Lesotho Police Commissioner
By Lerato Mpembe
Maseru – Lesotho Commissioner of Police Borotho Matsoso warned that a group called Malata Naha is recruiting and giving military training to Basotho youths on South African farms, alleging terrorism, in a stark alert that points to rising fears of rebellion and threats to peace in the kingdom.
Security Chiefs Sound the Alarm on Growing Threat
In a joint press briefing held at police headquarters in Maseru on Friday, top officials from the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), and other security bodies came together to raise serious concerns about what they called an insurgency. They pointed fingers at Malata Naha, which means “land reclaimers” in Sesotho, saying the group is pulling in young Basotho and putting them through military drills on farms across the border in South Africa. The officials claimed this is backed by outside forces and involves spreading false information to trick youths into joining, along with acts of human trafficking and terrorism.
Commissioner Borotho Matsoso, speaking on behalf of the group, said the actions show “clear signs of rebellion against the government of Lesotho.” He added, “These activities not only violate our national laws but threaten to destabilise peace, security, and diplomatic relations with neighbouring countries, especially South Africa.” He noted that Lesotho is working hand-in-hand with South African officials to look into the matter, but did not share more details or proof during the briefing. The security heads also said they are checking out big names like members of parliament and church leaders for possibly helping the group’s efforts, though no hard facts were given. They pointed out that Malata Naha has been rude and mocking towards the royal family, including King Letsie III, using bad words in public.
Link to Recent Arrest of MP Tšepo Lipholo
This warning comes soon after the arrest of Tšepo Lipholo, a member of parliament and head of the Basotho Covenant Movement, on 2 July. Lipholo faces charges of sedition, stirring up trouble, and showing disrespect linked to his words about the royal family. He is still in jail, and the government is fighting his bail request in the High Court of Lesotho. His party pushes for taking back lands that Lesotho says were taken away, like the Free State and bits of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, and the Northern Cape.
Prime Minister Samuel Matekane backed the arrest in a statement, saying, “This situation has resulted in the arrest of the Honourable Dr Lipholo, a Member of the 11th Parliament. The public is informed that police investigations related to actions by the Honourable Member and others are ongoing and will be brought before a court of law.” He made it clear, “Let me be clear… There is nothing wrong with the desire to reclaim what Basotho believes is theirs. However, when actors hijack such a cause by inciting violence and breaking the law, the cause loses its noble nature.” Matekane added that people have talked about this wish before, especially in chats about changing the constitution, and the government will deal with it at the right time with leaders and the public. He called on everyone to turn away from “reckless actions that undermine peace, stability, and development.”
Lipholo has said he did not set up any armed group and claims the police messed with his phone to make fake sound clips that seem to call for training in the mountains. In court papers, he argued his jail time is meant to stop his push for Basotholand and that his words about King Letsie III came from a wrong report about Lesotho joining South Africa.
Opposition Calls Claims a Trick
Not all agree with what the security bosses said. Machesetsa Mofomobe, an opposition MP and leader of the Basotho National Party, called the warnings a “ruse” and said the security heads are “out of control” and fooling people. He backs Lipholo’s goal to get back lost lands and questioned why South Africa has not spoken up or caught anyone if the camps are real. Mofomobe said, “If there was indeed a group training terrorists in South Africa, the South Africans ‘would have issued a statement and arrested people, but it is quiet.’” He added, “Instead, this is picked up by Lesotho saying that people are training in the country that they intend to attack, and South Africa is doing nothing about it!” He blamed the security groups for playing politics and turning into helpers for the government.
Background on Malata Naha and Land Claims
Malata Naha is seen as a group focused on getting back land, but the security claims paint it as dangerous with ties to outside help and wrong ways to draw in youths. The Basotho Covenant Movement, under Lipholo, is a party fighting for these old lands that Lesotho lost in colonial times through deals like the 1869 Treaty of Aliwal North, which cut the kingdom’s size in half. This push for land has been around for a long time and came up in talks about changing the constitution.
Lesotho, a small kingdom inside South Africa, has seen shaky politics before, with army takeovers in 1986 and 1994, and a try in 2014. More than half its people live in poverty, and joblessness pushes many youths to look for hope in groups like this.
What This Means for Lesotho and South Africa
The claims could hurt ties between Lesotho and South Africa, which share a lot, like water from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and help on safety. South Africa has not said anything yet about the camps, and no one has been caught there. Past troubles, like the 1998 mess and 2014 coup try, brought in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to help calm things. A recent case where two South African soldiers were held in Maseru for crossing the border without papers shows how touchy things can be.
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