Lesotho C OVERVIEW Contestation between the leadership and the security sector has dominated the political landscape of Lesotho to the extent that mainly South Africa, through the Southern African Development Community has had to play a critical interventionist role over the last few years. At the beginning of 2016, the SADC Double Troika Summit handed over a Commission of Inquiry report to the Lesotho government and tasked it: • to publish the Report within 14 days - by February 1, 2016. • to provide feedback on the implementation of recommendations to the Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation at the meeting to be held in August 2016. At a further meeting held by the SADC Double Troika Summit in August 2016, the gov-ernment was further tasked: • to prepare a roadmap for the implementation of the constitutional, public sector and security sector reforms and submit a progress report to the SADC Summit in August 2016. The reforms contained in the report were recommended against a backdrop of issues, namely, attempted coups, the banning of political parties, a constitutional crisis, attacks on opposition members forcing them to flee the country and discord between the police and army and the political leadership over appointments in the security sector. 40 So This is Democracy? 2016 To get an understanding of the friction between the army and the political leadership, it is important to go back to 2014. Following political tensions and the suspension of the National Assembly over the controversial change of the head of the army from Lieutenant General Kennedy Tlali Kamoli to Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, an alleged attempted coup d’état forced Prime Minister Tom Thabane to flee to neighbouring South Africa. He returned home under the 24 hour protection of the South African and Namibian security and the guarantee that under the auspices of the SADC, there would be a mediation led by South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Based on the mediation, Prime Minister Thabane called elections in February 2015, a year ahead of schedule. The Commission of Inquiry requested the government of Lesotho to undertake a criminal investigation into the death of Lieutenant-General Mahao. Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili announced on 20 June 2016 in Parliament, that a criminal investigation into Mahao’s killing is underway. The Commission also suggested that Lieutenant-General Tlali Kamoli be relieved of his duties as commander of the LDF and all LDF officers implicated in cases of murder, attempted murder and treason be suspended while investigations into their cases proceed in line with international. According to a report in the Business Day, Lieutenant Kamoli was poised to retire on December 1. A few months after the 2015 General Elections, leaders of the opposition and some of their members fled to South Africa, claiming their lives were in danger. Tension in the country reached its peak when soldiers were abducted earlier that year. Midway through the year, the former commander of the Lesotho Army, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao was shot and killed. There is a lack of cohesion amongst media practitioners on matters of national interest. It was Mahao’s death that prompted an intervention in 2015 whereby President Jacob Zuma appointed a commission of Inquiry, in his capacity as the chair of the security organ of SADC. The 10 member Commission of Inquiry, headed by Botswana Judge Mphaphi Phumaphi was mandated to investigate the instability in Lesotho and in particular the circumstances of the murder of Lt. General Mahao. The media has had to operate in this politically unstable environment and has not fared well. Journalists have been physically attacked, namely the editor of Lesotho Times, Lloyd Mutungamiri was shot and injured while his colleague Keiso Mohloboli is in exile in South Africa. Blogger and University lecturer Mafa Sejanamane was also shot at, but was not injured. MEDIA LANDSCAPE Media houses in Lesotho are faced with similar challenges as those of surrounding countries. Newsrooms are understaffed and many of those working in them, lack capacity as they have not been formally trained. Only a few presenters and print media journalists have been to short courses while others have not been trained at all. The fallout is felt by the public, who consume news that has been inadequately researched or tune in to current affairs programmes that are poorly moderated. While phone in programmes are extremely popular, the lack of moderation skills allows listeners to present unverified information as fact. The disregard of media ethics and principles has often compromised the media with both the print and broadcasting media having to issue numerous apologies. MISA-Lesotho faces the challenge of, on one hand, having to congratulate the media for operating in a challenging environment and ensuring flow of information, allowing access to news and contributing to debates on diverse political, economic, social and developmental issues. On the other hand it has to berate the media for its continued inaccuracies It is undeniable that traditional media is considered more trustworthy as opposed to news sourced through new media, to the extent that people ensure that whatever information they get on social media platforms is only considered true or accurate if it is verified in newspapers or broadcast on radio. One of the major challenges facing the industry is that the media continues to remain politically polarised since 2012. So This is Democracy? 2016 41