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
Author: LESCIJ LESCIJ
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
Elon Musk is trying to do business in Lesotho, the country Donald Trump says “nobody has ever heard of”
US President Donald Trump has cut aid to Lesotho, a country “nobody has ever heard of”. But US companies, including Elon Musk’s Starlink, are keen to do business there. Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead (editorial use only) And Starlink is not the only US company investing in the kingdom Sechaba
“We were told to stop everything immediately”: HIV programmes collapse after USAID decision
PEPFAR was started in 2003 under the administration of President George W. Bush. It has been one of the most successful examples of foreign aid in recent history. A large portion of PEPFAR funds are distributed through USAID, the aid organisation of the US government. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi The stoppage
Constitutional Court petitioned against the commercialization of justice
Billy Ntaote Construction companies, construction associations, and human rights organizations have launched a constitutional case challenging the constitutionality of fees imposed on tenderers who wish to appeal tender award decisions to the Public Procurement Tribunal. These fees come with the newly promulgated Public Procurement Act of 2023 in Schedule 3. Unik Construction Engineering
Lesotho’s cancer burden and its soaring cost
Billy Ntaote Lesotho cancer patients’ dependence on South African oncology services in Bloemfontein has brought a huge financial burden to the country’s health budget and created a dire need for oncology services to be provided locally. On February 5, during a celebration of Cancer Day—celebrated on February 4th internationally—Health Minister Selibe Mochoboroane
Lesotho advances M800 million cancer facility amid legal battle
On 8 January 2025, hopes soared when Lesotho’s Health Minister Selibe Mochoboroane handed over a plot of land for the construction of a much-anticipated M800 million cancer treatment facility.
This government-funded facility in the capital, Maseru, would be the first of its kind in the country and would alleviate the suffering of Lesotho’s growing number of cancer patients who currently have no choice but to seek costly cancer treatment in neighbouring South Africa.
But things aren’t as exciting or straightforward as the politicians make them seem. The process of awarding the tender to build this facility is being challenged in court. The Malawian company, Plem Construction, was selected as the winning bidder in April 2024, but the rival bidder, Unik Construction Engineering Pty Ltd. believes the process was flawed and has asked the Constitutional Court to intervene.
Human cost of distant wars: how conflict in Ukraine affects Basotho households
Sechaba Mokhethi When the Russia-Ukraine war erupted on February 24, 2022, it seemed to be a conflict far removed from the mountains and quiet villages of Lesotho. Yet, three years later, the echoes of that war have reached the Kingdom’s households in tangible and painful ways. Rising food prices, surging fuel costs, and
