Lesotho
which is permissible by law - to allow
the organisation an opportunity to refute
the statements made on the programme.
Although LCA ordered Ts’enolo FM to
release a recording of the programme,
the order was only processed after 3
months - the period within which complaints could be handled. As a result
TRC was unable to continue with the
complaint.
Harvest FM is still awaiting a final decision by the LCA Board regarding BDRP’s
ruling that the radio station should pay
a fine of M10 000.00 (1 loti=1 rand).
The ruling was made during a hearing
of a complaint by Lieutenant Kernel Tefo
Hashatsi when he sought a BDRP resolution regarding a programme run by
Puseletso Mphana, Harvest FM’s ‘Raise
and Shine’ host, during which it was
alleged that the cost of Hashatsi’s case
were covered by the Government of Lesotho at the tune of M100 00.00.

Pressure from social media
In Lesotho, Facebook is seen as a vibrant
media platform for up-to-date information that is accessible and appealing to
a diverse audience especially youth and
the working class, so it is no surprise that
it is used by citizens as a news platform
and by numerous policymakers to reach
out to constituents.

Facebook is seen as a
vibrant media platform
that is accessible and
appealing.

44

So This is Democracy? 2016

Through their Facebook pages, Lira
Moeti and Mohato Seleke are considered important information sources as
they are extremely active in providing
news on political develop-ments, corruption and general state operations.
They have formed a closed Facebook
group called Countdown to Elections
2015, 16 and 17. Both social media advocates were allegedly arrested for their
alleged activism on Facebook.
Lesotho Mounted Police, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, Masebina
Ramone was suspended for allegedly
being active on social media as Paul
Sithole – once again a closed Facebook
group that has been operating since
March 2016. Paul Sithole of Facebook
fame has been critical of the government especially the Lesotho police.
Despite the suspension of Ramone, the
Paul Sithole Facebook account is still up
and running.
The vibrancy and reach of social media
has been picked up by politicians and
over 80 percent of them have widened
their reach and influence through their
personal Facebook accounts. A recent
study titled: Facebook and Political Participation in Lesotho indicated that there
are 41 Facebook accounts and pages set
up by political party leaders and political parties in Lesotho. Amongst these
are the Minister of Trade and Industry
Joshua Setipa, the Minister of Natural
Resources Lebohang Thotanyana, Minister of Social Development Molahlehi
Letlotlo and opposition political party
politicians Sekhulumi Ntsoaole all of
whom communicate their views and
achievements through their Facebook
pages.
The Lesotho government responded by
expressing its concern over the use of
social media and threatened to close
Facebook. The Minister of Home Affairs

Lekhetho Rakuane is on record for the
calling of a social media ‘ceasefire’.
In August 2016, Rakuaoane was reported by Lesotho Times of urging the people to stop posting negative comments
about the country on social media.
Rakuane’s call came after the Deputy
Prime Minister Mothejoa Metsing announced the government was working
on bringing people to book for using
social media to post harmful threats. He
stated that: “they were going to see to it
that these people who are forever posting these lies are nabbed.”

Going Forward
The media has to continue exposing
corruption, poor service delivery and
incompetence in government, public institutions civil society and private sector.
It also has to continue being platform for
information exchange between the leaders and the public on national issues.
Along with media freedom monitoring
and policy advocacy initiatives there
must be intensive capacity building for
the media. Despite ever shrinking donor funding on media projects, Lesotho
media needs special consideration, for
the sector to fully and positively contribute to greater democratic attainment
and sustenance for the country to play a
needed role in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the
world at large.
Of urgency for implementation is the
Media Legal Reforms as recommended
by SADC recent report on the Commission of Enquiry led by Judge Mphaphi
Phomaphe which seems to be last on
the list of priorities by government regarding the implementations of the
Commission’s recommendations.

So This is Democracy? 2016

45

Select target paragraph3