Lesotho

(MISA/IFEX) – The editor of “MoAfrika” magazine, Candi Ramainoane, has lost an appeal in the Lesotho Court of Appeal against a High Court award of damages for defamation totalling more than 100,000 ZARands (US$13,210) to a member of the Lesotho Parliament. The High Court had awarded R99,000 (US$13,078) as compensatory damages and R15,000 (US$1,982) as […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The editor of “MoAfrika” weekly magazine, Candy Ramainoane, fears that his publication will be plunged into an uncertain future if the sheriff of the court executes another writ allowing for the paper’s assets to be attached in lieu of a defamation judgement against him in December last year. According to Ramainoane, his office […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The editor of “MoAfrika” news magazine, Candi Ramainoane, has failed to get the Lesotho High Court to cancel a writ of execution allowing for his assets to be attached in lieu of the defamation judgement against him in December 1999. The failure of the court to stop the writ is highly questionable since […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 16 May 2000 CPJ press release: LESOTHO: Independent radio station harassed over coverage of anti-government strike New York, May 16, 2000 — Journalist Candi Ratabane Ramainoane, manager of the Maseru-based independent radio station Moafrika FM, received a hand-delivered summons to appear at the Ministry of Communication with a copy […]

On 22 December 1999, the editor of “MoAfrika” news magazine, Candi Ramainoane, was found liable for defamation in a ruling made by Lesotho’s High Court. Ramainoane was sued in a civil action brought against him by a current member of parliament, Moeketsi Sello, following an anonymous letter-to-the-editor published in the September 1996 edition of “MoAfrika”. […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 2 March 1999, the editor of “MoAfrika” news magazine, Candi Ramainoane, was denied entrance to an ongoing court-martial being held in the Lesotho capital, Maseru. This was the second time in about as many months that Ramainoane was denied access to the court-martial in which forty nine soldiers were facing charges of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Lesotho is currently examining evidence with a view to possibly charging the editor of “MoAfrika” magazine, Candi Ramainoane, following the publication of several articles criticising a court martial underway in the country. **Updates IFEX alerts of 27 January and 21 January 1999** The matter was referred […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The editor of “MoAfrika” newspaper, Candi Ramainoane, has been called upon to appear, with his lawyer, before Advocate Justice Cullinan on charges of contempt of court regarding an article published in the 22 January 1999 issue of the newspaper. Justice Cullinan is presiding over the court-martial at which forty nine soldiers are facing […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 January 1999, the editor of “MoAfrika” newspaper, Candi Ramainoane, was denied access to a court martial case in which fifty Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) soldiers are being tried for mutiny. Ramainoane told the Media Institute of Lesotho (MILES) that at about 9 a.m. (local time), the time when journalists are permitted […]

(MISA/IFEX) – South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers have again targeted freelance journalist and columnist with the “Public Eye” newspaper, Naleli Ntlama, for alleged harassment. On 26 November 1998, SANDF soldiers were seen at Ntlama’s house. The journalist was absent from his home at the time. The soldiers left a message with Ntlama’s neighbours […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 10 November 1998, the office of the weekly newspaper, “MoAfrika”, was broken into. A senior reporter at the paper, Rabuka Chalatse, arrived at the office to begin the day’s work and found the doors and desk drawers wide open. The administrative secretary arrived shortly thereafter and discovered that money which had been […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 3 November 1998, Naleli Ntlamahad, regular columnist of the “Public Eye” newspaper, had his house attacked and broken into by soldiers belonging to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The soldiers entered Lesotho in September this year, ostensibly on a peace-keeping mission. **Updates IFEX alerts of 3 November and 1 October […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The independent press in Lesotho continues to suffer as a result of the crisis which engulfed the country in September 1998. However, they have not been cowered into silence and continue to publish despite many obstacles. **For background to the independent media’s recent troubles in Lesotho, see IFEX alerts of 13 October, 1 […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, on 7 October 1998 the Minister of Communications, ‘Nyane Mphafi, instructed state-employed journalists who “were seen at opposition demonstrations” to write letters of resignation or face summary dismissal. Journalists were called to a meeting by the minister, who informed them that there was a black list of those who took […]

(MISA/IFEX) – According to MISA, most of the independent newspapers in Lesotho have suffered heavy losses following the political turmoil which gripped the country earlier this month. Newspapers were affected by property destruction, looting and/or theft in the capital city, Maseru. Two weekly newspapers, “The Southern Star” and “MoAfrika”, suffered the worst losses when, after […]

(FXI/IFEX) – FXI calls on all journalists’ associations and unions to take action to ensure the safety of journalists reporting on the situation in Lesotho. Journalists were harrassed and some wounded during the rampage that recently occurred in the country. On 22 September 1998, Johannes Sefatsa, a cameraman for the South African Broadcasting Corporation was […]