Fish cages in Katse Dam, photo by Sechaba Mokhethi Sanlei Premium Trout reported community donations of fish heads worth M2.9-million, but actually gave less than M450,000 Sechaba Mokhethi SanLei Premium Trout, which farms trout in Lesotho’s Katse Dam under licence from the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), overstated its donations to the community,
Author: LESCIJ LESCIJ
Big US-funded chicken project shuts down in Lesotho
A major US-funded project aimed at boosting Lesotho’s chicken farming industry has been canned. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi A M500-million project to boost chicken farming in Lesotho has been canned by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Sustainable Transformation of Enterprises in the Poultry Sector (STEPS) project, launched in 2023, aimed
Gem Diamonds’ Lesotho subsidiary faces scrutiny over handling of sexual harassment case
Billy Ntaote At Letšeng Diamonds Mine in Lesotho, which is known for its record-breakingly, large and lucrative gems, a different story of value is unfolding at the mine—one of dignity, justice, and a woman’s long and painful fight to be heard. Ntsatsi Ratlou, a security officer at the Letšeng mine, which is
The thorny truth of Lesotho’s rosehip industry
'Mapotsana Hlopho helps sustain her family by picking rosehips, which grow wild in Lesotho. One 20-litre bucket sold for between M100 and M200 this year. Photos: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi Lesotho’s wild-harvested rosehips are an important industry for the small country’s economy, providing thousands of people in rural villages with a source
Lesotho Highlands Water Project contractor suspended for polluting rivers
Work has been suspended on the 38km tunnel between the Polihali and Katse dams. Photo: Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (fair use). Sechaba Mokhethi Kopano Ke Matla Joint Venture, responsible for building a 38-km tunnel connecting two dams in the Lesotho highlands, has had to suspend operations. Inspections revealed that the company’s wastewater treatment
US shuts down massive Lesotho development project
Millennium Challenge Corporation deputy chief executive Chidi Blyden at the launch of the project in Maseru. Photo: US Embassy in Maseru, copied for fair use. Sechaba Mokhethi The United States has moved to shut down an American-funded M6-billion development project. The government has not confirmed the closure of the Lesotho Health and Horticulture
Fight over fish in Katse Dam
Local fishers preparing their catch at Katse Dam: Photos by Sechaba Mokhethi Local fishers say they are arrested and beaten up but authorities deny this Sechaba Mokhethi Fishers at Katse Dam claim they have been beaten by officials policing the area on behalf of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA). The dam is part
The “biggest trout farm in Africa” and the failed R5,000 community fund
The Katse Dam in the Highlands, where SanLei Trout has its farm. Photos: Sechaba Mokhethi Highlands aquaculture project offers little in return for its licence Sechaba Mokhethi A company which claims to be the biggest trout farm in Africa contributed only R5,000 to the community fund in the Katse Dam catchment area in
Security forces accused of brutal torture
Ombudsman Advocate Tlotliso Polaki calls for urgent security sector reforms Billy Ntaote In a damning report released on March 6, 2025, Ombudsman Advocate Tlotliso Polaki called for urgent security sector reforms, detailing harrowing accounts of torture and abuse committed by Lesotho’s security forces. Polaki’s report is based on testimonies from witnesses in
How a secret migrant trafficking syndicate took over Malawi
After several months of investigation and travelling the treacherous routes used by human traffickers, a chilling underworld of exploitation is exposed. The inquiry pulls back the curtain on a network that preys on vulnerable migrants, unveiling the powerful figures pulling the strings, their corrupt grip on the Malawi government, and
