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

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

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

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

SECHABA MOKHETHI A triangular battle between controversial Lesotho businessman Yan ‘John’ Xie, the Alliance of Democrats (AD) party and Durban clothing company over election campaign t-shirts worth more than M1-million has landed up in the Lesotho High Court. The MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism has heard allegations that Xie agreed to pay for 50 000 t-shirts used

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

…allegedly owe nearly M200 million in bill arrears KEISO MOHLOBOLI and MANTSALI PHAKOANA The government owes the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) more than M50 million in unpaid electricity bills while private companies and some embassies owe the struggling state-owned enterprise an additional M140 million, MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism can reveal. The size of debt

BILLY NTAOTE The Lesotho Parliament has agreed to scrap a controversial ban on the export of locally produced wool and mohair – but there is no end in sight to the woes of the country’s 40 000 mainly poor producers The decision by MPs followed a sustained campaign by farmers, their association and opposition parties, alleging

Ministry 'knew nothing‘ of their links with UK multinational SECHABA MOKHETHI Two senior Lesotho health ministry officials who oversee cannabis industry licensing in Lesotho are linked to a London-based company that plans to invest in the manufacture of medicinal cannabis in the kingdom, the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism has learnt. The company, Afriag

…Deputy PS institutes legal action against parliament’s accounts committee after damning police uniform tender report   MANTŠALI PHAKOANA The Ministry of Police and Public Safety’s Deputy Principal Secretary (DPS), Ezekiel Senti, has instructed his attorney to institute legal action against the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for alleged defamation of character. The move follows parliament’s adoption of the PAC’s report on 29