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Thabo Thakalekoala Update

"This is a clear abuse of authority by the government, and a blatant move to silence the media and its people."

The Media Institute of SA has condemned the arrest.

Initially accused of "high treason," Thakalekoala is now charged with "failing to report subversive activity."

This report from Reporters Without Borders details that Thabo was released on bond Monday. Thabo is now scheduled for trial on July 25th. It should also be noted that RSF gets it nomenclature in bunch regarding Lesotho, the Basotho and their urge to use the work Lesothan...

Arrest! Drama! Corruption!

Harvest FM journalist Thabo Thakalekoala has been arrested by the LDF.

Thakalekoala's arrest follows his reading on the air of an open letter to the Commissioner of Police which argued for the arrest of the Prime Minister, his entire Cabinet and Principal Secretaries on corruption charges. He was given the letter by members of the Lesotho Defence Force.

CID officials took Thakalekoala into custody and demanded that he reveal the names of the people who gave him the letter. When MISA Lesotho visited him just after the lunch hour on 22 June, he refused to disclose his sources, saying "I am not obliged to reveal my sources as a journalist."

Thakalekoala has been charged with treason.

Thabo Thakalekoala is now going on a hunger strike to protest his trial. Full story here. PCFM staff visited Thabo in jail, here. For some background here is a story from Feb 14th foretelling Thabo's current situation.

Curfew Lifted

The curfew has been lifted.

"The announcement was made on Friday (afternoon). The curfew couldn't be there indefinitely, the situation seems a bit calm at the moment," national police spokesperson Inspector Pheello Mphana said.

Full story here.

In other news:

Lesotho's Government has denied media reports that it has asked for an intervention or assistance from the South African Government with regard to intelligence services to prevent further political turmoil.

SABC story here.

Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em

The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mokoto Khoeli has appealed to soldiers and police officers who are on duty during the six-six curfew to stop torturing the public.

Full story. And if you have an image of the police harassing old ladies then you are probably just about spot on. I also have a suspicion that it takes about 10 Rand to have the curfew not apply to you for the evening.

On a brighter note, things sound somewhat optimistic for former Botswana President Ketumile Masire's upcoming mediation.

"We have contacted those experts to come back and see, one, if the law has been framed according to their advice and, two, if it was in accord with the intention of the Basotho," he said.
He says both sides say they will accept the experts' ruling.

VOA story here.

Curfew Updates

This sentence pretty much sums it all up:

The Lesotho government will relax the restrictions of the curfew it had imposed after a spate of attacks on cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili said on Tuesday.

Full story here.
the curfew will be modified from 18:00-06:00 to 20:00-05:00.
All of this comes on the heel's of an announcement that Lesotho is having it's worst drought in 30 years, here.

RSA on Lesotho's Situation: Curfew

Opposition leader Tom Thabane’s home was attacked, as were some homes of other Lesotho cabinet members. Violence could not be used to try and destabilise Lesotho, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad said on Thursday.

Full story here.

Which means that SADC is ready to do something about/to/for Lesotho. Like impose a curfew.
Also they plan on bringing in mediation:

Former Botswana President Ketumile Masire will fly on Sunday to Lesotho where he will try to ease political tensions after a disputed parliamentary election.

Lesotho Politic Update

Pheko said when South Africa was engulfed by the chaos of the apartheid years its black people were scattered all over the world including Lesotho, now is the time to return the favour. “If the comrades in Lesotho have to seek refuge in our country, because they are being persecuted for resisting government repression, we shall welcome them. We promise to support the ABC as it is Lesotho’s government of the future”. This was an apparent reference to the Harvest FM’s Reverend Adam Lekhoaba who was summarily deported to South Africa in what some observers have interpreted as the Lesotho government’s attempt to gag the media.

This comes from a Public Eye story on ABC support in Welkom, SA. Read the full story here. Perhaps one of these days we will get some actual news on the Lesotho political situation, instead of hearing murmurs and grumbles only. Then again maybe the ABC will give the ANC a kick in the pants... Here are some details (and here) about Lekhoaba's situation before it escalated to exile in RSA.

Government office fire update: photo here.

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