South Africa silent on Lesotho rebel army allegations

Lesotho Commissioner of Police Borotho Matsoso at the extraordinary media briefing last week alleging there were illegal military camps on farms in South Africa. Photo from Lesotho Mounted Police Service Facebook page.

Following an extraordinary press briefing by the security chiefs of Lesotho that a rebel army was being trained on farms in South Africa, the SA Department of International Relations and Cooperation has declined to comment.

Last Friday, Lesotho’s top security officials warned that a group called Malata Naha is recruiting and providing military training to Basotho youths. Lesotho’s Commissioner of Police Borotho Matsoso told local media that the country is working closely with South African authorities.

But officials from South Africa have yet to make any public statement in response to these claims.

On Wednesday, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, initially told GroundUp he would look into the issue and requested our publication deadline. However, he changed his position on Thursday, stating: “We prefer to engage our sister nation through diplomatic channels rather than through the media.”

Commissioner Matsoso doubled down on the claims and told Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday night that most of these camps are located in the Free State. “There has been an attempt to establish a similar camp in the Eastern Cape but that one was not successful,” he said.

When GroundUp approached Matsoso for further information, he said, “Just give us two weeks to finalise our investigations with the concerned parties, including witnesses.”

On Thursday, Lesotho newspaper The Post quoted Hawks national spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo as saying that they “have noted the media report and are establishing a team to look into the matter”.

National spokesperson for SAPS Brigadier Athlenda Mathe also promised to check whether there had been any arrests or collaboration with Lesotho about these allegations, but she provided no further feedback.

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