Police Commissioner in Lesotho Reinstates Deputy After Suspension A spirited attempt by Lesotho's Police Commissioner, Advocate Borotho...
Police Commissioner in Lesotho Reinstates Deputy After Suspension
A spirited attempt by Lesotho's Police Commissioner, Advocate Borotho Matsoso, to remove his deputy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Paseka Mokete, has been thwarted. DCP Mokete has been reinstated as the Head of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) after a brief suspension.
DCP Mokete's suspension, which occurred on a Monday morning, was allegedly initiated by Advocate Matsoso to shield himself and his allies from potential legal action. However, the suspension was lifted within 48 hours, reportedly at the direction of the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Lebona Lephema.
"I received a letter on Tuesday night lifting the suspension," DCP Mokete confirmed, "so I got back into office this morning (yesterday)."
The events leading up to the suspension reveal a complex web of accusations and counter-accusations, pointing to significant internal strife within the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS).
A Brewing Conflict
According to sources within Police Headquarters, the relationship between the two senior officers had been deteriorating for several months. The tension reportedly began after Mr. Lephema appointed DCP Mokete as Head of the CID in April 2025, a decision that allegedly displeased Advocate Matsoso.
DCP Mokete then allegedly incurred the wrath of Advocate Matsoso after submitting a report to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO), implicating the Commissioner in the alleged misappropriation of M60,000 intended for police informants.
Furthermore, DCP Mokete is said to have angered Advocate Matsoso by actively pursuing cases involving prominent figures, including the illegal entry of refugees allegedly facilitated by former Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister and Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Machesetsa Mofomobe and Director of Migration Mantšebo Motšoanakaba.
Additional allegations suggest that Advocate Matsoso has been protecting corrupt officers within the Robbery and Car Theft Squad (RCTS), who are reportedly accepting bribes to release seized vehicles. This issue, along with disagreements over the illegal renewal of firearm licenses, further fueled the conflict between the two men.
The Official Reason: Insubordination
The Commissioner formally suspended DCP Mokete on October 13, 2025, citing insubordination. The alleged act of insubordination stemmed from DCP Mokete's purported failure to execute an order to arrest youth activist Tšolo "Tjeka Tjeka" Thakeli and prevent him from attending Prime Minister Sam Matekane's National Youth Employment Dialogue on June 15, 2025.
Tjekatjeka was arrested on June 15, 2025, a day after posting a Facebook video questioning Prime Minister Sam Matekane's promise to create 62,000 jobs by July 1, 2025. In the video, he argued that the 2025/26 national budget did not allocate funds for such a program, accusing Mr. Matekane's administration of exacerbating youth unemployment, tolerating widespread corruption, and allowing electricity costs to escalate. He also criticized the government for failing to fulfill its socio-economic promises.
However, Tjekatjeka was released the same day after the Magistrates' Court questioned the indictment, noting its failure to specify where the alleged offense had occurred. He was later formally charged and released on M600 bail by the Berea Magistrates' Court on June 19, 2025.
Upon his initial release on June 15, Tjekatjeka attended a youth summit at the Convention Centre, where he received a standing ovation from the assembled youth. This public reception is believed to have angered Advocate Matsoso, leading to the charges against DCP Mokete.
The Show Cause Letter and Response
In a show cause letter dated September 19, 2025, Advocate Matsoso accused DCP Mokete of deliberately disobeying orders related to the arrest and restriction of Tjeka Tjeka. The letter stated that DCP Mokete was instructed to call Tšolo Thakeli for questioning regarding "disturbing utterances" made on social media about the Prime Minister and to prevent him from attending or disrupting the National Youth Employment Dialogue. Advocate Matsoso expressed surprise that Tjeka Tjeka was released without his knowledge and allowed to attend the dialogue.
The letter also questioned DCP Mokete's "loyalty" after a local media outlet, Lesotho Tribune, quoted him allegedly admitting to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between LMPS and Mergence Investment Managers "without knowing its contents." The Lesotho Tribune reported on September 14, 2025, that the police had entered into a deal with Mergence to use police-owned land to develop a shopping complex, without proper authorization or legal clearance.
DCP Mokete responded to these allegations in a letter dated September 25, 2025, dismissing the Commissioner's claims as "legally baseless" and motivated by personal vendettas. He argued that there was no legal basis for the show cause letter and that he had not defied any lawful order. He stated that he had delegated the arrest instruction of Tjeka Tjeka to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Tebello Tšephe, who later denied receiving it.
Regarding the Mergence MoU issue, DCP Mokete denied being the team leader at the time of signing, stating that he had been replaced by DCP (Sera) Makharilele. He clarified that he was only called to witness the signing and that there was no obligation attached to a witness in an MoU.
He further alleged that his suspension was "retaliatory," linking it to sensitive investigations he was pursuing, including:
- A report submitted to the DCEO
- His re-deployment back to CID
- A criminal case involving immigration issues
- A matter involving Platinum
- A firearms scandal
- Stock Theft Act violations
- Corruption by RCTS police officers
The Suspension and Reinstatement
Despite DCP Mokete's detailed defense, Advocate Matsoso proceeded with the suspension on October 13, 2025, accusing him of insubordination and bringing the police service into disrepute. The Commissioner stated that DCP Mokete's explanation downplayed the seriousness of obedience to instructions in the police service.
DCP Mokete was suspended with full benefits, ordered to hand over duties to ACP Tšephe, surrender his official vehicle, refrain from media interviews, and seek permission before leaving Lesotho.
However, within two days, Mr. Lephema intervened, instructing the Commissioner to lift the suspension and reinstate DCP Mokete pending further consultations.
Fallout and Future
While DCP Mokete has been reinstated, sources say the relationship between the top brass remains "strained and unworkable." The unfolding standoff has reportedly thrown the police force into turmoil, exposing deep internal divisions at its highest level.
Advocate Matsoso was appointed Commissioner by Prime Minister Sam Matekane in May 2024 on a three-year contract ending May 2027. The ongoing feud between him and DCP Mokete could "paralyse the functioning of the LMPS" and further erode public confidence in the force's integrity.
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