has brought everybody back to the negotiating table and which spells out a number of important principles and commitments for the ongoing dialogue,” Mr Manahl said.

“I am aware that clause 10 of this agreement has been challenged in the constitutional court. But we should not be too worried about this legal challenge; it is actually a welcome opportunity to clarify some questions that have come up in the public about the scope of clause 10. Clause 10 is not an abrogation of justice.

It proposes a temporary suspension of criminal proceedings to facilitate the political dialogue on the reforms. I expressed my own opinion on this matter already a year ago, when I suggested a moratorium on politically sensitive prosecutions. My proposal also raised questions and objections, so perhaps this is a good moment to explain myself: A moratorium is not an amnesty; it does not dispense with justice.

“It is a temporary measure in order to break a vicious circle of violence and revenge and to give time for a negotiated solution of a conflict. Our first priority should always be to prevent new violence which causes new victims. The legitimate grievances of past victims must not be ignored, if sustainable stability is to be achieved. But it does not help if expeditious retribution breeds bitterness and brings the risk of causing new victims in the future. The art of successful conflict management often relies on careful timing of interdependent processes.

In a situation of recurrent instability and violence, as Lesotho has experienced during several decades, retribution should be balanced with reconciliation. This means complementing formal court proceedings with a social dialogue that involves disclosure, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Formal justice and such a social dialogue are not alternatives, they can be parallel and mutually reinforcing processes.”

Mr Manahl also appealed to the government and opposition to consider a introducing a moratorium against floor-crossing during the dialogue aimed at agreeing on the reforms process. He said such a moratorium would minimize the potential for conflicts and enable all parties to focus on the reforms process for the good of the country.

“In politics, there is a time for competition and there is a time for cooperation. Now is not the time for breaking and making coalitions. Now is the time to focus on the structural reforms and to engage in a process of social reconciliation. It is a time when the quality of leadership does not lie in outsmarting your competitors but in transcending personal and party interests and in working together constructively for a brighter future of all Basotho.

It is also a time to build a legacy that will define your country for generations to come, so that you all will be remembered as you today remember the skills, the wisdom, and the magnanimity of the founding father of this nation, King Moshoeshoe I.”

He assured Lesotho of the EU’s support throughout the reforms process.

“We shall support you during this difficult first phase of the dialogue which should lead to key decisions on the structures and institutions that can sustain a stable and prosperous Lesotho. And we shall support you in the implementation of these decision in the months and years to come. The Lesotho you want is within reach. Don’t let it slip away,’ he added.

The post EU backs reforms deal appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Mohalenyane Phakela

THE High Court yesterday issued a temporary interdict barring the government from halting criminal proceedings against Lesotho Congress for Democracy leader Mothetjoa Metsing until after the completion of the multi-sector reforms process.

The decision followed an application by the family of the slain army commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao and other families whose relatives lost their lives during the political instability from 2014 to 2017.

The applicants were Thabo Khetheng, Maphanya Mahao, Mamonaheng Ramahloko, Malehlohonolo Nteso and Mamohau Qobete. They argued that clause 10 of the recent agreement between the government and the opposition should be declared unconstitutional as it sought to suspend any criminal proceedings against Mr Metsing and others who are implicated in the deaths of the applicants’ relatives.

The matter was held privately in the High Court Chambers yesterday. However, the applicants’ lawyer, Tumisang Mosotho, subsequently told the media that High Court judges ‘Maseforo Mahase, Semapo Peete and Molefi Makara issued an interim court order suspending the implementation of the clause 10 of the agreement between the government and the opposition parties pending the finalisation of the motion on 22 November 2018.

“The decision was that the operationalization of clause 10 be suspended pending finalisation of matters on 22 November,” Attorney Mosotho said, adding, “The matter was before the Acting Chief Justice ‘Mahase, Justice Makara and Justice Peete”.

Three weeks ago, the government and the opposition signed a deal meant to pave the way for the return of exiled opposition leaders to participate in the processes towards the implementation of the multi-sector reforms. The exiled leaders include former Mr Metsing, the deputy leader of the LCD, Tšeliso Mokhosi and the leader of the Socialist Revolution (SR) Teboho Mojapela.

Also expected to return are former police commissioner Molahlehi Letsoepa, former Director of the National Security Services (NSS), Tumo Lekhooa; Assistant Superintendent Bereng Ramahetlane who is an officer with the Lesotho Correctional Service and Mr Lebohang Setsomi who was head of procurement at the Lesotho Mounted Police Service.

Among other things, clause 10 of the agreement states that “Mr Metsing and similarly placed persons in exile will not be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the dialogue and reforms process”.

This did not gone down well with the families whose relatives were killed allegedly at the hands of security forces during the time that Mr Metsing and other opposition parties were at the helm of government.

Mr Metsing was deputy prime minister during the seven parties’ coalition that was headed by Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Pakalitha Mosisili.

During that time in 2015, Lt-Gen Mahao was assassinated by fellow soldiers who claimed he had resisted arrest for allegedly being the ringleader of a mutiny against the command of the then army chief Lt-Gen Tlali Kamoli.

However, Lt-Gen Mahao’s nephews — who were with him during the incident — disputed the army’s version of the event and instead accused the soldiers of killing him in cold blood.

And the Mahao and other families are adamant that the government must be stopped from implementing clause 10 of its agreement with the opposition.

The respondents are the Minster of Law and Constitutional Affairs, the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, the leader of opposition, Mothibeli Mokhothu and Attorney General, Advocate Haae Phoofolo.

“The respondents should show cause if any, why the clause 10 of the Memorandum of Agreement between the government and the coalition of opposition parties shall not be declared unconstitutional as it violates Sections 18 and 19 of the Constitution by virtue of suspending criminal proceedings against Honourable Metsing and other similarly placed persons in exile during national dialogue and reforms,” the application states.

“They (the respondents) should further explain why clause 10 should not be declared unconstitutional in violation of Sections 99(2) and 99(3) of the Constitution to the extent that it seeks to hamstring the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions by according preferential treatment to Honourable Metsing and other similarly placed persons in exile.

“They (the respondents) should further explain why clause 10 shall not be declared unconstitutional and in violation of Sections 118(2) and 118 (3) of the Constitution to the extent that the said clause seeks to suspend any criminal proceedings against Honourable Metsing and similarly placed persons.”

In his founding affidavit, Thabo Khetheng, the father of Police Constable Mokalekale Khetheng who was allegedly murdered by his colleagues in 2016, stated that the High Court should block the implementation of the clause 10 because it would jeopardise the case of his son which is already before the High Court.

“I aver that as a father of the deceased, I am directly affected by clause 10 as I perceive it as a violation of the constitution of Lesotho in so far as it suspends justice for an indefinite period of time. It is a one-sided agreement which tends to favour politicians and totally neglects and/or abandons victims of heinous crimes. It is therefore wrongful and unlawful and should be declared unconstitutional as it directly violates the constitution, especially against the victims.

“The policemen implicated in Khetheng’s murder were charged and remained in custody while Mr Mokhosi was charged and granted bail. The agreement gives him a further reprieve on not appearing before courts as he is not to be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the dialogue and reforms process.

“I aver that political expediency cannot be bigger and more important than justice in a democratic dispensation. Clause 10 gives politicians a preferential treatment and clearly violates section 26(1) which clearly advances the right to equality and justice. As victims we want justice and closure and anything that hinders and or prohibits justice is a violation of the constitution against me and my co-applicants,” Mr Khetheng states in his affidavit.

The post Court blow for Metsing appeared first on Lesotho Times.

…regional body refuses to extend mandate any further

Staff Writers

Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops, seconded to Lesotho to help stabilize the country, will finally leave in less than two weeks after the regional body refused to entertain any further requests to extend their tenure.

Prime Minister Thomas Thabane had pleaded with his regional peers at the last SADC summit in Windhoek, Namibia, in August 2018, to have the tenure of the troops extended by at least another three months to enable them to continue keeping the peace in the country while all those responsible for past atrocities are arraigned to face their comeuppance in courts of law.

However, authoritative sources said SADC had resolved not to extend the tenure of the troops or the SADC Standby Force, which will now leave on 20 November 2018, or exactly 12 days from today.

The SADC forces were informed about their pull-out at a recent conference attended by military personnel from the countries that contributed troops to the Standby Force, namely Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A senior Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) official said the now reformed LDF under the command of Lt Gen Mojalefa Letsoela was “ready and able” to deal with any “malcontents” who may want to take advantage of the void created by the departure of the SADC troops to create mayhem in the country.

“We are ready to thwart any elements who may want to see the departure of the SADC troops as a license to renew their past anarchy….That will not be tolerated…We will deal with any such elements mercilessly,” said the LDF official speaking on condition of anonymity because he had no clearance to speak to the press.

“Even though efforts have been made to cleanse the LDF of (Lt. Gen Tlali) Kamoli’s anarchical followers, this is a process that cannot be completed overnight… However any such elements inside and outside the LDF must be clearly warned that their period of impunity is over and they will be dealt with severely should they try to create chaos in the country….,” the LDF official said.

The Standby Force, also known as the SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL), was unveiled in the country on 2 December 2017. It is made of 207 soldiers, 15 intelligence personnel, 24 police officers and 12 civilian experts.

The SADC force was essentially deployed to prevent rogue LDF soldiers from destabilising Dr Thabane’s coalition as it went about implementing SADC recommended reforms to curb perennial instability in the Kingdom.

The reforms include holding the scalawag LDF members accountable for their past atrocities and helping mould the LDF into a professional force via some targeted re-training. Former LDF commander Tlali Kamoli has himself been languishing in remand prison for about a year over a plethora of atrocities he spearheaded.

The Standby Force was also meant to help in the investigations of the 5 September, 2017 assassination of army commander, Lieutenant General Khoantle Motšomotšo, by his subordinates, Brigadier Bulane Sechele and Colonel Tefo Hashatsi as well as the earlier killing of another LDF boss, Maaparankoe Mahao, among other tasks, work that has been done and completed.

The SADC sources told the Lesotho Times that the conference convened in Lesotho by the Standby Force contributing countries did not deliberate on whether or not to extend the mission which was initially scheduled to end in May this year before it was extended to November.

“The message was loud and clear that the troops will be pulled out,” said one source, adding that Angola, which had contributed the biggest number of troops, had already started dismantling some of its temporary infrastructure in preparation for the withdrawal.

“The conference was merely to prepare for the pull out of the mission,” another source said, meaning Lesotho’s pleas for an extension had been rebuffed.

“There was a very specific agenda (at the participating countries’ conference) which was withdrawal of the mission. Anything outside that was not entertained. The agenda was so specific that it also had details of the exit parade slated for 20 November 2018.

“The general feeling among participating SADC members is that the security situation is calm. The decision to withdraw is also inspired by the fact that some of the participating members particularly Angola had long wanted to pull out. Angola even said it was not prepared to continue if the mission is extended.

“Angola was going to leave regardless. They had made it clear they want to leave whether or not the mission is extended.

“If at all the mission is extended, the feeling is that personnel must come from Zambia who are the chair of the security arm of SADC and Zimbabwe who deputise the Zambians,” the source said, adding that such a last minute extension was unlikely.

The Lesotho Times was informed last night that Prime Minister Thabane’s government was still making frantic efforts to have the tenure of the Standby Force extended. Foreign Minister Lesego Makgothi nevertheless refused to comment saying “I would rather reserve any comment”.

SAPMIL was initially deployed for a period of six months until May 2018 after which the mission was extended by a further six months to November 2018 to foster a conducive environment to help the country in implementing SADC’s recommended multi-sectoral reforms while pushing for the restoration of the rule of law.

The reforms were recommended by SADC in 2016 as part of measures to bring lasting peace and stability to the country.

The regional body’s recommendations were made in the aftermath of the Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi-led SADC Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of former army commander, Maaparankoe Mahao, by his army colleagues in 2015.

The regional body gave Lesotho until May 2019 to have fully implemented constitutional and security sector reforms but the process has been stalled by bickering between the government and the opposition with the later making a plethora of demands before it participates.

However, the impasse between the two sides seems to have finally been resolved after they signed a pledge committing to participating in the reforms process.

As part of the deal, the government agreed that former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Mothetjoa Metsing, and other exiled leaders “will not be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the dialogue and reforms process”.

The government-opposition deal cleared the way for the return of Mr Metsing and other exiled leaders, now set for 25 November 2018. However, it remains to be seen whether Mr Metsing actually returns after a High Court  interdict this week against a clause in the reforms deal offering politicians exemptions from prosecution (see story on Page 4) during the reforms process.

Regional leaders had already turned down Prime Minister Thabane’s request for an extension of SAPMIL by a further three months at the August 2018 Windhoek summit. It seems the Thabane coalition has not succeeded in altering that position despite spirited efforts.

SADC sources told the Lesotho Times that when the SADC leaders met in Namibia in August, Dr Thabane had issued an impassioned plea for the extension of SAPMIL. The Prime Minister had explained the rationale of wanting such an extension in detail.

However, his pleas were rejected by the SADC leaders who instead told the premier that it was high time Lesotho put its house in order and implemented the multi-sectoral reforms to achieve durable peace and stability in the Kingdom.

In their communique issued at the end of the August summit, the regional leaders stated that “the summit urged the government of Lesotho to put in place a programme with clear milestones for the implementation of priority activities on the reforms roadmap and national dialogue, while recognising that the SAPMIL and Oversight Committee tenures end in November 2018”.

Government spokesperson Nthakeng Selinyane referred all questions to the government secretary, Moahloli Mphaka, whose mobile rang unanswered.

The post SADC troops leave appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Mohalenyane Phakela

THE slain Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) internal auditor, Thibello Nteso, could still be alive had Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (Tšepong) urgently given him medical attention when he was brought to the hospital in a critical condition.

This was said yesterday by Police Sergeant Lebohang Ralitau while giving testimony during the trial of four police officers accused of murdering Mr Nteso on 6 February 2017.  Sergeant Ralitau said it took about 40 minutes for Mr Nteso to receive medical attention.

The four officers are Police Constable (PC) Moeketsi Dlamini (38), PC Monaheng ‘Musi (30), Superintendent Tlala Phatela (52) and Senior Inspector Thaele Ramajoe (45).

The four officers first appeared in court on 12 January 2018 to face charges of murdering Mr Nteso near the residence of former police commissioner, Molahlehi Letsoepa, on 6 February 2017.

They also face an additional charge of malicious damage to property for allegedly damaging the deceased’s vehicle.

It is the state case that Dlamini and ’Musi were on guard duty at the home of the then Police Commissioner, Letsoepa, in Maseru West on 6 February, 2017 when they allegedly shot and killed Mr Nteso.

He was shot once in the hip area and the same bullet also penetrated the other leg.

The constables claimed they had suspected a plot to attack the former police commissioner after they noticed a firearm-holder in the late Mr Nteso’s car which was parked near Mr Letsoepa’s residence.

They fired shots at Mr Nteso’s vehicle at about 9pm that night to stop him as he was driving away from the residence of the LEC corporate secretary who lives near the former police commissioner.

The other two suspects in the murder case, Inspector Ramajoe and Superintendent Phatela, allegedly ordered the cover-up of the murder by tampering with the crime scene.

It is alleged that Mr Nteso was at the corporate secretary’s residence to work on a forensic audit report.   A few days after the shooting, the deceased’s younger brother, Tankiso Nteso, told the Lesotho Times that his brother had confided in him that he had been handling a big case of embezzlement of funds from LEC coffers involving more than M170 million.

The five-day trial, before High Court judge Moroke Mokhesi, began on Monday and ends tomorrow.

Speaking as the fifth crown witness, Sergeant Ralitau said he was on duty at the police headquarters in Maseru when he was called to the scene of the shootout in Maseru West. He said after offering first aid to Mr Nteso, they ferried him to Tšepong and he believed that the deceased’s life could have been saved had the hospital staff immediately attended to him upon arrival at the hospital.

“While on duty at the Police Headquarters, I was called by the third accused (Phatela) to attend to a shootout at ComPol’s (commissioner of police) place in Maseru West on 6 February 2017,” Sergeant Ralitau told the court.

“I went there with three other police officers and upon our arrival we noticed a body lying near the centre of the road. I got the gloves and tried to give him first aid and that is when I learned he still had a pulse. I then ordered the police officers I came with together with those we found at the scene to assist in loading the injured person onto the van we came in and we then rushed the person to Tšepong. It was raining that day.

“Upon arrival at Tšepong, it took us about 20 to 30 minutes to get the nurses to attend to our patient. When three nurses eventually came, they debated for about five to 10 minutes as to whether or not our patient was still alive before calling the doctor to check. By this time the deceased was still lying in the back of our van in the rain. We were told the doctor was attending someone else and would attend to us immediately thereafter. He came about 5 to 10 minutes later.

“The doctor examined our patient using a stethoscope and then said that the person had died 20 minutes earlier. I was then made to fill forms and also to pay for his medical services before being ordered to take the deceased to Lesotho Funeral Services by the doctor.”

Sergeant Ralitau said that he was the officer in charge at the Police Headquarters on that day when he got a call from one Sergeant Tamako that there was a suspicious maroon Mercedes Benz which was parked near commissioner of police’s gate where the latter was on duty as a guard. He said he then went to check the situation and he indeed found the maroon two-door Mercedes Benz parked near commissioner of police’s place.

“I inspected the vehicle and saw a bunch of keys on the side pocket as well as a gun holster on the mat below the steering wheel. I had to rush back to the office as I had left it unattended but I passed through the RCTS (a vehicle theft detection and counter robbery crime unit within the Lesotho Mounted Police Services) to report the matter and discuss how the vehicle could be moved. There I found PC Sekhonyana who told me his superior had gone to central charge office.

“Five minutes after my arrival at police headquarters, I got a call from Supt Phatela (one of the accused) ordering me to rush to commissioner of police’s place where there had been a shooting incident. I ordered three officers who were on duty, Sergeant Noka, PC Mosokela and PC Kotoane to get guns and together we rushed to the scene and that is when we came across a body lying on the road which we took to Tšepong,” he said.

Meanwhile, PC Lethaha and Detective Lance Sergeant Seeko also took the stand as the seventh and eighth prosecution witnesses. They appeared in their capacity as the officers who examined the crime scene and the deceased’s car. The two officers work in the Serious Crimes Unit at Pitso Ground Police Station.

PC Lethaha said that he found seven bullet shells at the scene while Mr Nteso’s body had four holes on the thighs.

“We were welcomed at the crime scene by Senior Superintendent Letsie who explained that Mr Nteso had been taken to Lesotho Funeral Services. When we examined the crime scene we discovered a pool of blood about 25 paces (steps) from the commissioner of police’s yard. Near the blood was a 9mm pistol bullet shell. About 10 paces from the blood were four AK47 bullet shells.

“About 60 paces from the blood was a maroon two-door Mercedes Benz bearing the registration 300 NTE FS. I examined the vehicle and noticed two holes on the driver’s door and another one behind the driver’s door. On the rear-view bumper and bonnet there were eight holes. I could not inspect the interior because there was not enough light.

“From there we went to Lesotho Funeral Services where we examined the body. The right thigh had a small hole on the outer part and an open one on the inner side. Similarly, the left thigh had two holes one on the inside and another on the outer part. The following morning at around 6.30am I went back to the scene with Senior Inspector Kheleli and we found two more AK47 shells but these ones were on the left side of the road compared to the four from the previous day which were on the right side. I took in all the seven shells as evidence and submitted to ballistics department.”

For his part, Detective Lance Sergeant Seeko said that he found same bullet holes on the exterior of the maroon Mercedes Benz which belonged to Mr Nteso but more holes on the clothing which was inside the car.

“Inside the car I observed a lot of blood on the driver’s seat as well as on the mat between the driver’s seat and steering wheel. On the mat there was also a bullet which I believed was from a 9mm as well as a gun holster. There was also a bullet hole on the dashboard near the radio and gear-lever.

“On the passenger seat there was a blue LEC jacket which had eight holes on the back, one on the left shoulder and three on the right arm. Inside the jacket had four holes. Below the jacket was a blue jersey which had six holes on the right arm. I took the jacket, jersey, dead bullet and gun holster as evidence and upon arriving at Pitso Ground Police Station, Detective Inspector Motanya handed over to me a 9mm auto pistol with the serial number 32de501982 as part of evidence which I submitted to ballistics.”

The exhibits were shown to the court and presented as part of the prosecution’s evidence.

The post Tšepong accused of negligence in Nteso’s death appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Staff Writers

ALL is set for the withdrawal of Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops from the country next week with an exit parade slated for Setsoto Stadium in Maseru on the 20^th of November.

Well-placed sources within SADC this week told the Lesotho Times that it was highly unlikely that the tenure of the Standby Force would be extended after the regional body cancelled an emergency meeting that had initially been planned for Maseru to discuss the political situation in Lesotho.

The sources said the cancelled meeting would have deliberated on whether or not to extend the tenure of the SADC troops whose tour of duty ends next week.

The sources further said that instead, the regional has resolved to hold an extra-ordinary summit whose dates and venue are yet to be announced. Besides deliberating on Lesotho’s progress in the implementation of multi-sector reforms, the sources said the extra-ordinary summit will also discuss the political situation in the Comoros, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“The (canceled) meeting would have deliberated on whether or not to extend the tenure of the SADC troops whose tour of duty ends next week,” said one source.

“There will now be a fully-fledged extra-ordinary summit on a date and venue that is yet to be decided. The extra-ordinary summit will also discuss the political situation in the Comoros, Madagascar and the DRC. It is however, unlikely that this summit will still discuss the extension of the SADC Standby Force because by the time it is held the troops would have most likely left Lesotho.”

The Lesotho Times also understands that the SADC troops who have been stationed in Lesotho since December 2017 have not been informed of any plans of a possible extension of their tour of duty and they are continuing with their preparations to withdraw.

Last night, a press release issued by the SADC Communication and Public Relations Unit confirmed the imminent departure of the SADC troops, stating that an exit parade will be held at Setsoto Stadium next Tuesday ahead of their withdrawal from the country.

“You are cordially invited to the closing down ceremony of the SADC Preventive Mission in the Kingdom of Lesotho (SAPMIL) on the 20^th of November 2018, at a ceremony to be held at Setsoto Stadium at 08.00 hours.

“The key speakers at the ceremony will be the Prime Minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane and the SADC Executive Secretary, Stergomena Lawrence Tax,” SADC said in the statement.

The Standby Force, also known as the SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL), was unveiled in the country on 2 December 2017. It is made of 207 soldiers, 15 intelligence personnel, 24 police officers and 12 civilian experts.

The SADC force was essentially deployed to prevent rogue LDF soldiers from destabilising Dr Thabane’s coalition as it went about implementing SADC recommended reforms to curb perennial instability in the Kingdom.

The reforms include holding rogue LDF members accountable for their past atrocities and helping mould the LDF into a professional force via some targeted re-training.

The SADC forces were informed about their impending pull-out at a recent conference attended by military personnel from the countries that contributed troops to the Standby Force, namely Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The SADC sources said the conference did not deliberate on whether or not to extend the mission which was initially scheduled to end in May this year before it was extended to November.

And this week the SADC sources said it was highly unlikely that the mission would be extended as the Standby Force will start its pull-out on 21 November after their exit parade a day earlier.

“Nothing has been said to the troops regarding an extension. As we speak most of the troops already have their plane tickets and if there is to be an extension then it means there will be costs to be incurred in the cancellation of the tickets and travel plans,” one source said.

Zambia’s Brigadier General (Retired) Timothy Kazembe, who took over the leadership of SAPMIL from Angola’s Matias Matondo in September this year, could not be reached for comment as he was said to be in his home country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lesogo Makgothi was not available on his mobile phone for comment yesterday.

The Lesotho Times was informed last week that Prime Minister Thabane’s government was still making frantic efforts to have the tenure of the Standby Force extended. Foreign Minister Lesego Makgothi nevertheless refused to comment saying: “I would rather reserve any comment”.

SAPMIL was initially deployed for a period of six months until May 2018 after which the mission was extended by a further six months to November 2018 to foster a conducive environment to help the country in implementing SADC’s recommended multi-sectoral reforms while pushing for the restoration of the rule of law.

The reforms were recommended by SADC in 2016 as part of measures to bring lasting peace and stability to the country.

The regional body’s recommendations were made in the aftermath of the Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi-led SADC Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of former army commander, Maaparankoe Mahao, by his army colleagues in 2015.

The regional body gave Lesotho until May 2019 to have fully implemented constitutional and security sector reforms but the process has been stalled by bickering between the government and the opposition with the later making a plethora of demands before it participates.

However, the impasse between the two sides seems to have finally been resolved after they signed a pledge committing to participating in the reforms process.

As part of the deal, the government agreed that former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Mothetjoa Metsing, and other exiled leaders “will not be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the dialogue and reforms process”.

The government-opposition deal cleared the way for the return of Mr Metsing and other exiled leaders, now set for 25 November 2018. It remains to be seen whether or not Mr Metsing will actually set foot in the country after last week’s High Court interdict against a clause in the reforms deal offering politicians exemptions from prosecution the reforms process.

The High Court decision followed an application by the family of the slain army commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao and other families whose relatives lost their lives during the political instability from 2014 to 2017.

The applicants were Thabo Khetheng, Maphanya Mahao, Mamonaheng Ramahloko, Malehlohonolo Nteso and Mamohau Qobete. They argued that clause 10 of the recent agreement between the government and the opposition should be declared unconstitutional as it sought to suspend any criminal proceedings against Mr Metsing and others who are implicated in the deaths of the applicants’ relatives.

Although the case is set to be heard on 22 November, the opposition has indicated that Mr Metsing’s return would not be determined by the outcome of the court case and he is expected to be part of the proceedings of a multi-stakeholder forum on 26 November in Maseru.

The post All set for SADC troops’ withdrawal  appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Pascalinah Kabi

LESOTHO’s technical advisor in the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission (LHWC), Masupha Sole, yesterday torched storm when he told the senate that Lesotho and South Africa made a “grave mistake” by moving the planned construction of a dam from the previously planned site at Mashai in Thaba-Tseka to Polihali in Mokhotlong.

The dam is one of the projects planned as part of the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP II).

The LHWP is a multi-phased project to provide water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and to generate hydro-electricity for Lesotho. It was established by the 1986 Treaty signed by the governments of Lesotho and South Africa.

The project entails harnessing the waters of the Senqu/Orange River in the Lesotho highlands through the construction of a series of dams for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Phase I of the LHWP, consisting of the Katse and Mohale dams, the ‘Muela hydropower station and associated tunnels was completed in 2003 and inaugurated in 2004. Phase II of the LHWP is currently in progress. It consists of two separate but related components: water transfer and hydropower generation.

The bilateral project which is estimated to cost at least M23 billion, is expected to provide about 3000 jobs at the peak of its operations.

The water transfer component of Phase II comprises an approximately 165m high concrete faced rock fill Dam at Polihali downstream of the confluence of the Khubelu and Senqu (Orange) Rivers and an approximately 38km long concrete-lined gravity tunnel connecting the Polihali reservoir to the Katse reservoir.

Other Phase II activities include advance infrastructure (roads, accommodation, power lines and telecommunication) and the implementation of environmental and social mitigating measures.

The hydropower component of Phase II, which is currently under further feasibility studies, may include a pumped storage scheme, conventional hydropower such as the expansion of the ‘Muela infrastructure or new greenfield sites.

Its exact form will be determined on completion of the further feasibility studies. Phase II is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2024.

And with just a few months before the scheduled start of construction of the Polihali Dam next year, Mr Sole yesterday set the act among the pigeons by telling the senate that taking the project to Polihali was a grave mistake on the part of both governments.

He said this during a meeting which was held among the Senate Petitions Committee, the Youth League’s Forum of Lesotho, the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) and the Ministry of Water Affairs.

The Youth League Forum was represented by Messrs Bokang Ramatšella, Manama Letsie, Tlhoriso Nkatsa and Rabele Makakole.

Mr Sole concurred with the Youth League’s Forum of Lesotho who argued that constructing the dam at Polihali put the scheme to generate electricity for Lesotho at risk as the feasibility studies were still to determine the efficacy of such a scheme at Polihali were still ongoing.

“I am invited here as an individual and I am not saying this to give my boss (Water Affairs Principal Secretary Emmanuel Lesoma) a reason enough to send me on forced leave,” Mr Sole said, much to the annoyance of Mr Lesoma who immediately asked the committee chairperson Tumane Thaabe Matela “to protect” him against Mr Sole.

“I agree with these youths that taking Phase II to Polihali was a mistake which does not benefit this country at all. The two governments decided to take the project to Polihali against my advice. I have said this before and I will continue to say it.

“It is not just a mistake but also a breach of the treaty to implement Phase II of the project at Polihali. The LHWP Treaty was signed based on the understanding that Mashai would provide enough water for South Africa’s needs in the second phase and generate electricity for Lesotho at the same time. Polihali was never part of the LHWP Treaty.

“I also need to speak to the issue of governance. According to the 2011 Agreement, South Africa doesn’t pay tax and this is against the June 1999 Protocol 5 on tax.

“Also, the LHDA does not have powers to run this project, the commission jointly made of South Africa and Lesotho representatives is the one with the governance powers.”

Mr Sole’s remarks also incensed the Thaba-Bosiu Principal Chief, Khoabane Theko, who accused the former of rallying behind Messrs Ramatšella, Makakole, Letsie and Nkatsa because they had lobbied him to assist them.

“He (Mr Sole) was lobbied by these people to come and speak for them before the committee and we need to give the government the same amount of time to defend their case,” Chief Theko said.

Mr Sole responded by saying, “I can never be lobbied, no one can lobby me because I know what I am talking about and the chief must retract his statement”.

Chief Theko refused to retract his statement, saying “there is nothing wrong with lobbying in the first place”.

On his part, Mr Lesoma insinuated that the four youth league members have chosen to misdirect themselves because there was nothing untoward that the two government had done in breach of the 1986 Treaty.

“We supply people with information and the very same people decide to deliberately distort it to suit their own agendas. Mashai is still part of the LHWP and two phases of the project are joined by a tunnel. It is a bad thing to feed Basotho propaganda,” Mr Lesoma said.

He said that Lesotho was still going to benefit from the project and that the electricity component was still on the cards, contrary to claims made by the four members of the Youth League Forum.

“Electricity will be generated in this project and the treaty can be reviewed anytime the two parties feel there is a need to. Lesotho wants to maximise the benefits of this project and we have got just that (with the LHWP II treaty),” Mr Lesoma said.

LHDA Phase II Divisional Manager, Tente Tente, read article 5 of the treaty which states that: “The project shall be implemented by way of any or all of the phases or such additional phases as may be required ultimately to deliver 70 cubic metres of water per second…provided that any phase…may be modified by agreement between the parties (South Africa and Lesotho)”.

He said that article 5 proved that Mr Sole was not being sincere in his comments.

Mr Sole, a former chief executive of the LHDA, has never been far from controversy after his fraud conviction for accepting M5 million in bribes from several foreign companies that bided for tenders in the first phase of the LHWP between 1980 and the early 1990s.

He was jailed for 15 years in 2002 but was released in May 2011 after serving nine years of his sentence.

He was then controversially appointed chief technical advisor to the LHWC which supervises the LHDA.

He was appointed to the position by the then Pakalitha Mosisili-led government in 2011, just four months after being released from prison on parole.

Mr Sole’s appointment angered the South African government at the time.

The post Masupha Sole in fresh controversy appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Mohalenyane Phakela

A KEY witness in the murder case of slain Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) internal auditor, Thibello Nteso, this week accused four police officers of attempting to destroy the evidence when they allegedly moved the deceased’s car from the crime scene before the ballistics team’s arrival.

Mokete Sello, a civil servant stationed at the Communications Ministry made the accusations on Monday during the trial of the four police officers who are charged with 6 February 2017 murder of Mr Nteso.

The four officers are Police Constable (PC) Moeketsi Dlamini (38), PC Monaheng ‘Musi (30), Superintendent Tlali Phatela (52) and Senior Inspector Thaele Ramajoe (45).

The four officers first appeared in court on 12 January 2018 to face charges of murdering Mr Nteso near the residence of former police commissioner, Molahlehi Letsoepa, on 6 February 2017.

They also face an additional charge of malicious damage to property for allegedly damaging the deceased’s vehicle.

It is the state case that Dlamini and ’Musi were on guard duty at the home of the then Police Commissioner, Letsoepa, in Maseru West on 6 February, 2017 when they allegedly shot and killed Mr Nteso.

He was shot once in the hip area and the same bullet also penetrated the other leg.

The constables claimed they had suspected a plot to attack the former police commissioner after they noticed a firearm-holder in the late Mr Nteso’s car which was parked near Mr Letsoepa’s residence.

They fired shots at Mr Nteso’s vehicle at about 9pm that night to stop him as he was driving away from the residence of the LEC corporate secretary who lives near the former police commissioner.

The other two suspects in the murder case, Inspector Ramajoe and Superintendent Phatela, allegedly ordered the cover-up of the murder by tampering with the crime scene.

It is alleged that Mr Nteso was at the corporate secretary’s residence to work on a forensic audit report.   A few days after the shooting, the deceased’s younger brother, Tankiso Nteso, told the Lesotho Times that his brother had confided in him that he had been handling a big case of embezzlement of funds from LEC coffers involving more than M170 million.

The five-day trial, before High Court judge Moroke Mokhesi, began on Monday and ends tomorrow. The deceased’s family and former colleagues at the LEC attended the Monday court session.

On Monday, Mr Sello told the packed courtroom that he was visiting his brother Ntelane Sello in Maseru West when he heard gunshots.

Mr Sello’s brother lives at the LEC flats, very close to the crime scene in Maseru West.

Mr Sello said after hearing gunshots he immediately looked through the window and saw one of the Special Operations Unit (SOU) officers driving the late Mr Nteso’s car from the crime scene towards the LEC flats.

“While we were having dinner at my brother’s place with our cousin, Nthejane (Sello), we were forced to lie flat on the ground after hearing gunshots which were so loud, as if they were at our doorstep,” Mr Sello stated.

“Once the shooting died down, I ran upstairs as it was a double storey building and I had a clear view through a window of the tarred road where the incident seemed to have taken place. I saw a car being driven from near Mr Letsoepa’s place where it had been parked earlier. The car was then parked near the gate of LEC flats where we were. A police officer wearing SOU uniform alighted from the car, leaving it idling, with lights and wipers on (as it was raining that day) as well as the driver’s door wide open.

“I could see residue stains at the back of his trousers as he moved back towards the crime area where he joined other SOU officers near Mr Letsoepa’s place where the body was lying. Shortly afterwards, a white 4×4 vehicle without number plates arrived and they loaded the body onto it and drove away with the corpse.

“A police water cannon vehicle arrived at the scene and I could hear voices outside. We decided to go out and have a closer look. When we got to the gate, I was able to identify the red Mercedes Benz which belonged to my neighbour from Ha Matala, Mr Nteso. It had a lot of blood on the driver’s seat, a gun holster inside and there were many bullet holes on it. The water cannon turned its bright lights on to obscure our view but I could see them picking something from the ground. I believe that is when they cleaned blood from where the body was lying.”

The trial continued on Tuesday with Mr Phatela’s lawyer, Advocate Khotso Nthontho, seeking to discredit Mr Sello’s testimony during the cross examination.

Adv Nthontho accused Mr Sello of fabricating evidence, adding that speculations were not admissible before the court.

“You did not actually see the police officers cleaning blood therefore what you are saying is just speculation which cannot be admissible before the court.

“I also put it to you that in your statement you made at the police station, you deliberately omitted the part where you talk about the police officers picking up things from the ground. If it was true you would have remembered therefore you are lying to the court,” Adv Nthontho said.

However, Mr Sello struck to his guns and said he might have omitted some things while giving his statement to the police because he only made the statement long after the incident.

A colleague of Mr Nteso, Nikiwe Phinda Setšabi, told the court that the former was shot a few minutes after their meeting – held at her residence at the LEC flats.

“We were working on a report which we had to present before the LEC board the following week, so we agreed that we would finish it at my place after work. I got home at around 4pm while Mr Nteso arrived about 30 minutes later. We worked till after 9.30pm when he decided to leave. A few minutes after he left I heard gunshots which sounded very close and I immediately went down on all fours.

“When the sound died down I peeped through the window but could not see anything. I then went outside and when I looked through the gate I saw Mr Nteso’s car outside. I rushed towards it but I did not find him inside but only a lot of blood on the driver’s seat. I then saw two police officers and asked them where he was and they told me that the car had been ‘wanted’ and they had found it there with a driver heavily armed with a 9mm firearm. I told them that Mr Nteso’s firearm was legal and that they should have demanded its licence.

“It was during our conversation that I saw a body lying ahead as another car arrived with lights on. As I approached the body, I asked them why they had shot such a humble person and instead of responding they only told me to go back to my house. Before I could leave I met two United States (of America) security officers who offered to help me with anything I needed. That is when I got back inside and started calling other colleagues as well as my husband who shortly arrived at the scene. At the time the police officers had already whisked the body and the car away.”

The two Security Unlimited officers, Habofanoe Tlebere and Thabo Ratalane, who were patrolling at the US ambassador’s residence in the street near the scene  of the crime told the court on separate occasions that they quickly rushed to the scene when they heard gunshots.

“We quickly rushed to the next street where we had heard gunshots coming from and upon our arrival, we met two soldiers standing by the gate where we believed they were posted that night. I stepped out of the car to inquire about the shooting but they told me it came from the police officers ahead of them and I walked towards the police while Mr Ratalane drove in the car.

“We got near the red Mercedes Benz which had its lights on, driver’s door wide open and idling with the wipers on. Inside it I saw a lot of blood on the driver’s seat. Near it were two police officers in SOU uniform and a woman who was crying bitterly. The woman was asking the officers why they had killed such a humble person.

“Mr Ratalane then put the bright lights on so we could see what seemed like a body which lay a few metres ahead but the police officers nearly bit his head off demanding that he turn off the bright lights and quickly leave the scene. We complied. I was already close to the body which lay on the ground and there was another officer who was shaking the body’s head asking the deceased to wake up but the way the head easily moved I concluded that he was already dead. The body was lying in a pool of blood,” Mr Tlebere said.

Mr Ratalane gave a similar version of the incident which he said he observed from inside the car which he was driving.

The legal representative of PCs Dlamini and ‘Musi, Advocate Lebohang Ramakhula, asked the four witnesses if they had seen who fired first or what caused the shootout. All denied having seen the shootout after which Adv Ramakhula he put it to them that his clients acted in self-defence.

“When an armed person attacks you and you have a gun, it is only fair or practical that you also use a gun to defend yourself.

“You will agree with me that the shooting area was a residential area of very important people which included the US ambassador as well as former commissioner of police. So, if a vehicle is left unattended for over five hours near the commissioner’s place, it is only fair that it raised the suspicion of my clients who were on duty to guard Mr Letsoepa.

“Accused number one and two (Dlamini and ‘Musi) shot in self-defence as the deceased shot first,” Adv Ramakhula said.

Senior Inspector Ramajoe’s lawyer, Adv Napo Mafaesa, said his client was not there during the shooting and did not conspire with anyone to kill Mr Nteso.

“My client tells me to tell you that he (Ramajoe) was at his home when the incident occurred and that he never acted in complicit with anyone to shoot or kill the deceased,” said Adv Mafaesa. Adv Nthontho said the same thing about his client, Supt Phatela.

The post ‘Police tried to conceal evidence in Nteso murder’ appeared first on Lesotho Times.

’Marafaele Mohloboli

POLICE Constable (PC) Mokone Bereng of Khubetsoana in Berea and two other suspects yesterday appeared before the Maseru Magistrates’ Court on charges of defrauding the government of at least M17 million.

PC Bereng (35) and his co-accused Abiele Moletsane (30) and ’Mamothibeli Piti (34), a sales consultant at Standard Lesotho Bank, appeared in court after their arrest on Monday.

The trio allegedly defrauded the government of M17 million and some motor dealers of amounts in the region of over a million maloti through fraudulent purchases.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said PC Bereng and his accomplices could face more charges as the investigations are ongoing.

“This trio defrauded the sub-accountancy department (of the Ministry of Finance) in Leribe of an estimated M17 million by hacking into its system,” Supt Mopeli said, adding, “They then went on to purchase some vehicles at various car dealers where they paid through electronic transfers”.

“They always paid money exceeding the actual price of their purchase and then later claimed they had erred and demanded to rectify their mistake and demanded the excess in cash in the process,” Sup Mopeli said.

The transactions are said to have occurred in October this year and the suspects allegedly deposited the ill-gotten funds into three different accounts which they had opened under false identities in South Africa.

Supt Mopeli further said they had recovered a Prado vehicle from the cop which costs M130 000.

“Investigations to track the other eight cars are ongoing and these include a BMW 120i worth M122 000, a Honda Elision (M54 000), an Audi A3 (M77 000), two Mercedes Vianos (one valued at M165 000 and the other at M195 000) and three Mercedes Benz C200 vehicles (two of them valued at M160 000 and the other M165 000).”

The car dealers who were allegedly defrauded by the suspects are United Motors, Sam Motors, Koloi Land, Faiz Motors, Motornet and JH Motors.

“The police have also recovered and confiscated some moveable property comprising sofas costing M41 000, a double door refrigerator worth M21 000 and a washing machine priced at M7 000 from the female sales consultant who was cohabiting with one of the suspects.”

Supt Mopeli said primary investigations have yielded that M10 million of the fraudulently acquired money has already been exhausted while the remaining M7 million has been frozen in the bank accounts.

Supt Mopeli also appealed to Chief Accounting Officers at the various government ministries to conduct regular book keeping, saying this would help to spot any suspicious transactions.

The post Cop arrested for M18 million fraud appeared first on Lesotho Times.

’Marafaele Mohloboli

SENATE President ’Mamonaheng Mokitimi is in the eye of the storm after five senators launched a petition for her to be relieved of her duties and be investigated on charges of abuse of office and corruption.

She stands accused of fraud in that she allegedly prejudiced the senate by facilitating the payment of medical expenses for at least 11 people who were not senate employees before 2010.

Ms Mokitimi allegedly committed the offence while she was still the Senate AIDS Coordinator. Ms Mokitimi was subsequently elected vice president of the senate in 2012 and senate president in the aftermath of last year’s snap national elections.

According to the petition seen by the Lesotho Times, “there is an incessant anomaly in the list of parties afforded services by Khanya Medic Clinic and paid for by the senate”.

“It will be clear from the records available that at least more than 11 patients afforded service by the said medical clinic under the bill of the senate, at least more than one of them, was not and never aspired to be an employee of the senate.

“However, the records will further show that the then AIDS Coordinator, now president (of the senate Ms Mokitimi), was solely responsible for the presentation of a list of eligible HIV and AIDS patients from the senate to the clinic in question.

“The confidentiality of that process is common cause. It follows that the question as to how an ordinary citizen who was not in any manner connected to the civil service came to enjoy such benefit can only be answered by the officer who was then charged with coordinating provision of medical attention to HIV and AIDS infected employees of the senate.

“The perfidiousness of which it was conducted over the years (quite clearly taking advantage and abusing the privilege of confidentiality) impels us to conclude that there was a systematic symbiotic relationship between the AIDS Coordinator and the beneficiary which resulted in reckless cheating of the government fiscus.”

The petition also calls for the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to institute investigations into the said allegations.

Out of 22 chiefs who comprise the Senate, the petition bears the five names of chiefs Tumane Matela of Makhoakhoeng, Mojela Makhaola of Qacha’s Nek, Bereng Bereng of Rothe, Retšelisitsoe Mopeli of Butha-Buthe and Qeto Sekonyela of Malingoaneng.

The petitioners further allege that Ms Monaheng “in partnership with the de facto Clerk to the Senate and with a common purpose of achieving self-aggrandisement deliberately misappropriated the approved budget of the financial year 2018/19”.

The senators had hoped their petition would be discussed in the senate but this did not happen this week. And during Tuesday’s proceedings, Chief Mojela Makhaola demanded to know why the petition did not form part of the agenda of petitions which were yet to be deliberated on in the up-coming sessions and only to be dismissed by the Vice President of the House, Tšepo Monethi.

Mr Monethi held that the petition would be discussed in due course.

“There is no point of order in what you have raised my Chief. I would understand if your argument was that the petitions which had been received later than yours were already being dealt with,” Mr Monethi said.

Yesterday, Chief Makhaola attempted to raise the issue of the petition only to be shunned again.

He was backed by the Chief Mopeli who said that the petition should be dealt with and this time the Vice President said that there was no “urgency” with the said petition.

However, Chief Mopeli said that the petition had long been submitted but “the president had decided to sit on it”.

Contacted for comment Ms Mokitimi acknowledged receiving the petition last Thursday but refused to comment further as the matter has been forwarded to her deputy.

“I have received such petition bearing the senators’ names but I would rather not comment until the right time as the matter has been forwarded to my deputy for further perusal,” Ms Mokitimi said.

On the other hand, Chief Makhaola said his spirits were not dampened by the response he got from the vice-president.

“I shall not be dissuaded and shall make all efforts to see to it that the petition sees the light of day,” Chief Makhaola said.

The post Senators demand Mokitimi’s ouster appeared first on Lesotho Times.

…two soldiers in custody as police and army investigate the theft of communications equipment

Pascalinah Kabi

TWO army officers are assisting the police and the army with investigations into the disappearance of 20 communications radios, unspecified quantities of chicken and mincemeat from the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF).

The army recently discovered that the 20 Very High Frequency (VHF) communications radios, used for communication in the army went missing last week. The food parcels are said to have been stolen on Saturday night.

LDF public relations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mashili Mashili confirmed the developments, telling the Lesotho Times that the two officers were recently arrested and are helping the police and army with investigations.

“Twenty Motorola communications radios have disappeared from the signals department,” Lt-Col Mashili said.

“We don’t know when the radios disappeared but the disappearance came to our attention on Thursday last week. The chickens disappeared on Saturday night.

“Two army officers are now in custody to assist the army and the police with investigations into the matter,” he said, adding that the suspects would appear in court as soon as the investigations were completed.

Lt-Col Mashili allayed fears that the theft of the equipment could have resulted in communications or security breaches.

“Fortunately, the radios had not been programmed and were not on the line. That means our communication as the army has not been compromised,” he said.

It has not been established whether or not there is any connection between the theft of the communications equipment and previous plots to destabilise the country.

The regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) has previously warned of the likelihood of army equipment including missing arms of war being used in plots by rogue soldiers to destabilise the country.

The theft of the equipment comes barely two weeks before the expected departure of the SADC standby force.

The SADC standby force, also known as the SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL), was officially unveiled in Lesotho on 2 December 2017 as part of regional efforts to foster a conducive environment for the implementation of constitutional, security sector, public service, media and governance reforms in line with the recommendations of the regional body.

The standby force is comprised of 217 soldiers, 15 intelligence personnel, 24 police officers and 13 civilian experts.

The standby force completed its original six-month mandate in May this year but this was subsequently extended to November this year to enable it to assist Lesotho in the implementation of the reforms which were recommended by SADC in 2016.

The SADC force was essentially deployed to prevent rogue Lesotho Defence Force soldiers from destabilising Dr Thabane’s coalition as it went about implementing SADC recommended reforms to curb perennial instability in the Kingdom.

A confidential report by SADC last year stated that some arms of war had gone missing from the LDF armoury and warned that missing weapons could be used by rogue soldiers to launch reprisal attacks as efforts to hold them accountable for past transgressions intensify.

The report speaks of arms of war and ammunition missing from the armory of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) as well as heavy AK47 rifles that had disappeared from the Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS).

Early last month, Communications minister Thesele Maseribane and the deputy army commander Major General Matela Matobakele warned of a plot by come unnamed senior people to cause mayhem and destabilise the country once the SADC standby force leaves the country.

Chief Maseribane and Maj-Gen Matobakele said this while addressing mourners at the funeral of the late Corporal Mosuoe Mofomobe in Quthing.

Corporal Mofomobe was one of the soldiers who fled the country in 2014 following an army operation to arrest and prosecute soldiers accused of working together with the slain army commander, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, in an alleged mutiny against the command of the-then LDF commander, Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli.

Chief Maseribane and Major General Matobakele said they were fully aware of a plot to cause disturbances in the country once the SAMPIL and the SADC Oversight Committee leave as expected on 20 November.

Chief Maseribane said that the people who were plotting to rebel against the government come 20 November 2018 must be stopped.

On his part, Maj-Gen Matobakele said nowadays there was talk that some people were planning to revolt once the SADC troops leave Lesotho.

He however, said the army and the police were more than capable of dealing with any attempts to destabilise the country, saying, “Indeed, SADC is leaving but we command this army”.

“The (police) commissioner (Holomo Molibeli) commands the police service and we will not tolerate any nonsense,” Maj-Gen Matobakele further warned.

The post Army equipment goes missing appeared first on Lesotho Times.

…informs supporters of his decision in writing

’Marafaele Mohloboli

Pakalitha Mosisili has formally quit as leader of the opposition Democratic Congress (DC) ending a long tumultuous political career.

Although he had previously hinted that he would not seek re-election at his party’s elective conference next year, Dr Mosisili, the longest serving elected Prime Minister in Lesotho’s post- independence history, has since formally communicated his decision in writing to his party. This means he is definite about his decision and can no longer go back on it, even if persuaded to do so.

Many long serving African leaders have frequently promised to relinquish their posts to pave way for new blood only to change their positions along the way and cling to power.

Dr Mosisili’s communicated his decision to quit in a moving letter dated 9 November 2018 to DC supporters.

In the letter Dr Mosisili likens himself to a dancer who must eventually relinquish the stage regardless of how good his dance moves are.

His decision comes against the backdrop of infighting as party factions jostle for leadership positions at the elective conference slated for January 2019.

He said the “shocking levels” of infighting in his party and accusations that he favoured some members at the expense of others had compelled him to announce his decision to quit in writing  instead of communicating it orally.

“No matter how good a dancer you may be, there must be a time to come down from the stage and such a time has come for me to step aside,” Dr Mosisili wrote.

“I take opportunity to humbly notify you that I shall not be contesting for the party’s leadership in the up-coming elective conference and therefore this means that as you ready yourself, know that the leadership vacancy is also up for grabs and you should all be ready to elect a new leader.”

Dr Mosisili served as prime minister from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017 when he lost  snap national elections. All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader Thomas Thabane became prime minister after his party entered into a coalition with the Alliance of Democrats (AD) led by Dr Mosisili’s former deputy in the DC, Monyane Moleleki, the Basotho National Party and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho.

Prior to the 2017 elections, the DC endured a power struggle which led to the departure of Mr Moleleki, several DC legislators and other party members to form the AD.

The December 2016 split which gave birth to the AD has, however, not ended the divisions in the DC as the party is said to be split into two factions which are battling for control.

One faction known as Liphakoe is said to have thrown its weight behind the DC deputy leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, in his quest to succeed Dr Mosisili. Mr Mokhothu is the official leader of the opposition in parliament and he is the member of parliament for the Qhoali #68 constituency. The other faction, known as Melele, is said to favour the DC deputy secretary, Tlohang Sekhamane. Mr Sekhamane is a former finance minister and former member of parliament for the Mokhotlong #79 constituency.

In his letter, Dr Mosisili bemoaned the infighting in the former ruling party which was also manifested at the DC rally in Mohale’s Hoek last month.

“The 6 to 7 October rally in Mohale’s Hoek was the most emotive rally I have ever been to. I have never seen party members at the leadership level so angry with one another like they were, forgetting that they are the leadership that is trusted by party cadres.

“Some were even blaming me for my opening address which I termed ‘Hello God’, which is an extract from American singer Dolly Parton.

“I would like to appeal to you that your faith in the congress movement should be revived so that you may not fight because what binds us as a unit is stronger and bigger than what may divide us.

“It is on this note that I take opportunity to humbly notify you that I shall not be contesting for the party’s leadership in the up-coming elective conference and therefore this means that as you ready yourself, know that the leadership is also up for grabs and you should all be ready to elect a new leader,” Dr Mosisili said.

Dr Mosisili’s decision to walk away from the DC leadership follows his announcement a month ago that he would not seek to be voted as prime minister again even if his party won the next elections.

During that rally in Maseru, Dr Mosisili said he had even laid the groundwork for a successor by stepping aside to allow his deputy, Mr Mokhothu, to be elected leader of the opposition in parliament.

And in his recent letter, Dr Mosisili said he had  “no favourites or enemies” when it came to choosing his successor and other party leaders. The January conference “shall elect its leader as directed by the Holy Spirit”.

“The election of a leader should be done cautiously with very calm and cool minds and hearts, not malevolently. A leader is of service to all and not just a certain faction hence for the past 21 years I have always assured you that there are no favourites within the party, nor do I have enemies.

“Therefore, I earnestly appeal to all of you to work towards a clean election, to accept the outcome of the conference and the one who shall be voted to lead. May the party be blessed with a new leader who respects the people and fears God. As for me, I shall always be on stand-by to readily give advice where such is needed,” Dr Mosisili said.

Dr Mosisili said his address at the Mohale’s Hoek rally was misinterpreted by some party members who already had some hidden agendas against him.

During that address Dr Mosisili ‘wondered’ whether God could still hear the DC as it endured trials and tribulations.

“I was only praying and calling out to God that He may give us the attention that we so badly needed, have mercy on us and forgive us as a party and as a nation. I did not doubt his presence as it was interpreted by some.”

In his long missive, Dr Mosisili also delved into the history of the congress movement, saying his time in charge had not always been smooth sailing as there were people who were not enamoured by his leadership.

“Some undermined me and felt that they were just using me and when all had fallen in place they would take over. But I remained resolute when some jumped ship and formed the Lesotho People’s Congress (LPC) in 2002.

“Others that were left behind followed soon afterwards and formed the All Basotho Convention due to similar reasons. And you shall all recall with bleeding hearts how we had to leave the Lesotho Congress for Democracy and form the Democratic Congress in 2012 and you elected me to lead you.”

“I have reminded you of all these challenges that we have been through to make you aware that leadership is not a play thing. I have reminded you to show you that leadership is not campaigned for but is bestowed by God,” Dr Mosisili said.

He further said that he was grateful that in his 21 years of leadership God had always stood by him and the congress parties won four elections and he was prime minister for 16 years.

The post Mosisili formally quits appeared first on Lesotho Times.

THE Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s decision not to extend the tour of duty of its Standby Force is understandable.

However, it should also be a cause of worry to all and sundry eager for permanent peace and stability in our perennially troubled Kingdom. The objectives for which the force was deployed have not yet been fully attained. Instead of making progress around the implementation of multi-sectoral reforms while the Standby Force was in the country, our politicians elected to pursue what they know best; endless bickering at the expense of progress.

Unfortunately, time waits for no man.  It seems like the Standby Force only landed yesterday.  Yet the force – also known as the SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL) – was formally unveiled in Maseru on 2 December 2017.

The deployment was done to help stabilize the country which had endured prolonged instability and turmoil.

In a short period from 2014 to 2017 the country witnessed an attempted coup by soldiers under the command of Tlali Kamoli, the assassination of two army commanders in 2015 and in 2017 and the unbridled murder of police officers and civilians, with some bodies being dumped in the watery graves of the Mohale Dam.

SADC had no option but to come to our rescue with its deployment and help end the anarchy that the previous regime of Pakalitha Mosisili had masterminded.

Among other things, the stated objectives of the SAPMIL was to assist the LDF in managing the security crisis in the country in the aftermath of the 5 September 2017 assassination of army commander, Lieutenant General Khoantle Motšomotšo, by his renegade subordinates.

Another of the main objectives of the SADC deployment was to “assist in isolating renegade elements within the LDF”.

The SAPMIL also had a mandate to support Lesotho in retraining its army personnel, especially in the area of civil-military relations while working towards security sector and other institutional reforms.

Time flies and it is already a year since SAPMIL was deployed initially on a six months mission to Lesotho.

Everyone would agree that the presence of SAPMIL has helped foster an atmosphere of peace and tranquility in the country. Whether this remains after SAPMIL has gone remains to be seen. SADC itself has previously cast doubts about whether the “renegade elements” in the army have been fully contained.

In one of its confidential reports on Lesotho seen by this publication, SADC noted that “currently, the political and security situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho is relatively calm. This notwithstanding, the likelihood of reprisal attacks and other acts of instability cannot be ruled out given the residual tensions and deep-rooted mistrust amongst politicians and divisions among the security establishments specifically (in) the LDF”.

It is hoped that those who may want to foment chaos and instability will see light and desist from any nefarious actions. Ultimately, it’s is our responsibility as Basotho to take charge of our affairs and restore sanity in our country. SADC came to assist.

The regional body cannot remain here forever. We would have wanted to see progress while the Standby Force was still here.  We would have wanted to see the trial of all the rogue soldiers happen, or at least begin, while the Standby Force was here. But alas, the crisis in the judiciary, which mirrors the political crisis spawned by our ever-bickering politicians did not make this possible.

The implementation of the multi-sector reforms has not even begun. We would have loved for there to be progress while the Standby Force was still here.  Instead, we are still in the planning stages where stakeholders are engaging in talks about the reforms process and not the implementation itself.

With the Standby Force gone, Lesotho faces an uncertain future. Our politicians have not done enough to convince the regional body that they are serious about any reforms and so deserve an extension of SAPMIL.

SAPMIL has done a good job since its arrival in fostering peace and stability in the country. Its mere presence here had   substantial deterrence effect.  We surely would have wanted it to stay.

The initial six-month period envisaged for the Standby Force’s deployment was never enough. So, it was extended by a further six months. But at some stage, SAPMIL had to leave.  No one can predict what lies below the veneer of peace and tranquility we have enjoyed thus far. The rogues are still out there. Some are licking their wounds in remand prison.  While it would be inappropriate for the SADC force to leave before all the LDF rogues who committed so many atrocities alongside their political masters, who encouraged these atrocities by doing nothing to curb them, are held fully accountable for their vile actions, it seems there is little that can be done now.

We hope the LDF under its new credible command will effectively deal with any miscreants who may want to cause chaos once the Standby Force has left.

The post SAPMIL must fulfil its objectives appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Geoffrey Thomas Harris

Lesotho allocated USD$52.6 million (Maloti 698 million) to its military in 2017 – or 3.9 percent of government expenditure. This is a figure that has doubled in real terms since 2008.

By any standards – and particularly for a country as impoverished as Lesotho – this is an indefensible amount of money.

The case for demilitarising the tiny country of over 2.2 million is threefold.

First, Lesotho’s military serves no significant security function. The country is completely surrounded by South Africa, one of Africa’s military superpowers that spends almost 70 times more on its military. It would easily overwhelm the Lesotho Defence Force, which has just 3000 soldiers.

Second, from its inception, the Lesotho military has interfered with democratic processes and engaged in human rights abuses. Historically, it has been used by the government to thwart political opposition. In 1986, of its own volition it staged a coup and took over political power. In April 1994, a group of soldiers took four government ministers hostage, and killed the deputy prime minister. And in August 2014, the military attempted another coup, but failed.

Third, the country’s poverty levels and poor socio-economic indicators mean that government’s budgetary resources must be allocated with particular care. Almost 60% of its population earns less than USD$1.90 a day. At the same time, Lesotho ranks 159th of the 189 countries on the UNDP’s Human Development Index.

Previous attempts to reform the Lesotho military have come to naught. But I still believe that there’s a strong case for Lesotho to demilitarise completely.

The case for not having an army

Can a country exist without a military?

The simple answer is yes: according to the America’s Central Intelligence Agency there are 36 nations without a regular army although sometimes their police act as de facto military forces.

Take Costa Rica, for example. It’s a country of 5 million people, which demilitarised in 1948following a civil war. For decades, the country has been a haven of peace, democracy and prosperity in a region bedevilled by violence and insecurity. In terms of various international indices, it is far ahead of its neighbouring countries. The fact that it doesn’t spend on a military has enabled much higher allocations to areas like education and health.

There are five requirements, however, that seem necessary for a successful demilitarisation. These are:

• widespread acceptance by citizens,
• willingness by political leaders to make the decision,
• a detailed plan,
• an implementing agency such as a ministry of peace, and
• adequate financing.

My focus is on the money it would take for Lesotho to demilitarise.

Financing demilitarisation

Compensating former soldiers is a necessary investment to successfully demilitarise. Compensation of personnel in Lesotho’s military for their loss of employment would have to meet the requirements of Lesotho’s Labour Code Order, which stipulates a severance payment equivalent to two week’s wages for each completed year of continuous service. This would cost USD$12.1 million (M152 million).

A more generous approach would be to pay the equivalent of, say, two years of their gross income. This would cost USD$59.3 million (M789 million). Both these amounts would need to be funded by donors.

I would also propose that disbanding the Lesotho Defence Force be linked to the disbursement of a basic income grant payable to all adult citizens. This would mitigate economic uncertainty, which is the predominant source of insecurity in any country.

Evidence from recent reviews of grant-related programmes worldwide shows that cash transfers – like basic income grants – result in improved health and education and lead to higher incomes in the long term.

I would suggest, therefore, that Lesotho would benefit from a basic-income-grant programme, and that monies saved from a long-term demilitarisation initiative could be used to support it.

Data from the Lesotho’s Household Budget Survey estimated the country’s average income – for almost 95 percent of households – to be USD$346 (M4 853) per annum. What if the USD$53 million (M698 million) currently spent on the military was allocated instead to all adult citizens?

Assuming two adults per household, the average household income for these households would increase by almost 20 per cent to USD$68 (M954) per annum. It should also be noted that a considerable proportion of both payouts to the military, and Lesotho’s adult citizenry, will come back to the government in the form of taxation.

In conclusion

Some important questions remain. In particular, whether a 20 percent increase in average household income for 95 percent of households would be enough to persuade the government and citizens of Lesotho to support demilitarisation.

It’s also uncertain whether the military personnel would be satisfied with the payout scenarios as proposed. And of utmost importance is political good will. The programmes I have suggested will only succeed with the support of Lesotho’s government. – The Conversation

Geoffrey Thomas Harris is a Professor, International Centre of Nonviolence, Durban University of Technology.

The post How Lesotho could abandon its army and put the money to better use appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Lekhetho Ntsukunyane

THE government has asked Shaun Abrahams, the controversial former boss of South Africa’s prosecutions authority, to prosecute the case of eight soldiers accused of murdering the Lesotho’s former army commander, Maaparankoe Mahao, in 2015.

In a recent interview, Mr Abrahams confirmed his appointment as the prosecutor of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) officers facing charges in connection with the brutal shooting of Lt-Gen Mahao, on a lonely rural road in front of his young nephews.

The Mahao family, which has campaigned tirelessly for the killers to be brought to book, expressed satisfaction over his appointment.

But it is likely to raise eyebrows in South Africa. Widely known as “Shaun the Sheep,” Mr Abrahams was criticised as lacking political independence during his time as South Africa’s National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) between 2015 and 2018.

He drew particular fire for failing to pursue corruption charges against former president Jacob Zuma, as well as his inaction on the Gupta family, despite mounting evidence of their criminality and undue influence over the state.

In August this year, the South African Constitutional Court nullified Abrahams’s appointment as National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, effectively terminating his three-year tenure.

The court ruled that Mr Zuma’s removal of his predecessor, Mxolisi Nxasana, in 2015 was an unconstitutional abuse of power, and that Mr Abrahams’s subsequent appointment was correspondingly invalid. He quit the NPA on August 13 to resume private practice.

In an interview, he told amaBhungane: “I’m a duly admitted and practising advocate who is on brief to represent the Crown in the matter of Rex v Litekanyo Nyakane and seven others, which … relates to the murder of the former commander of the Lesotho Defence Force, Maaparankoe Mahao.”

He said Lesotho’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) “may retain the services of counsel to conduct any criminal proceedings instituted by her office as provided by … the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act …. It is not uncommon for a DPP to retain counsel in specific criminal matters.”

Lesotho has often used foreign prosecutors in high-profile cases.

Mr Abrahams said the Constitutional Court judgment had left him unemployed, adding, “I’m available to be briefed by anyone who wishes to retain or acquire my services.”

On his record as South Africa’s NDPP, he denied having any relationship with Mr Zuma before his appointment and said he had nothing to do with the unlawful removal of Nxasana, “which was unknown to me”.

“The Constitutional Court correctly found that not a single party suggested that I am not a fit and proper person to hold office,” he said. “It is regrettable that some have mischievously and disingenuously attempted to portray otherwise.

“The Constitutional Court also preserved the decisions taken by me and acts performed in my capacity as NDPP.”

He added that all his engagements with Mr Zuma were in an official capacity.

Abrahams said he had served as NDPP during the most volatile political period since South Africa attained democracy “and am glad that I was at the helm of this all-important institution at the time”.

Prosecutorial independence will be of particular importance in the Mahao murder trial, given its political sensitivity.

The Lesotho police commissioner, Holomo Molibeli, has hinted that other, more senior figures are being investigated over the 2015 murder – a possible reference to ministers in the cabinet of former prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili., who may still be in office.

Lt-Gen Mahao (47) was appointed LDF commander on August 29 2014 after Prime Minister Thomas Thabane fired the then army commander Tlali Kamoli for insubordination.

Lt-Gen Kamoli challenged the dismissal and staged a coup attempt in August 2014, kick-starting a chain of events that culminated in the snap elections of February 2015. These ushered in the seven-party coalition under Pakalitha Mosisili that replaced Dr Thabane’s government.

The Mosisili administration reinstated Lt-Gen Kamoli, arguing that his dismissal and Lt-Gen Mahao’s promotion were illegal. A notice in the Government Gazette also announced the termination of Lt-Gen Mahao’s appointment as LDF commander and demoted him to his former rank of brigadier.

Lt-Gen Mahao challenged his demotion in the High Court but the case fell away after he was fatally shot on his way to his farm in Mokema, outside Maseru, in the presence of his two nephews on June 25 2015. The killers were soldiers.

According to a public statement by the nephews and a letter by the family to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and various African leaders, his truck was chased and stopped by three military vehicles.

A group of men with AK-47 rifles, including one in soldier’s uniform, then shot him as he sat in the driver’s seat.

In their statement, which they also made to the police, the nephews said they opened the passenger door and got out but were detained by the killers.

They alleged that after Lt-Gen Mahao fell out of the truck through the open passenger door, his murderers dragged his bleeding body face-down across the tarred road and threw it into one of their trucks.

Two vehicles drove off to the military hospital, while the third one stayed behind and held the nephews for 40 minutes before releasing them.

The LDF claimed that Lt-Gen Mahao was alive when he reached the hospital and was able to walk, a claim the Mahao family angrily disputes.

The family accuses the army of killing him in cold blood.

The military also alleged Lt-Gen Mahao was shot while resisting arrest for leading an army mutiny. A Southern African Development Community (SADC) inquiry into his death rejected this account.

The SADC commission of inquiry, headed by retired Botswana judge Mpaphi Phumaphi, found that Thabane’s appointment of Mahao as army commander was lawful.

It recommended that the government should investigate the killing and prosecute those responsible.

Dr Mosisili’s government appears to have ignored this recommendation. Only after Dr Thabane’s return to power in the wake of the 3 June 2017 elections did the police arrest the eight soldiers in connection with the death.

Captain Litekanyo Nyakane, Captain Haleo Makara, Sergeant Lekhooa Moepi, Sergeant Motsamai Fako, Corporal Marasi ‘Moleli, Corporal Motšoane Machai, Corporal Mohlalefi Seitlheko, and Corporal Tšitso Ramoholi appeared in the High Court of Lesotho in Maseru last week. The case was postponed until February next year.

They had earlier pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.

The Mahao family representative, Professor Nqosa Mahao, told amaBhungane that the family was satisfied with the appointment of Mr Abrahams, “as it now looks like the case will proceed and there is a sign of commitment by the government with the appointment of a foreign prosecutor”.

However, Prof Mahao was quick to note that the family was concerned that other more senior suspects had not been arrested.

“The mission to assassinate Maaparankoe that fateful day was too big to be orchestrated by those eight junior army officers alone. There are kingpins in this operation. Authorities approved the operation. We want them arrested and to answer before the courts.”

One of the family’s complaints is that Lt-Gen Kamoli, who is currently in jail facing murder, attempted murder and other charges, has not been charged in connection with Lt-Gen Mahao’s death.

Professor Mahao said the family had registered its concern with the acting DPP Hlalefang Motinyane last week.  Repeated attempts to get Motinyane’s comment were unsuccessful.

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Mohalenyane Phakela

THERE was drama at the Maseru Magistrates’ Court on Monday when the mother of fraud-accused businessman, Makhetha Thaele, collapsed upon seeing her son in chains.

Ms Thaele had to be carried out of the courtroom before the start the proceedings by well-wishers who had also come to attend the bail hearing.

Mr Thaele is one of the suspects in a case where the government was allegedly defrauded of M17 million. He is charged alongside Police Constable (PC) Mokone Bereng, Abiele Moletsane (former Standard Lesotho Bank employee), businessman Thabiso Mapetla as well as Joel Lerotholi and ’Mamothibeli Piti who are both employed at the Standard Lesotho Bank.

The charge sheet states that the six accused are “charged with contravening Section 57 (1) (2) (a) of the Penal Code Act No. 6 of 2010 read with Section 109 in that upon or about October 2018, the accused did, acting with common purpose, unlawfully stole money belonging to the Lesotho government to the tune of M17 million by transferring it electronically to their different bank accounts”.

PC Bereng, Mr Moletsane and Ms Piti first appeared before the same court on 12 November this year with Mr Lerotholi joining them on 16 November. Messrs Thaele and Mapetla first appeared before the court on Monday.

The five male suspects arrived at Magistrate Court on Tuesday morning in chains. Four of the suspects were chained together in pairs while the fifth suspect was shackled on both feet and hands.

There was also heavily armed Lesotho Correctional Services personnel which had escorted the accused to court.

On Tuesday Magistrate Peter Murenzi, who presided over the case, said he was deferring PC Bereng, Mr Moletsane and Ms Piti’s bail ruling to Friday to consolidate their applications with those of other co-accused persons who were later brought to court.

“I had a bail application on Friday (16 November) but while fine-tuning the ruling, there were some developments which are an addition of defendants,” Mr Murenzi said.

“The first applicants are expecting a ruling today but since there are new bail applications, I should consolidate the applications as one therefore the matter is stood down to 23 November.”

One of the defence lawyers, Advocate Molise Molise, representing Messrs Thaele and Mapetla, argued that his clients should be granted bail as it was their constitutional right and they are not in a position to abscond their trial as they have huge investments in the country.

“The starting point in bail application is that the court will grant bail unless the bail is likely to prejudice the ends of justice. Section 12 of the Constitution states that everyone is innocent until proven guilty therefore my clients have not been found guilty as yet therefore should be granted bail.

“Mr Thaele cooperated with the police at the time of his arrest, detention, until being remanded yesterday before this court. He is a family man with two kids and a wife who depend on him for survival. He is a Mosotho businessman, successfully operating Lithabaneng Filling Station and Braamfontein Filling Station as well as an accounting firm. He also has a home in Masowe III valued at M3 500 000.

“Similarly, Mr Mapetla is a construction businessman with two children and wife as well who depend on him for support. He has a home in Lithabaneng valued at M1, 5 million. My clients are not in a position to abscond and will be available to stand trial therefore I pray that they be granted bail,” Adv Molise said.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli recently told the Lesotho Times’ sister paper, the Sunday Express, that the accused allegedly defrauded the government of M17 million and some motor dealers of amounts in the region of over a million maloti through fraudulent purchases.

“The accused defrauded the sub-accountancy department (of the Ministry of Finance) in Leribe of an estimated M17 million by hacking into its system,” Supt Mopeli said, adding, “They then went on to purchase some vehicles at various car dealers where they paid through electronic transfers”.

“They always paid money exceeding the actual price of their purchase and then later claimed they had erred and demanded to rectify their mistake and demanded the excess in cash in the process,” Sup Mopeli said.

The transactions are said to have occurred in October this year and the suspects allegedly deposited the ill-gotten funds into three different accounts which they had opened under false identities in South Africa.

Supt Mopeli further said they had recovered a Prado vehicle from PC Bereng which costs M130 000.

“Investigations to track the other eight cars are ongoing and these include a BMW 120i worth M122 000, a Honda Elision (M54 000), an Audi A3 (M77 000), two Mercedes Vianos (one valued at M165 000 and the other at M195 000) and three Mercedes Benz C200 vehicles (two of them valued at M160 000 and the other M165 000).”

The car dealers who were allegedly defrauded by the suspects are United Motors, Sam Motors, Koloi Land, Faiz Motors, Motornet and JH Motors.

“The police have also recovered and confiscated some moveable property comprising sofas costing M41 000, a double door refrigerator worth M21 000 and a washing machine priced at M7 000 from the female sales consultant who was cohabiting with one of the suspects.”

Supt Mopeli said primary investigations have yielded that M10 million of the fraudulently acquired money has already been exhausted while the remaining M7 million has been frozen in the bank accounts.

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Pascalinah Kabi

THE curtain finally came down on the year-long tour of duty of the Southern African Development Authority (SADC) standby force with Prime Minister Thomas Thabane expressing confidence that peace and stability will prevail even after their departure.

Dr Thabane said the Standby Force’s stay and interactions with Lesotho’s security agencies which included training programmes for the latter had helped instil a sense of professionalism and a respect for civilian authority as enshrined in the national constitution.

Dr Thabane said this while addressing the official closing ceremony of the standby force also known as the SADC Preventative Mission in Lesotho (SAMPIL). The ceremony was held at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru on Tuesday.

It was attended high-ranking officials drawn from SADC states including Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Zambian Defence Minister Davies Chama, SADC Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence-Tax, the SAMPIL Head of Mission Retired Brigadier Timothy Kazembe, SADC Oversight Chairperson Retired Chief Justice Mathew Ngulube the former head of SAMPIL and Oversight Committee Chairperson Matias Matondo as well as cabinet ministers.

The function was also attended by other representatives of the SADC countries namely, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

SAPMIL’s departure comes almost a year after the force was officially unveiled in Lesotho on 2 December 2017. It is made of 207 soldiers, 15 intelligence personnel, 24 police officers and 12 civilian experts.

The SADC force was essentially deployed to prevent rogue LDF soldiers from destabilising Dr Thabane’s coalition as it went about implementing SADC recommended reforms to curb perennial instability in the Kingdom.

The reforms include holding the scalawag LDF members accountable for their past atrocities and helping mould the LDF into a professional force via some targeted re-training. Former LDF commander Tlali Kamoli has himself been languishing in remand prison for about a year over a plethora of atrocities he spearheaded.

The Standby Force was also meant to help in the investigations of the 5 September, 2017 assassination of army commander, Lieutenant General Khoantle Motšomotšo, by his subordinates, Brigadier Bulane Sechele and Colonel Tefo Hashatsi as well as the earlier killing of another LDF boss, Maaparankoe Mahao, among other tasks, work that has been done and completed.

On Tuesday, Dr Thabane said the government was fully confident in the regional troops’ ability to help stabilise the country when it requested their deployment last year.

“The call (for the SADC force) was made against the backdrop of a brutal murder of the commander of the defence force Lt-Gen Motšomotšo. There was uncertainty and suspicion among our security agencies. The security uncertainty was a threat to the national reforms programme.

“However, the subsequent joint operations between and among the security agencies and reinforced by the training from SAMPIL has left us with the confidence that our security agencies will now respect civilian authority and conduct their services as mandated by the constitution of Lesotho and nothing else,” Dr Thabane said.

He praised the SAMPIL for providing a conducive environment for the reforms process, adding that the government was fully committed to an inclusive and transparent reforms process.

On his part, Minister Chama said the SADC mission had achieved some milestones which included the successful convening of the first and second national leaders’ forum in August and November this year.

The leaders’ forum brought together leaders of the governing and opposition parties to the negotiating table as part of efforts to forge a political consensus on the reforms and national reconciliation.

Mr Chama said SAPMIL training programmes for the security agencies — namely the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS0 and the National Security Service – had largely contributed to achieving stability in the country.

“Allow me to thank all the personnel in all the components of SAMPIL for a job well done. Your efforts will go a long way in improving the livelihoods of the people of Lesotho.

“I would like, on behalf of SADC member states, to urge and encourage all exiled political leaders to voluntarily return to Lesotho by 25 November 2018 to participate in the multi-stakeholder national dialogue,” Mr Chama said.

Exiled former Deputy Prime Minister and current leader of the opposition Lesotho congress of Democracy (LCD) Mothetjoa Metsing, his deputy Mr Mokhosi and the leader of the Socialist Revolution (SR) Teboho Mojapela are all expected to return home on Sunday.

Also expected to return are former police commissioner Molahlehi Letsoepa, former Director of the NSS, Tumo Lekhooa; Assistant Superintendent Bereng Ramahetlane who is an officer with the LCS and Lebohang Setsomi who was head of procurement at the LMPS.

This follows the recent SADC-brokered agreement between the government and the opposition that will ensure that opposition leaders will not be subjected to any pending criminal proceedings during the processes leading up to the implementation of the multi-sector reforms.

On her part, Dr Lawrence-Tax said the SAMPIL’s presence and confidence building patrols among others, acted as a deterrent to rogue elements and also created a conducive environment for the implementation of the reforms.

“The political and security situation is calm and there is significant improvement in the working relations among the various security agencies, the government, the civil society and other stakeholders,” Dr Lawrence-Tax said.

She also commended the SAPMIL for working tirelessly and exhibiting a high level of professionalism in ensuring that Lesotho remains calm despite the complexities in the reform process.

“Peace does not mean an absence of conflict and differences will always be there. Peace means solving those differences through engagements, dialogue and peaceful means. It is therefore, my humble plea, that as SAMPIL is closing down, we should all endeavour to maintain the momentum. We have come a long way. Let us continue to work together as a nation and as a region to ensure that Lesotho remains calm as we proceed with the reforms and the national dialogue,” Dr Lawrence-Tax added.

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