(MISA/IFEX) – The weekly Sesotho-language tabloid “Mololi”, a publication of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) political party, has been served with a court summons by Lehlohonolo T’sehlana, a member of parliament (MP) for Mokhotlong Constituency No. 79. T’sehlana has accused the newspaper of defamation and is demanding 350,000 maloti (approx. US$54,000). The civil […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The weekly Sesotho-language tabloid “Mololi”, a publication of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) political party, has been served with a court summons by Lehlohonolo T’sehlana, a member of parliament (MP) for Mokhotlong Constituency No. 79. T’sehlana has accused the newspaper of defamation and is demanding 350,000 maloti (approx. US$54,000).
The civil litigation was launched in relation to an article that appeared in the 19 February 2004 edition of “Mololi”, under the heading, “Tlhase e nyenyane e chesa hlaha”, which roughly translates to “A small spark causes fire outbreak”.
The article alleged that on two occasions the MP had shown disrespect to the speaker of Parliament, disregarded and acted against the LCD constitution and that he had no respect for the elderly and other members of the ruling party. In his legal submission, T’sehlana has categorically denied all the allegations featured in the article, which he deems defamatory. As a result, he is suing the publication, its editor and the author of the article in question.
T’sehlana is currently involved in a dispute with the ruling party, of which he was a member until his dismissal from the party ranks in mid February. At that time, he appeared before the party’s disciplinary committee on charges of, among other things, defaming the party’s leadership and non adherence to the party constitution. According to the MP, he has resorted to civil litigation following “Mololi”‘s refusal to publish a retraction of the statements that appeared in the 19 February edition.
