News

The lure of gold

Published

3 years ago

May 10, 2022

MASERU – By Lesotho’s standards, Thabiso Sephula, should be a struggling peasant farmer.
He is a man of little education and has no special skills.

The small perch of land in front of his house in Mafeteng is not enough to produce enough for his family.

The harvest has been poor for years because the soil is exhausted (soil exhaustion). Perennial droughts have also affected their harvests.

Yet Sephula is not living in abject poverty like his peers and neighbours.
At 40, he has a beautiful home with expensive furniture. His kraal is full of cattle and two cars are parked in his yard. This is in addition to three tractors.

Sephula made his fortunes in the South African mines.
He doesn’t have a formal job in the mines though. Rather, he is one of the hundreds of Basotho men illegally mining gold in South Africa.

Known as Zama-Zamas or Makhomosha, the men sneak into abandoned mines and spend months mining underground. Most don’t have protective clothing like overalls, helmets, gumboots or gloves.

Often, the dark shafts lead them to other sections of the mine that are still legally mined.
Clashes between Zama-Zamas and mine security guards, often fatal, are common.

At times there are bloody fights between rival Zama-Zama gangs underground.
There are reports of gang members bludgeoning each other to death when they have to share the spoils.

Many Basotho men have been brought back home in coffins after being killed in these clashes.

Those that keep the peace and avoid violent encounters have to contend with the dangers underground.

Because the shafts were last mined decades ago, unsupported roofs sometimes cave in in to crush the men. Others fall to their death in shafts while some have drowned in dams.

Then there are dangerous gases that can suffocate them to death.

Sephula says he has seen dead bodies killed, and stabbed while others stoned to death.

Once they reimage from the belly of the earth with the fruits of the months’ toil, they have to be on the lookout for robbers waiting for them on the surface.

The police too will be waiting to arrest them.
Even the trips back home can be dangerous as the miners are targeted for robbery.

Crossing the border back home is an equally perilous task because most would have either overstayed in South Africa or crossed illegally.

“You need a lot of skills to find the gold and process it underground,” Sephula says.

“Good things come for those who wait.”

Sephula knows that he is dicing with death but says he has no other options to earn a living.
He is driven by both desperation and potential rewards.

Home doesn’t hold much for him. He has watched his peers who refuse to join Zama-Zamas wallow in poverty. The few that work can barely make ends meet.

Sephula can make as much as M200 000 after spending six months underground.

He says so far things are going well despite the dangers.
But his family always worry when he leaves home because they know he might die in the mines or get arrested.

Two weeks ago, 71 Basotho spent three weeks trapped in a mine in Welkom.

This was after the mine authorities blocked their exit hole. It is believed some died from dehydration and hunger after running out of supplies.

Two Basotho men were brought up to the surface dead. The Lesotho consular in Orkney, Liranyane Thamae, said out of 95 illegal miners brought to the surface 13 were Mozambicans.
Two Mozambicans were dead.

“There were also four living Zimbabweans and one South African,” Thamae said.

“All of those who are alive are currently arrested and detained at different police stations.”

Foreign affairs principal secretary, Thabo Motoko, told a press conference that illegal activities are highly organised.

“One would say the crime is highly organised, for us to address it we need to find the root cause,” he said.

“Not any person buys gold, we need to find the kingpins so that the issue is addressed.”

Motoko said it is the South African government, particularly the Ministry of Mining and Natural Resources, that should stop illegal mining.

“It is not going to stop until we find the root cause.”

Last year the then Lesotho Consular General in Orkney in South Africa, Selimo Thabane, told thepost that hunger and poverty were pushing Basotho into illegal mining.

Thabane said this after 11 Basotho men were found burned close to a mine in Orkney. Five of the deceased were from Motete constituency in Butha- Buthe district.

It was suspected that they had been in gang battles over gold.

After the incident, the leader of Movement for Economic Change (MEC), Selibe Mochoboroane, who was accompanied by the Principal Chief of Likhoele, Lerotholi Seeiso, visited the illegal miners to try and foster some peace.

The fights and killings receded for a few months but gained momentum again.

Tšepang Manare, who has been a Zama-Zama in South Africa for the past seven years, says he learned tricks of the trade from some Zimbabweans who used to be illegal gold miners in their home country before crossing into South Africa.

Manare said most Zama-Zama gangs have highly organised operations and work in shifts.
There are those who dig and those who process the gold.

Some are there to supply food, cigarettes, beer, and torch batteries to those underground.

He said the bosses are responsible for getting the gold to the market and bribing guards at the disused mines to allow their teams to let in their zama-zama teams.

“A lot of cash is paid to allow these people to pass through the shaft to go down underground. Taking food underground is risky and costly,” said Manare.

A loaf of bread costs M100 while a single tobacco cigarette costs M10.

“The food is expensive because it is risky taking it down there to the miners underground. The good thing is that the miners have the money to pay for the provisions.”

Sephula says he had made enough money to stop illegal mining. He says his tractors make good business, especially during planting season.

But he has no intention of stopping.
He has returned to the mines again and will see his family after a few months.

“I will die there. There is nothing as tempting as money,” he says.

Majara Molupe

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

20 hours ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

KNORX Molelle’s appointment as the Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) in February 2023 could have been illegal.

The Law Society of Lesotho has told Prime Minister Sam Matekane that Molelle was appointed without being admitted as a legal practitioner in Lesotho, as required by law.

The society claims the information came from a whistleblower on January 2 and was corroborated by its roll of legal practitioners in Lesotho.

The society says the appointment violates section 4 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act 1999 which states that a person shall not be appointed as the DCEO director general unless they have been admitted as a legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act.

In the letter, Advocate Ithabeleng Phamotse, the society’s secretary, tells Matekane that this requirement “is not a mere procedural formality but a substantive qualification essential to the lawful appointment of the Director General”.

“The absence of such qualification fatally impairs the appointment ab initio, rendering it null and void from the outset,” Advocate Phamotse says in the letter written on Tuesday.

The society argues that if left unaddressed the illegality undermines the credibility, effectiveness and legality of the DCEO’s operations and exposes the kingdom to serious risks, including challenges to the lawfulness of decisions and actions made by Molelle.

“Should it be confirmed that the appointment was made in contravention of the mandatory legal requirements,” Advocate Phamotse said, “we respectfully urge you to take immediate corrective action to rectify this glaring irregularity”.

Advocate Phamotse tells the prime minister that if the appointment is not corrected, the society would be “left with no alternative but to institute legal proceedings to protect the interests of justice and uphold the rule of law in Lesotho”.

“We trust that you will accord this matter your highest priority and act decisively to avert further damage to the integrity of our governance structures.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman, Thapelo Mabote, said they received the letter but Matekane had not yet read it yesterday.

Matekane is on leave and is expected back in the office on January 14.

Questions over the validity of his appointment come as Molelle is being haunted by the damaging audio clips that were leaked last week.

The clips were clandestinely recorded by Basotho National Party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.

In some of the clips, Molelle appears to be describing Matekane and his deputy Justice Nthomeng Majara as idiots. He also appears to be calling Law Minister Richard Ramoeletsi a devil.

In other clips, he seems to be discussing cases. thepost has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio clips.

Staff Reporter

News

Massive salary hike for chiefs

Published

20 hours ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

THE government has increased the salaries for traditional leaders by a massive 88.5 percent.

This means that a village chief not appointed by a gazette will now earn M3 001 a month, up from the previous salary of M1 592. That means village chiefs will now earn an extra M1 409 per month.

A village chief, or headman, appointed by a gazette has moved from M1 966 to M3 567 per month.

Above a village chief is one with jurisdiction over a small cluster of villages, a category three chief, who now moves from M3 768 to M5 181 per month.

A category four chief, known as ward chief, has moved from M4 455 per month to M7 993.

The category five chief, who reports directly to a principal chief, will now earn M10 674, up from M9 939 per month.

There is no increment for principal chiefs.

The government says the budget for chiefs’ salaries has moved from M129.4 million to M208.3 million annually.

The hike follows a series of discussions between the Lesotho Workers Association, representing the chiefs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship.

The revised salaries will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2025.

According to the settlement agreement, a discussion about raising the lowest salary of M6 000 for the lowest-ranking chiefs will be revisited in October 2025.

Chiefs who spoke to thepost have expressed satisfaction with the hike, saying it will significantly improve their lives.

Chief Mopeli Matsoso of Ha-Tikoe in Maseru said his previous salary of M1 500 per month would now be doubled, which would improve his life and help provide smoother services to the community.

He stressed that they used to close the offices while going out looking for jobs to compensate for their little salaries.

“Now the people will get smoother services,” Chief Matsoso said.

“The offices will forever be open,” he said.

Chief Matsoso said the salary hike will also serve as a motivation for other chiefs.

Chief Tumo Majara of Liboping, Mokhethoaneng, also expressed his gratitude.

Chief Majara acknowledge the positive impact the salary review would have, especially as a new officeholder.

“I guess we are all happy, that review will help a lot,” he said.

The Principal Chief of Thaba-Bosiu, Khoabane Theko, said the salary increase of chief is a welcome move by the government.

“I’m yet to study how the new salary structure looks like. But I welcome it as a good move by the government,”Chief Theko said.

Nkheli Liphoto

News

Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

Published

20 hours ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

Motlatsi Maqelepo, the embattled Basotho Action Party (BAP) deputy leader and Tello Kibane, who was the party chairman, have rejected their suspension from the party arguing it was legally flawed.

The BAP’s central executive committee on Tuesday suspended Maqelepo for seven years and Kibane for five years. The suspensions became effective on the same day.

The party’s disciplinary committee which met last Wednesday had recommended an expulsion for the two but that decision was rejected with the committee pushing for a lengthy suspension.

Maqelepo’s suspension will end on January 7, 2032 while Kibane’s will run until January 7, 2030.

Their suspension letters from the BAP deputy secretary general Victoria Qheku, say they should not participate in any of the party’s activities.

“In effect, you are relieved of your responsibility as a CEC member and BAP deputy leader,” Maqelepo was told in the letter.

“You were found guilty by default on all charges and the committee recommended your immediate dismissal from the party,” the letter reads.

On Kibane, the verdict states that the committee decided to mitigate the recommended sanction by reducing his suspension to five years.

“In the gravity of the charges, the suspension affects your membership in the BAP parliamentary caucus from which you are removed as a chairman.”

They were suspended in absentia after they refused to attend the disciplinary hearing, which they said was illegal.

In response to the suspension, Maqelepo wrote a letter addressing the BAP members in general, defying the committee’s decision to suspend them.

He has called for a special conference, appealing to party constituencies to push for it, citing the ongoing internal fight that includes the leadership’s decision to withdraw the BAP from the coalition government.

Maqelepo also said the central executive committee is illegally in a campaign to dissolve committees in the constituencies and replace them with stooges.

He reminded the members that there is a court case pending in the High Court seeking an interdiction to charge them in the party’s structures without approval of the special conference that he is calling.

He said the party leadership should have awaited the outcome of the case before proceeding with any disciplinary action.

“The party that is led by a professor of law continues to do dismissals despite the issue being taken to the courts,” Maqelepo said.

The party leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, is a distinguished professor of law.

Maqelepo said they would write the central executive committee rejecting its decision to suspend them, saying they will continue taking part in party activities.

He said their fate in the party is in the hands of the special conference.

He appealed to all the party constituencies to continue writing letters demanding the special conference.

Both Maqelepo and Kibane received letters on November 28 last year inviting them to show cause why they should not be suspended pending their hearing.

They both responded on the following day refusing to attend.

Maqelepo, Kibane, Hilda Van Rooyen, and ’Mamoipone Senauoane are accused of supporting a move to remove Professor Mahao from his ministerial position last year.

They were part of the BAP members who asked Prime Minister Sam Matekane to fire Professor Mahao, who at the same time was pushing for the reshuffling of Tankiso Phapano, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy.

When Matekane ignored Professor Mahao’s demands, the latter withdrew the BAP from the coalition government much to the fierce resistance of the party’s four MPs.

Maqelepo started touting members from constituencies to call for a special conference to reverse Professor Mahao and the central executive committee’s decision.

The central executive committee issued a circular stopping Maqelepo’s rallies but he continued, with the support of the other MPs.

In the BAP caucus of six MPs, it is only Professor Mahao and ’Manyaneso Taole who are supporting the withdrawal from the government.

Nkheli Liphoto