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
Author: LESCIJ LESCIJ
“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
1,500 health workers sent home after US aid suspended
In Maseru, the government is scrambling to deal with the fallout of US President Donald Trump’s suspension of funds for vital health prgrammes. Photo: Lschefa, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia. Sechaba Mokhethi About 1,500 health workers, including doctors and nurses, have been directly impacted by the suspension of US-funded health programs in Lesotho, affecting HIV/AIDS
Behind the scene: How we exposed climate change’s impact on hydropower in Lesotho and Zambia
From left to right: Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, Sechaba Mokhethi and Cindy Sipula This story was supported by Pulitzer Centre A missed call, a new investigation One morning, environmental journalists Sechaba Mokhethi in Lesotho and Cindy Sipula in Zambia had scheduled an online call with UK-based journalist Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi. The three were working on a separate
Zambia’s power shortages worsen as drought deepens
Cindy Sipula This story was supported by Pulitzer Centre As Zambia grapples with severe electricity shortages and the looming threat of El Niño, citizens confront the harsh realities of life without power. The cascading effects of this energy crisis on daily life, small businesses, and the nation’s development highlight the urgent need for
A tale of red herrings around the DCEO Head….? Or an even bigger ideological war? …
By Monaheng Seeiso Rasekoai The preamble of the seven-year-old article penned by the same author hereof read something like this: ‘The reality is that whenever a debate on corruption comes to the mould, it often amounts to a theatrical performance by politicians and ordinary citizens alike who endeavour to ride on
