MATIISETSO MOSALA Co-op Lesotho has backpedaled on its position against Strafor, withdrawing a lawsuit challenging farmers eviction from its commercial land and buildings after being arm-twisted to sublease contested property to the multinational. Initially farmers were evicted from Co-op Lesotho’s property after a unilateral agreement was entered into by the Ministry of
Author: news@lescij.org
Lekhetho is Founding Editor and Journalist at MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in Maseru, Lesotho. He is 2016 First-Prize Investigative Journalism Award Winner sponsored by MISA – Lesotho and US Embassy – Maseru. Lekhetho has attended a three-month intensive investigative journalism fellowship with AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism in Johannesburg, South Africa, from mid-August to mid-November 2018.
During the fellowship, Lekhetho published in South Africa and Lesotho five “impressive” investigative articles about the beleaguered Lesotho’s wool industry, the country’s capture claims by Chinese community, how a Chinese business mogul in the country funded almost every politician and influenced state decisions.
Lekhetho has been commended by his editor and mentor at AmaBhungane, Andrew Forrest, as one of best fellows the Centre has enrolled.
Lekhetho is one of 37 contributors in the Southern African Muckraking – an anthology edited by Anton Harbor and launched during the 2018 African Investigative Journalism Conference in October.
Lesotho expropriates farmers’ land, gifts it to a multinational
MATIISETSO MOSALA The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has evicted farmers’ organisations from a commercial site in Ha Ntsi, Nazareth and gifted it to a Singapore multinational grain producer, in a controversial move slated as undermining development of indigenous farmers. The land in question covers an area of 3909m². It is
MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism’s Digital News Project has an internship program for Marketing positions open starting from March 2020.
The MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism, invites applications from business and marketing, graduates and or students interested undergo a six-month internship with the Centre’s Digital News Project. The Digital News Project is a profit making arm of the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism. It is meant to cultivate, enhance and promote
MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism has a Digital News Project internship for journalists open Starting from March 2020
The MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism (MNNCIJ), invites applications from journalists and aspiring journalists to undergo a six-month journalism internship with the Centre’s Digital News Project. This Digital News Project is meant to cultivate, enhance and promote journalism in Lesotho. The interns will learn, through practice with the Centre, skills and
Lesotho turns to own coffers to fund AU games
SECHABA MOKHETHI The Lesotho government is to slash its M2.45-billion budget for an “ambitious and fancy” stadium development after scrapping guarantees to a little-known private South African financier, according to a well-placed government source. The source said the cash-strapped government would now provide all the funding and that in consultations with the sports ministry it had talked
Exclusive: Stadium construction guarantees cancelled
Lesotho ministry of finance cancels M2.45-billion funding deal and slams obscure South African financier SECHABA MOKHETHI The ministry of finance has cancelled government guarantees securing M2.45-billion in loans from a little-known South African company, Property 2000. The loans were to be issued for the construction of a stadium, an indoor sports arena and athletes village as Lesotho prepares to
Grissag behind Lesotho’s M2.4-billion loan guarantee rumpus
Moneylender caught up in SA’s state capture inquiry is behind controversial Lesotho loan SECHABA MOKHETHI Property 2000, the South African developer earmarked to lend M2.45-billion to three Lesotho building contractors, is simply a middleman sourcing funds from other investors, including the obscure Grissag AG, a company previously linked to shady deals. The Lesotho ministry of finance has cancelled
Questions over contractors in M2.4-billion stadium deal
Were political supporters favoured in a deal that was pushed through despite red flags? SECHABA MOKHETHI The government has dished out a M2.45-billion stadium deal to a group of contractors that includes two senior members of the Alliance of Democrats (AD), a long-standing contact of AD sports minister Mahali Phamotse, and a relative-cum-business-associate of two men convicted
Foreign judges: A headache for Lesotho’s murder trials
KEISO MOHLOBOLI / NKOSANA DLAMINI / TUMISANG SERAME Maseru/Harare—When the Lesotho authorities decided to hire foreign judges to steer ongoing high-profile murder trials involving former high-ranking Lesotho Defence Force personnel, little did they know that they were dragging an ant-infested log into the courtroom. Charles Hungwe, the Zimbabwean judge who was in January 2019 hired
3-year toddler sudden unexplained death shock family
Allegations of use of corporal punishment surface against Tiny Tots schools KEISO MOHLOBOLI It was only his sixth day at Tiny Tots Pre-School when mysterious tragedy befell a three-year-old Bohlokoa Qhobosheane on January 14. The tragedy led to Bohlokoa’s demise the next day while doctors were trying to attend to him. In an exclusive interview with MNN Centre for Investigative
