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
News
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
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
Slow walk to deliver GH2 talk in Namibia
Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo, cautioning at the summit that overly-optimistic predictions of up to 250,000 jobs by 2030 may not be realistic but what mattered was the establishing of a new type of industry that he termed the second industrialisation revolution. Photo: John Grobler John Grobler takes stock of
N$18m stolen from SME Bank washed by Mugabe’s ex-pilot
ELIASER NDEYANALE and TIMO SHIHEPO A total of N$18,8 million stolen from SME Bank was transferred to and laundered by former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s ex-pilot and confidant Robert Mhlanga. This is according to court documents filed in South Africa’s Gauteng High Court by SME Bank’s liquidators Ian McLaren and David Bruni. The
Impact: SADP moves to audit its grants
Matiisetso Mosala Following MNN's exposé of suspected fraud and corruption within the Smallholder Agriculture Development Project (SADP), the project is contracting an independent consultant to examine if the donor-funded grants that have been dispersed to date have been above board. As part of SADP II, the organisation put out a call for
