Event Summary
On 29 August 2025, journalist Mohalenyane Phakela, editor of the Lesotho Times and Sunday Express, was arbitrarily arrested and detained by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) after reporting on a corruption scandal involving the Lesotho Correctional Service Commissioner, Mating Nkakala — who had recently been recommended for dismissal by a state Commission of Inquiry as an “incompetent political appointee”. Phakela was lured to DCEO offices under false pretenses, interrogated without charge, pressed to reveal sources, and had his phones seized and searched without a warrant. When he requested legal counsel, he was told he would be detained over the weekend as punishment. He was released only following strong domestic and international pressure.
Phakela has a documented track record of exposing high-level corruption, underscoring clear risks of retaliation: recent investigations include the ballooning Royal Palace project costs (now projected to exceed M500 million), the M109 million fraud at the Ministry of Agriculture, and allegations connected to a M40 million case involving senior figures.
This case represents a serious violation of media freedom and due process in Lesotho, reflecting a broader pattern of pressure against journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists has described the incident as “an attack on the right of every Mosotho to know the truth”. A UN report has also highlighted systemic weaknesses in the DCEO, including political interference and lack of independence.
Taken together, the arrest, incommunicado interrogation, warrantless device search, and threats of punitive detention represent a serious deterioration of the enabling environment—notably freedom of the press and expression, source protection, and due process—with a chilling effect on investigative journalism and public accountability in Lesotho.