—Monokoane promises help to small entrepreneurs Mohloai Mpesi PEKA Member of Parliament (MP), Mohopoli Monokoane, is on a mission to help small businesses. He has vowed to bridge the widening gap between struggling small businesses and Lesotho’s established business tycoons by creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from the latter. Addressing a meeting with Quthing business owners at The Steak House over the weekend, Mr Monokoane said doing business should not be difficult. The owner of Hippo Transport and Hippo Bricks, and leader of the fledgling Khanya political movement, said he wanted to make it easier for small business owners to engage established entrepreneurs, share ideas and gain knowledge and advice that could help them grow. He said this remained a challenge in Lesotho, where successful businesspeople were often reluctant to mentor emerging entrepreneurs, making it harder for small businesses to develop. Mr Monokoane, who also runs Peka Fresh Produce, made the remarks during...

  There is something deeply troubling about a government that expects the Auditor-General to expose waste, mismanagement and irregularities across the public sector, while leaving the institution too underfunded to do its own work. The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) has told Parliament that its M30 million allocation for 2026/27 is not even enough to cover salaries, let alone fund the audits Parliament and the nation expect of it. The office requested M67 million. It received the same M30 million it got the previous year. This is not a minor administrative dispute over figures. It goes to the heart of accountability and constitutional governance. The Auditor-General is one of the country’s most important guardians of public money, tasked with examining how ministries, departments and public institutions spend taxpayers’ funds and reporting where things go wrong. Starve that institution of resources, and the damage runs far wider than the OAG itself:...

…as retired airport employee claims officers suffocated, electrocuted him and knocked out two teeth during interrogation Moorosi Tsiane THE police have once again been hauled before the High Court over alleged torture of a suspect during interrogation. A retired government employee, Molebatsi Monese, is suing Chief Police, Advocate Borotho Matsoso, for M3,247,536.90, accusing members of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) of suffocating and electrocuting him and knocking out two of his teeth during questioning over allegedly stolen air conditioners. Mr Monese says the alleged ordeal took place at Mabote Police Station in January 2025. He is claiming M1.5 million for impairment of dignity, M5,536.90 for medical expenses, M42,000 for future medical expenses, M1.5 million for pain and suffering, M50,000 for emotional shock and M150,000 for disfigurement. According to his affidavit, the ordeal began on 14 January 2025, when he reported to Mabote Police Station after being summoned in connection...

  Seithati Motšoeneng KFC Lesotho has honoured six of its top-performing cooks and cashiers from restaurants nationwide, at an awards ceremony celebrating excellence, skill and commitment. The awards, held at KFC Maseru Mall on Friday, saw frontline employees compete for top honours based on their in-store performance. The six winners received cash prizes in recognition of what the company described as “stellar workmanship” that has contributed to the brand’s success nationwide. Topping the list was Rethabile Seqhobo, named the Grand Prize Winner. He walked away with M5000 and the coveted Master Cook beige jacket, a symbol of KFC’s highest culinary standard. Rethabile Moaboee finished second and received M3000, while Mafaleng Mohlomi bagged third place with M2000. Three other staff members were also recognised among the six national winners for their outstanding contributions as cooks and cashiers, with the company noting that competition was particularly close this year. The Master Cook...

Mohloai Mpesi IT is not yet 6am, but Palesa Selebalo is already up – packing lunch boxes, tying school shoes, getting her two children ready for the day ahead. By the time most of Maseru is stirring, the 36-year-old will have dropped them off and slid behind the wheel of her own taxi, ready for a full day’s work in an industry still overwhelmingly dominated by men. It is a small routine, repeated every weekday. But behind it lies a decision that says a great deal about how Ms Selebalo sees herself, her marriage and her place in the world of work. Lesotho’s unemployment rate has hovered above 16 percent in recent years, according to International Labour Organisation estimates, with women historically experiencing higher unemployment than men. It is against this backdrop that Ms Selebalo decided last September that she would rather drive her own 4+1 – the small taxi...