28 April 2017

CENSORED
The government of Lesotho closed
down its only weekly newspaper,
Lentsoe La Basotho (Lesotho Today). According to a newspaper
report from The Post, the Principal
Secretary (PS) of Communications,
Science and Technology, Tseliso
Khomari, accused the paper’s journalists of publishing stories favouring the opposition.

5 May 2017

CENSORED
People’s Choice FM was taken off
Lesotho National Broadcasting
Service’s transmitters. The radio
was off-air for an entire weekend.
However, People’s Choice FM
managed to buy its own transmitter link and went back on air.

10 August 2017

THREATENED
Lesotho Congress for Democracy
(LCD) members allegedly threatened two journalists, Palo Mohlotsane of People’s Choice FM and
NkoaleTs’oane of Moeletsi Oa
Basotho, at the premises of the
Directorate on Corruption and
Economic Offences (DCEO) on 8
August 2017. The LCD denied the
allegations in a response to queries made by MISA Lesotho, the
LCD gave details of the incident
and denied allegations of the attack.
The police warned Maloi that it
would be the last time he is called
in to talk about the content and
conduct of his programme.

17 August 2017

VICTORY
Moafrika FM resumed broadcasting after the High Court ordered
the Lesotho National Broadcasting Services (LNBS) to lift the
suspension it had imposed on the
radio station a week earlier.
The LNBS had suspended the
operations of MoAfrika FM on
the grounds that the radio station
owed the regulating body M100
000 (US$8074).
The Lesotho Communications Authority suspended a moratorium
on issues of broadcasting licenses,
a development which would see
the MISA Lesotho project on “Access to Information Through Establishment of Community Radio
Stations” fully implemented. This
means that three community stations will be on air by mid-2018
in Semonkong in the Maseru district, Outhing and Mokhotlong
districts.

Select target paragraph3