Lesotho

Three European companies were found guilty of fraud in a major development project in southern Africa by a Lesotho judiciary. The companies were fined a total of $5.6 million (€4.4 million) on Wednesday. Investigations of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) contributed to the court’s decision which found a French, Italian and German company guilty of fraud and bribery.

Imperial Fleet Services (IFS), a wholly owned subsidiary of South African corporate giant Imperial, is embroiled in a scandal concerning the Lesotho government fleet contract which has rocked the mountain kingdom. In terms of a deal the Lesotho government cut with IFS Lesotho, senior government officials, including ministers, judges and parliamentary officers, can buy three-year-old government vehicles at 1% of their original value.

Lesotho, the tiny mountain kingdom, punches above its weight. This is not reflected in a bossy attitude; rather it has done what is seldom expected of relatively weak African states — it has tackled corruption in the multibillion rand Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme head on, prosecuting corrupt officials and bribe-paying corporations.

Lesotho’s single largest employer, the textile industry, has made a remarkable comeback, setting an example for the region and giving thousands back their jobs. “All the factories that were closed have been reopened - the number of jobs that had shrunk from just more than 50 000 to less than 40 000 have now climbed back to about 47 000,” Andy Salm, regional textile and apparel specialist at ComMark Trust, an NGO that monitors the industry in Southern Africa, told Irin.

Lesotho’s communications ministry has dismissed calls by the Lesotho chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa for the transformation of the national broadcaster into a public broadcaster, writes Mzimkhulu Sithetho. In a position paper on the transformation model, Misa Lesotho (Miles) says Radio Lesotho and Lesotho Television should be governed by a board independent of government interference, reports Journalism.co.za.

Pages