MANTŠALI PHAKOANA Lesotho’s rich and diverse animal, water, plant and aquatic biodiversity that used to provide a critical ecosystem that served as a buffer against the harsh climate change are being depleted, but Mokhotlong communities are starting to come together to act. This experience of dramatic loss of biodiversity negatively affects livelihoods, water supply, and food chain and lessens
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.
Initiation schools open doors for HIV treatment
MANTŠALI PHAKOANA and RELEBOHILE KHOALE Basotho are gradually dumping norms blamed for rising Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) statistics in initiation schools. Initiation schools’ common practices like sharing of razor-blades are shunned and infected initiates now continue their treatment while undergoing traditional training. According to Basotho culture, initiation is a form of training that boys undergo to become
HIV no longer a death sentence but the stigma remains
KEISO MOHLOBOLI It is now 31 years since the first World AIDS Day was commemorated in 1988 at the height of the AIDS pandemic. The Day was calculated to create awareness around HIV and AIDS, promote potential cures and remember the lives lost to the disease. But while 23-year-old Neo Ntaote is happy with the way antiretroviral (ARV)
Apology
In our article titled: ‘Shi Exchanged Farmers’ Wool For Machinery’ dated July 22, 2019, We erroneously reported that “Maseru Dawning Trading (Pty) LTD, owned by Chinese national Stone Shi, was reported by the Central Bank of Lesotho during its appearance before the ad-hoc committee, to have violated its broker-license regulations
Community groups help alleviate HIV stigma among men
BILLY NTAOTE Lesotho’s male population largely remains reluctant to visit health-centres or even take HIV tests, which present challenges in the country’s fight against HIV and AIDS. In some instances, men prefer to have their spouses take the HIV test and then assume their status would be the same as their partners’. But this norm is fast-changing
Fleet tender manager assumes work amid court storm
BILLY NTAOTE A joint-venture that was awarded government’s fleet tender worth M100 million has begun operations amid an ongoing High Court battle challenging the contract. Fleet Service Lesotho and Silverstone Fleet Solutions started work on 9 July by inspecting vehicles belonging to the government fleet. On the instruction of Finance Principal Secretary, Motena Tšolo, all government and leased
HIV-positive youths thrive on peer support
MANTŠALI PHAKOANA Lesotho’s adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24 years are among the people most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to poor healthcare, lack of family support, non-acceptance of long-term treatment and non-disclosure of their HIV-status to peers and family. It is this challenge that the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF) recommends can be
Minister hails under-fire wool and mohair policy and blames saga on politicians
RELEBOHILE KHOALE The Minister of Small Business Development, Cooperatives and Marketing, Chalane Phori has defended the Thaba-Bosiu-based Lesotho Wool Centre auction as a lucrative deal set to benefit farmers in the near future. Phori made this submission to parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating the sale of wool and mohair at the Centre following an outcry
Parly grills under-fire Chinese wool and mohair broker
MANTŠALI PHAKOANA Parliament’s ad-hoc committee investigating Lesotho’s wool and mohair sector on Wednesday grilled under-fire Chinese businessman, Stone Shi. Shi is now the sole broker of the country’s wool and mohair after being handed the role through amendments to an existing regulation by the government last year. He does this through the Lesotho Wool Centre—a joint-venture entered
