Despite the fact that numerous other radio stations have also failed to pay their rental fees for transmission, only MoAfrika was penalised. Secondly, LNBS officials had issued demand for the money owed on the afternoon of 11 August insisting that the payment be settled the same day. MoAfrika’s attempt to pay the fees owed was thwarted by the fact that in terms of its arrangements with the bank, it could only pay in batches, and not the whole amount in one go. In trying to resolve the issue, MISA Lesotho teamed up with other CSOs to write a joint letter to the Minister at the time - Chief Joang Molapo, requesting that MoAfrika be reconnected with immediate effect and both parties start talks leading to a mutual arrangement regarding payment to avoid any damage to Lesotho’s democratic rule. Only one meeting took place as a result, in the presence of MISA Lesotho and Christian Council of Lesotho. The political programmes radio presenter, Rets’epile Maloi, of Ts’enolo FM, a private radio station, was summoned for questioning by a panel of four Lesotho Mounted Police Service officers immediately after his morning programme on 9 March 2017. The interrogation, which took more than two hours, was convened, according to the explanation given to him by the police, to discuss concerns which arose from conduct on his programme, Fika Le Mohala, which aired on weekdays from 6am to 10am. Some of the concerns raised included a segment on the programme where guests with different political standpoints are called in at the same time to debate burning issues. This according to the police had the potential to spark violence among the general public. 44 So This is Democracy? 2017 Police also pointed out that callers to Fika Le Mohala abuse the Speech Withdrawal1 Principle by phoning in and being abusive. While they were later being told to withdraw the remarks, the message had already been aired. The police warned Maloi that it would be the last time he was called in to talk about the content and conduct of his programme. On 8 August, 2017 People’s Choice FM presenter Palo Mohlotsane and a Moeletsi Oa Basotho newspaper reporter were threatened by supporters of the LCD who tried to stop them from covering the appearance of the party’s leader, Mothejoa Metsing, before the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO). In an attempt to address the issue, MISA Lesotho wrote LCD a letter expressing their concern about the incident, while also encouraging the party to embark on talks with the two media houses to resolve the issue before it escalated and placed the lives of the two journalists in danger. However, LCD dismissed the letter, saying that MISA Lesotho had been biased by taking the side of the journalists. On a positive note, the government of Lesotho announced in December 2017 that it had rescinded its moratorium on issuance of broadcast licenses that was put in place two years earlier. The news was received with jubilation as a call for applications for radio stations licenses was issued. This move will allow the MISA Lesotho project, “Access to Information Through Establishment of Community Radio Stations” get three community radio stations on air by mid 2018. The morato1 In Lesotho, in case a person utters words found to be unsuitable for radio, the person is are asked to withdraw such words. If in agreement the person will then state:”I withdraw my words.”