44 LESOTHO On August 12 2020, the Deputy Leader of the Basotho National Party (BNP), who is also Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Machesetsa Mofomobe, made a derogatory statement against editors of foreign origin. This was after the Lesotho Times, whose editors are Zimbabweans, published a story about the embezzlement of Covid-19 related funds under the watch of the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology. By Sechaba Mokhethi The media landscape in Lesotho is made up of about 40 media houses ranging from broadcasting with 27 radio stations, print media with nine newspapers and three magazines. The 2020 Freedom House study of political rights and civil liberties reported that Lesotho is partly free and freedom of the press in Lesotho is only indirectly protected under constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. (71) In protecting the political rights and civil liberties that include free and independent media, and freedom of expression, the country scored 63 out of 100 points. According to the World Press Freedom Index, Lesotho dropped eight places from 78 in 2019 to 86 out of 180 countries in 2020. CENSORSHIP Lesotho journalists are subject to threats and intimidation from authorities as well as from private citizens. State and private media outlets have also been accused of open bias. Additionally, journalists face statutory barriers that interfere in their work, including criminal code provisions that bar sedition and offenses against the “dignity of the royal family.” (72) The constitution provides legal protection for freedom of expression. However, political violence in recent years has discouraged some open political debate. The Penal Code, adopted in 2010, allows police officers to force journalists to reveal their sources. This environment has forced Lesotho journalists to resort to self-censorship for their own safety. During a media briefing, Mofomobe referred to the editors as “makoerekoere” — an offensive term. Mofomobe’s utterances were condemned by MISA Lesotho as tantamount to hate speech and likely to ignite xenophobia in Lesotho. At the beginning of 2020, Informative newspaper was fined M180 000 (equivalent to US$12 000) in defamatory damages by the High Court for publishing an article titled “Defence Director in row over property”. Lebona Mokopanela, the director in question, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Informative seeking M1-million (US$6 800) for publishing what he termed false and grossly defamatory allegations. Mokopanela received a default judgment against the newspaper after Informative failed to present its argument before the court. MEDIA FREEDOM Media practice in Lesotho is constricted and there is no guarantee for freedom of expression, despite the constitution spelling out that freedom of expression is acceptable. The hiring of untrained journalists by media houses is said to have led to shoddy reporting, giving grounds for the authorities to descend heavily upon the same institutions, thereby threatening freedom of expression. On September 14 2020, Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro announced that the government was working on classifying some of its information and that any media house which publishes “confidential government information” will be liable to prosecution. The Prime Minister also said, “anybody who is not authorised to be in possession of classified government documents is committing an offence...” (73)