LESOTHO: CONTROVERSIAL RADIO PRESENTER DEPORTED AGAIN

UNCLAS MASERU 000577 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S; E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM LT SUBJECT: LESOTHO: CONTROVERSIAL RADIO PRESENTER DEPORTED AGAIN REF: Maseru 339 ¶1. SUMMARY: On October 16, listeners to Maseru's popular local radio station Harvest FM were surprised to hear a familiar voice on the airwaves -- the voice of Reverend Adam Lekhoaba, a controversial presenter deported as an illegal alien in May ¶2007. As Lekhoaba's claim of Lesotho citizenship continues to slowly wind through Lesotho's High Court, Reverend Lekhoaba crossed into Lesotho and retook his seat at the microphone. However, by 7:30 a.m., he was taken into police custody and by lunchtime he had again been deported. The latest chapter in the GOL's struggle with Harvest FM and Lekhoaba is certain to cement the Reverend's reputation as an icon of the Lesotho's political opposition. END SUMMARY. -------------- The Reverend's Return -------------- ¶2. On the morning of October 16, the Reverend Adam Lekhoaba, a controversial radio show host for the equally controversial private radio station Harvest FM, reentered Lesotho following his May 2007 deportation to South Africa after being accused of being an illegally present foreign citizen by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Safety. Lekhoaba, who has consistently claimed Lesotho as his country of birth and citizenship, filed a citizenship claim with the nation's High Court in June 2007. During this case, the court heard evidence from a court-appointed investigator that Lekhoaba was in fact born in Lesotho. The judge put the case in recess in August 2007, and a verdict has been expected for the past two months. ¶3. In the early morning hours of October 16, Lekhoaba called Harvest FM from South Africa and indicated that he was "coming home to Lesotho" because it had taken too long for a judgment to be made on his case. Lekhoaba entered Lesotho through the Maseru Border Post, and immigration officials stamped his passport for a 30-day stay. He then proceeded to Harvest FM and began hosting the popular current affairs program, "Rise and Shine." Shortly before the 7:30 a.m. news, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service led by Assistant Commissioner of Police for Operations Keketso Kholokholo arrived at Harvest FM's studios and ordered the presenter to accompany them to police headquarters. -------------- A Second Deportation -------------- ¶4. After Lekhoaba was taken to the police station, Assistant Commissioner of Police for Crime John Selete and Police Spokesperson Inspector Pheello Mphana informed Harvest FM journalist Thabo Thakalekoala (a recent International Visitor Leadership Program participant) that Lekhoaba was a "prohibited immigrant" and the that police were attempting to ascertain how he entered Lesotho. Lekhoaba was subsequently escorted to the South African border and deported. At the border, bystanders heard Lekhoaba loudly make excoriating statements about his treatment and his right to Lesotho citizenship. -------------- An Opposition Icon? -------------- ¶5. COMMENT: The October 16 re-deportation of Lekhoaba is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the GOL-Harvest FM feud. While Lekhoaba's case has been a cause celebre in Lesotho's opposition circles for some time, today's events are likely to cement his status as a local opposition icon. Local sources state that the fact that he entered Lesotho legally at Maseru Border Post infuriated local authorities. The verdict in his citizenship case is set to be delivered on October 26, 2007. END COMMENT. ANDERSON