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PARLIAMENT is expected to pass two bills that will ensure that the anti-corruption watchdog and the Ombudsman have operational autonomy. The two bills are being read for the last time in parliament before passing them to the Senate for review in preparation for royal assent. The bills are part of the Omnibus Bill which is …

THE days of civil servants closing shop during lunch hour are set for an end after the government issued a new directive this week. The government secretary, Teboho ’Mokela, announced in a savingram released yesterday that all civil servants must now alternate their lunch breaks to ensure continuous service throughout the day.

A Chinese man and two police constables are behind bars for abducting a South African man and stealing his truck together with its cargo worth millions.

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Lejone Mpotjoane (Pictured) has dispatched some officials from his ministry to investigate the violence that broke out against Basotho illegal immigrants in Orkney, South Africa, last week.

AN amendment that can potentially ‘damage’, ‘emasculate’, ‘destroy’, ‘change’ or alter the basic structure of the constitution should be judiciously struck off. This is according to the Court of Appeal judge, Justice Phillip Musonda, in a majority judgement striking down the ninth amendment to the constitution. Justice Musonda agreed with the court’s president, Justice Kananelo …

IN a dissenting judgement, the Court of Appeal’s Justice Van Der Westhuizen says the ninth amendment did not violate the basic structure of the constitution and should therefore not have been struck down by the Constitutional Court. Justice Van Der Westhuizen was dissenting to the Court of Appeal judgement that dismissed the opposition’s appeal against …

IN concurring with the Court of Appeal’s majority judgement, Justice Petrus Damaseb said he was concerned that the Ninth Amendment gives the MPs too much power. Justice Damaseb said he supported striking down the amendment because it meant that once the MPs have made their decision to oust a sitting prime minister, “both he and …

THE Court of Appeal has ruled that the Ninth Amendment “seriously undermined the principles of democracy” and violates the basic structure of the constitution. The amendment, which removed the prime minister’s power to advise the king to dissolve parliament in the face of a vote of no confidence, was passed during the last parliament. Its …

THE World Food Programme (WFP) Lesotho yesterday received a M25 million grant from Japan to support the Lesotho’s school feeding programme. The donation is set to assist 50 000 students for the next 180 days. Japanese Ambassador Shigeru Ushio said the government of Japan had decided to provide essential food items that include 100 tons …

ABOUT 700 000 people will need food aid or they will starve, according to the Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Report which was released yesterday. Of these 400 000 are said to be individuals in rural areas while more than 290 000 are in urban areas. The report says the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute …