BILLY NTAOTE A joint-venture that was awarded government’s fleet tender worth M100 million has begun operations amid an ongoing High Court battle challenging the contract. Fleet Service Lesotho and Silverstone Fleet Solutions started work on 9 July by inspecting vehicles belonging to the government fleet. On the instruction of Finance Principal Secretary, Motena Tšolo, all government and leased
Author: LESCIJ LESCIJ
‘Shi exchanged farmers’ wool for machinery’
Central Bank exposes Shi’s ‘flouting’ of financial laws RELEBOHILE KHOALE A parliamentary ad-hoc committee investigating effects of Lesotho government policy localising buying and selling of wool and mohair last week heard how a Chinese firm abused its position and contravened its licensing regulations. Maseru Dawning Trading (Pty) LTD, owned by Chinese national Stone Shi, was reported by the
HIV-positive youths thrive on peer support
MANTŠALI PHAKOANA Lesotho’s adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24 years are among the people most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to poor healthcare, lack of family support, non-acceptance of long-term treatment and non-disclosure of their HIV-status to peers and family. It is this challenge that the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF) recommends can be
Senti takes on PAC over fraud report
…Deputy PS institutes legal action against parliament’s accounts committee after damning police uniform tender report MANTŠALI PHAKOANA The Ministry of Police and Public Safety’s Deputy Principal Secretary (DPS), Ezekiel Senti, has instructed his attorney to institute legal action against the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for alleged defamation of character. The move follows parliament’s adoption of the PAC’s report on 29
Minister hails under-fire wool and mohair policy and blames saga on politicians
RELEBOHILE KHOALE The Minister of Small Business Development, Cooperatives and Marketing, Chalane Phori has defended the Thaba-Bosiu-based Lesotho Wool Centre auction as a lucrative deal set to benefit farmers in the near future. Phori made this submission to parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating the sale of wool and mohair at the Centre following an outcry
Parly grills under-fire Chinese wool and mohair broker
MANTŠALI PHAKOANA Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating Lesotho’s wool and mohair sector on Wednesday grilled under-fire Chinese businessman, Stone Shi. Shi is now the sole broker of the country’s wool and mohair after being handed the role through amendments to an existing regulation by the government last year. He does this through the Lesotho Wool Centre—a joint-venture entered
How wool and mohair farmers were tossed into poverty
…farmers association blames government and Chinese national BILLY NTAOTE Thousands of families that depend on wool and mohair revenue are now said to be in dire need of food aid as a result of a government policy to localise the sale of their precious products through a Chinese national, Stone Shi. This unfortunate development was revealed
Thousands of angry farmers petition parliament
…Wool and mohair producers want subordinate law creating Chinese monopoly quashed amid Prime Minister's three-month grace period offer BILLY NTAOTE A three-month grace period temporarily lifting government’s ban of the independent export of Lesotho’s wool and mohair announced by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane was on Friday condemned by disgruntled farmers as a
ABC infighting deepens as expelled ‘big five’ suspend Thabane
RELEBOHILE KHOALE Prime Minister and All Basotho Convention (ABC)leader, Thomas Thabane’s bitter face-off with five executive members has worsened and could soon result in a split of the ruling party. The infighting escalated after a 26 June meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee which announced the decion-making body had ratified Thabane’s decision to expel the five for allegedly violating
