Sechaba Mokhethi

• Five Qiloane Community Council members are charged with 28 counts of corruption.
• Prosecution alleges the council’s quintet collected M98,250 in unauthorised “special fees” from land applicants.
• Each accused was released on M5,000 bail; trial date to be set on 3 March.
  

Five members of the Qiloane Community Council appeared before the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing 28 counts of corruption for operating a bribery scheme linked to land allocation applications.

The accused are assistant physical planner Tanki Mokoma, and four councillors: Motjeku Petlane, Nteboheleng Matamane, Lekunutu Mosuoe and Leketla Seqhee.

According to the charge sheet, between 2022 and 2025 the accused allegedly received M98,250 from land seekers and property companies in bribes. Prosecution say the quintet charged unauthorised “special fees” of M1,000 per site to prioritise certain land applications over others.

The payments were accoridng to the charge sheet made through mobile money transfers to Mokoma’s phone and in cash. The funds were shared among members of the Qiloane Land Committee.

The accused were granted M5,000 bail and their case was remanded to 3 March 2026, when a trial date is expected to be set.

“Special fee” scheme

The court documents points that the accused served as members of the Qiloane Land Committee, which is authorised to grant land titles in urban areas under the Land Act of 2010. Mokoma’s role as assistant physical planner included ensuring land allocations complied with national planning requirements.

The prosecution says that the committee bypassed standard procedures by soliciting a “special fee” of M1,000 per site from applicants. The accused disguesed the funds as money to cover their “food and transportation” needs for site visists. But, prosecution contends that the payments were intended to influence the committee to prioritise applications from those who paid.

The charge sheet further alleges Mokoma acted as custodian of the funds, receiving payments through mobile money transfers and cash. The money was shared among committee members when attending to the prioritised applications, while applications from individuals who did not pay were left pending.

The 28 counts outlined in the court papers describe payments from individuals and property companies.

In one count, the accused are charged with accepting M27,250 from Matsepang Sepetla of K&T Holdings. The payment, made in cash and via mobile money transfer, is described as an inducement or reward for processing land allocation applications in Qiloane. A further M5,000 was received from Kopang David Tsilo, also associated with K&T Holdings.

The charge sheet also lists payments from property consultancies. Lefasa Mophethe of Molemo Property Consultancy paid M14,510 in 2023. In January 2023, the accused are said to have received M15,750 from Sebili Nkhahle of The Realtor Company, made of M9,750 in cash and M6,000 by mobile money transfer.

Other counts relate to payments of between M1,000 and M2,000 from individuals seeking residential land, including Manthako Thaele, Mila Sepetla, Tsepo Thakaso and Malika Lesitsi, among others.

Bail application

During the proceedings on 16 February 2026, the charges were read and explained to the five accused. All five indicated they understood their rights to legal representation.

Advocate Kao, representing the accused, applied for their release on bail. He argued that the accused had cooperated with the police and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences since they were first warned to appear in court. He further noted that the accused are public officers who “undertake to stand their trial”.

In a brief disagreement over the scope of the charges, Advocate Kao objected, noting that some committee members only joined the council in 2024 and should not be held liable for actions taken before they assumed their duties, adding as councillors, the community would suffer if denied bail. The court overruled this objection, stating it was a matter for the defense to raise during the trial itself.

The public prosecutor, Advocate Mofoka, initially opposed the bail application, citing the “seriousness of the offences”. Mofoka argued that if bail were granted, it should be set at a minimum of M10,000 per person to reflect the gravity of the 28 charges.

However, the court ruled that the accused be admitted to bail on more lenient terms. Each member was ordered to pay a M5,000 deposit. The conditions of their release stipulate that they must not interfere with crown witnesses and must attend all subsequent court sessions.