Special for Africa ExPress
Sandro Pintus
April 29, 2024
In Lesotho, a small African kingdom, enclave in South African territory, a journalist was threatened with death and two newspapers risk closing. The reason? He revealed the corruption and even filed a reckless lawsuit against him, an activity well known and hated even in Italy.
Newspapers are the Lesotho Times and the Lesotho Tribune and the journalist is called Phafane Nkotsi, director and owner of the two newspapers.
An explosive investigation
The Lesotho Tribunebetween last January and February, published two of eight installments of an explosive journalistic investigation. A dossier on corruption at the Lesotho Civil Servants’ Pension Fund.
According to the newspaper, he is responsible The Mergence Investment Managerswith offices in South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho, which acquired the Pension Fund in 2011. Lesotho Tribune says the director is Semoli Mokhanoi, who joined Mergence in 2017 as a regional investment strategist.
Mergence Investment filed an application urgent to the High Court of Lesotho requesting that the articles be blacked out and prohibited from the Lesotho Tribune the publication of the other six. The request was rejected by the court in defense of freedom of expression.
Reckless lawsuit and death threats
The cauldron of corruption has been uncovered there Mergence Investment, tries the impossible to stop the scandal. The weapon is the reckless lawsuit. The investment company, on February 7, started a defamation lawsuit in which it asks for 10 million loti (497,000 euros).
Meanwhile Phafane Nkotsi was a victim of harassment, intimidation and threats. On April 17, 2024, journalists from the Lesotho Tribune they found three tickets on the editorial desks.
“Stay away from Pension Fund problems if you still care about peace in your home NJ Phafane – it was written -. Your beautiful [con il nome della moglie] It’s doing an amazing job on you.”
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in 2023, Lesotho ranks 67th out of 180 countries in the press freedom ranking. In 2022 he was ranked 88th. Despite the improvement in the “Kingdom of Heaven” – as the plateau country is called – “freedom of the press is fragile. Abuses against journalists are not uncommon and the media lack independence,” documents RSF.
Amnesty: publicly condemn the threats
“Lesotho authorities must publicly condemn harassment, intimidation, threats and attacks against Phafane Nkotsi, the Lesotho Tribunale and other journalists. They must ensure that all journalists can work without fear of reprisal,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s East and Southern Africa director.
Sandro Pintus
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X (formerly Twitter): @sand_pin
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