BILLY NTAOTE A group of companies that lost the M380-million Mpilo Boulevard upgrade tender to a Chinese-led joint venture has filed an urgent court bid for the tender award to be overturned. And their lawyer has told the court that there was evidence of official interference in the tender process that “bordered on corruption”. The tender has been shrouded in
Author: news@lescij.org
Hostile Kao villagers muddle through
as peace talks between Storm Mountain Diamonds and Kao mine neighbouring communities awaitMine and community speak of raging challenges and solutions in the pipeline BILLY NTAOTE MATIISETSO MOSALA Long protracted conflict between the Storm Mountain Diamonds operated mine and neighbouring communities in Kao villages seem to have its end drawing nearer amid pending
Journalism needs to rethink ethics
The general election provided a litmus test of Botswana’s media, showing that it is not independent of financial and political influence. JOEL KONOPO analyses Botswana's ailing media sector. We live in a divided political environment and amid radical economic disparities. But there is one thing on which virtually everyone in Botswana agrees: most of the news
Lesotho Prime Minister to retire soon
BILLY NTAOTE and TUMISANG SERAME Finally, Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has publicly announced his intentions to step-down as Lesotho Prime Minister. Thabane told a press briefing held at the old state house he would be retiring his position as the country prime minister very soon citing old age as a reason. But he also referred to his
Police to interrogate Ntsekele, Mphaka over PM wife’s murder
BILLY NTAOTE and MATIISETSO MOSALA In the wake of Lesotho’s first lady, Maesiah Thabane’s evading arrest and vanishing, police investigations have led to top government officials being summoned to Police Headquarters for questioning. Minister of Water Samonyane Ntsekele and Government Secretary Moahloli Mphaka were today summoned to help police with their investigations into the killing of Lipolelo Thabane. The duo
Breaking: Lesotho First Lady resists arrest
Claims she fears for her life and barricades self in statehouse Investigations on her sister wife’s fatal shooting continue BILLY NTAOTE, KEISO MOHLOBOLI and MATIISETSO MOSALA Lesotho’s first lady, Maesiah Thabane’s brazen refusal to report to police earlier and later afternoon resisting arrest has left the country shocked after learning she was summoned
Lesotho Prime Minister’s mobile-phone used in wife assassination
…Police Boss says his suspension by Thabane is just a ploy to scuttle investigations into Lipolelo’s assassination KEISO MOHLOBOLI Police investigations into the fatal shooting of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s estranged wife, Lipolelo Thabane, unearthed usage of his mobile phone to communicate with the assassinators, the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism (the centre) has learnt. Lipolelo was killed at the
Thabane’s anointed committee expunge court judgment
…meanwhile Mahao’s quintet says any contempt of court will be dealt with decisively KEISO MOHLOBOLI and MATIISETSO MOSALA All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader Thomas Thabane’s anointed party executive committee yesterday defied a High Court judgment, and only said it welcomes expelled executive members but as ordinary party members. The statehouse cabal—ABC’s national executive committee members
Lesotho stands by Western Sahara – ’Maseribane
…government denounces foreign minister Makgothi’s mysterious foreign policy shift Matiisetso Mosala Lesotho government washed hands and negated what was announced by Moroccan media this week as ‘the new foreign policy shift’ to neutrality from the stance against illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco. The denounced shift is instigated by Foreign Affairs Minister Lesego Makgothi. Morocco’s press, on Tuesday
Lesotho groans under hefty data price rises
Data giants-VCL and ETL-also accused of ducking regulatory levies and government loan repayments TUMISANG SERAME Skyrocketing data prices continue to hit the pockets of poor Basotho consumers. Yet an investigation by the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism (the Centre ) has found that one of Lesotho’s mobile network companies has defaulted on regulatory fees, while the other