The publisher of the Lesotho Tribune newspaper, Phafane Nkotsi, says he is now living in fear of his life and the safety of his family members after receiving threats of harm over his newspaper’s relentless reporting of alleged corruption at Lesotho’s multi billion rand public sector pension funds.
Mr Nkotsi said he had arrived at his office last week to find a note shoved beneath his door warning him to desist from publishing more stories about corruption at the M12 billion plus Public Officers’ Defined Contribution Pension Fund (PODCPF) and the Specified Offices Defined Contribution Pension Fund (SODCPF).
Mr Nkotsi told the Lesotho Times he had since reported the threats against him and his wife to the police. The note shoved underneath his door warned him to “Leave Pension Fund issues if you still want peace in your family NJ Phafane”. It mentioned the publisher’s date of birth and reminded him that his wife, Palesa, was beautiful and had been treating him well, implying that she could be harmed to deprive Mr Nkotsi of her affections.
The threat came after the Tribune serialised allegations of corruption by trustees and service providers of the two funds. The Tribune had particularly taken aim at South African Investment giant, Mergence Investment Managers, whose Lesotho managing director, Semoli Mokhanoi, it accused of “capturing” the trustees of the Funds and directing them to invest billions through service providers to which he is linked including Mergence and Aluwani Capital.
Mergence Lesotho and Mr Mokhanoi were infuriated by the reports. They had since unsuccessfully petitioned the High Court to close the Tribune alleging it was operating illegally. They lost the case with costs before Judge Polo Banyane. But Mr Mokhanoi is pursuing a M10 million civil defamation suit against Mr Nkotsi.
There is no suggestion however that Mr Mokhanoi is behind the threats. Investigations will have to be conducted.
Mr Nkotsi vowed that he would not be cowed nonetheless.
“We will continue performing our watchdog role as a newspaper. But we hope the police get to the bottom of this issue and go to the source of these threats.” Mr Phafane said.
Threats against publishers appear to be becoming fashionable. Africa Media Holdings (AMH), the publishers of the Lesotho Times and Sunday Express, had also noted a report against the executive director of the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) Tsikoane Peshoane. Peshoane threatened AMH publisher and owner, Basildon Peta, after the two bumped into each other at an event in Mantṧonyane. Peshoane was later seen secretly photographing Mr Peta’s vehicle number plates for what he believed were sinister motives.
Peshoane’s actions came after the TRC was criticised by the Lesotho Times for retaining him in his post after he was criminally charged for allegedly sexually molesting four women who worked at the TRC.
A Lesotho Times columnist – Scrutator- said Peshoane should have been sent on leave pending the conclusion of his court case and only return to work if he had been cleared by the courts. After the European Union withheld funds to the TRC for projects that could have benefited Lesotho, Scrutator said the TRC, could no longer purport to be a credible civic group, while retaining in its employment a senior executive accused of gender-based violence at a time the scourge had taken root in Lesotho. The column enraged Peshoane.
Former police commissioner Holomo Molibeli also failed in his bid to have the Lesotho Times shut down.
With ex Lesotho Times editor, Lloyd Mutungamiri, having survived death by a whisker after he was brutally shot at his home and Tṧenolo FM radio personality, Ralikonelo Joki, having been shot and killed, journalists in Lesotho can no longer take any threats lightly and would have to devise ways to defend themselves.
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