MASERU, Lesotho
Lesotho's privately owned radio station 357 FM has been taken off the air and will only return to broadcasting on 10 January in what that country's Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) says is a gag on media freedom.
The station's suspension stems from failing to
comply with a directive from the Lesotho Communications Authority's (LCA)
Broadcasting Disputes and Resolution Panel.
Professor Nqosa Mahao, leader of the opposition
Basotho Action Party (BAP), filed the complaint, accusing the radio station of
waging a campaign of character assassination against him.
The height of 357 FM's troubles was on 14
November when police arrested and allegedly tried to suffocate Lebese Molati, a
current affairs presenter, over a statement he made during a broadcast about
missing police guns.
Molati told the Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) he feared for his life.
“I am not safe anymore. I was arrested and
detained. They did not charge me. They just told me they will come and arrest
me if they want.” He said.
It was widely reported in Lesotho's local media
that about 75 guns were stolen from the Mafeteng police station armoury – with
inside help from corrupt police officers.
Three police officers confessed to having
stolen some of the guns and selling them to an outfit called the Famo Gang.
Another journalist, Teboho Ratalane from
People's Choice FM (PCFM), a few days later found himself at the mercy of
police officers who raided the station also asking him about the 75 missing
police guns story.When asked, police said the raid was an "investigative
exercise".
“The arrest and alleged assault of a radio
presenter and the questioning of journalists over a story of public interest
relating to missing police guns, followed by the suspension of 357 FM's
licence, is extremely worrying and reinforces perceptions that press freedom
remains under threat in Lesotho.” Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa programme
coordinator said
Quintal said media pluralism was important
considering that Lesotho will be holding watershed elections in 2022.
As such, the government of Lesotho should
guarantee freedom of the press, a tenet of democracy, Quintal said.
"Instead of censoring the press and
demanding that journalists violate their ethics by disclosing their sources,
authorities should encourage a diversity of opinion and views so that citizens
can make informed decisions as the kingdom goes to the polls next year,"
she said.
After queries by the Committee to Protect
Journalists, the LCA said it used Sections 25(1) and 25(2) of the Lesotho
Telecommunications Authority (Broadcasting) Rules of 2004 to impose a
suspension on the radio station for refusing to abide by the directive.
The CPJ said 357 FM has since failed to get the
decision overturned.
"357 FM appealed to the Magistrate's
Court, which sent the case back to the regulator for determination," the
organisation said.
According to Reporters Without Borders, in
2018 Lesotho joined countries that declared the criminalisation of
defamation to be unconstitutional, but authorities have continued to increase
pressure on the media and journalists.
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