Sotho

22 April 2009
“Lesotho’s PM Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili has survived unhurt an apparent assassination attempt in the capital Maseru, the government says.
Communications Minister Mothetjoa Metsing said several gunmen opened fire on the prime minister’s house early on Wednesday morning.
He says Mr Mosisili’s guards fired back, and some media reports say at least one of the attackers was killed.”
Link: Assassination Attempt in Lesotho
lesotho politics, pakalitha mosisili, assassination attempt
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13 February 2009
“Consulting engineering and project management company SSI’s Lowlands Water joint venture (JV), successfully completed the first phase of the Lesotho Lowlands bulk water supply project during the last quarter of 2008, SSI group communications manager Robin Hayes tells Engineering News.

The Lowlands Water JV is headed up by SSI, with input from its Dutch parent company DHV, and includes consulting engineering partners Jeffares & Green, Lesotho-based GWC Consulting Engineers and German-based Fichter, as well as subconsultants, software and services company Intermap and Lesotho-based Sechaba.”
Link: First phase of bulk water supply project done
lesotho water, lowlands water jv
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4 December 2008
“A Lesotho immigration officer has been acquitted of charges that he allowed Harvest FM station manager, Reverend Pholoana Lekhoaba into the country, despite a ban on his return to the country, writes Mzimkhulu Sithetho.

Neo Fosa permitted Reverend Adam Lekhoaba into Lesotho on March 21, 2008 at the Moshoeshoe I International airport.

The Lesotho News agency (Lena) reports that the accused’s lawyer told the magistrate’s court that Fosa had stamped Lekhoaba’s passport by mistake but alerted the National Security Service (NSS) as soon as he realized his mistake.

It states that Lekhoaba was followed and then deported by the police.”
Link: Cop Cleared of Letting in Mr Lekhoaba
neo fosa, pholoana lekhoaba, harvest fm
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24 October 2008
“A Lesotho journalist charged with sedition has been freed after paying a 200 maloti (17.60 dollars/13.70 euros) fine, while his radio station was allowed back on the airwaves, he said Thursday.
High Court judge Gabriel Mofolo sentenced Thabo Thakalekoala, 46, to two years imprisonment on Wednesday, but suspended the sentence and allowed him to pay the symbolic fine instead.

Thakalekoala was originally charged with treason last year, but the charge was reduced to sedition and criminal defamation.”
Link: Lesotho Court Frees Thabo
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14 October 2008
A defunct Lesotho weekly, “The Mirror”, its editor and EPIC Printers were slapped with a M50 000 (USD $8 000) fine by the High Court of Lesotho on 29 September 2008 for defaming Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

Justice Nomngcongo said the publication, its editor and EPIC Printers were jointly convicted and ordered to pay M50 000.

Mosisili had claimed M250 000 (USD40 000) for the story published in “The Mirror” of 11 April 2001 headlined “Truth is a mountain, the Mosisilism seeks to take it on”.
Link: Weekly Issued Hefty Fine in Defamation Case
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6 October 2008
Lesotho’s main opposition party, All Basotho Convention (ABC), is calling for an early election. The call is prompted by the dispute over the allocation of parliamentary seats following the Mountain Kingdom’s national election in February last year.
Link: An Early Election In Lesotho
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23 September 2008
IDEAL weather conditions and perfect pacing by a trio of Lesotho athletes secured them podium places in Sunday’s Nedbank Cape Town City Marathon. The first kilometer was raced in 2:56 and the leaders maintained a relentless three minute a kilometre pace throughout the first quarter of the marathon. At the 34km mark Motlokoa Mkhabutlane took the lead and kept a steady rhythm to win in 2:14:16, followed by Lebenya Nkoka and Sechaba Bohosi. All three men qualified in the process for next year‘s IAAF world marathon championships in Berlin.
Link: Lesotho Athletes Win
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3 July 2008
Lesotho sees its economic growth rising in coming years due to diamond mining and a new water project, its trade minister said on Thursday, although high food prices still pressure the southern African mountain kingdom.
Link: Lesotho sees growth from diamonds, water
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4 July 2008
Three parched years in a row have drained Lesotho’s water sources and thousands of people that are already facing chronic food insecurity risk losing access to water, the spread of disease and death.
Link: Lesotho water running on empty
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4 July 2008
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma met Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili in London on Friday 4 July 2008 and underlined the important collaboration between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the 53-member Commonwealth.
Link: Sharma Meets Lesotho Prime Minister Mosisili
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10 July 2008
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe received a show of support from the tiny kingdom of Lesotho when its prime minister told foreign powers on Wednesday to respect the sovereignty of states in the region.
Link: Lesotho PM backs Mugabe
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23 July 2008
Accused of broadcasting defamatory remarks, Lesotho’s popular but controversial Harvest FM radio station based in the Lesotho capital of Maseru has been suspended for three months, APA learned on Tuesday. Harvest Managing Director ‘Malichaba Lekhoaba told APA that the board of the Lesotho Telecommunications Authority (LTA) wrote a letter to the station on Monday, ordering the management to close the station down at Monday midnight for a period of three months.
Link: Lesotho Suspends Private Radio Station for 3 Months
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