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js.id = id; The ICRC has published a useful new booklet on the use of weapons and … The weapons are for their personal protection outside their work," Lt Mothibi told this publication yesterday. “There is nothing wrong with officers acquiring private guns because they have been trained in their handling and they have also been vetted, hence we don’t think they could be used to destabilise the country in any way. THE Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is facilitating the acquisition of weapons by its soldiers for their private ownership.

"He in turn approached several countries to source the merchandise after satisfactory vetting that those who had applied are free from criminal records and can be entrusted with such weapons. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. Uganda: Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, World's Most Expensive Road? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 4.5K likes. This is a marked departure from the normal practice wherein soldiers wanting to buy private firearms apply for licences, just like any ordinary civilians, and then purchase the weapons in their private capacities once necessary approvals are granted and never through wholesale deals facilitated by the LDF. Apart from those SADC warnings, violent crime has been on the upward trend in Lesotho with numerous murders being reported in the last few months for which nobody has been held accountable. Highly placed sources have queried why the soldiers should get institutional assistance for purchasing private firearms particularly after the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had already issued warnings about the possible misuse of weapons by rogue soldiers who may want to destabilise the country.

"He found a supplier who also did his own vetting to make sure that the guns would not end up in the wrong hands.

I approached the LDF authorities and marketed my products. It’s understood the estranged wife of Prime Minister-elect Tom Thabane was one of two women shot in what seems like a random shooting. © 2020 - Lesotho Times. The Lesotho Defence Force operates a small fleet of helicopters mostly acquired from Airbus. He however, contradicted Lt Mothibi by saying that the first batch of guns should have been delivered in September 2019. Reports indicate that lawyers, media and politicians have all fled the kingdom. Meanwhile, the non-delivery of the guns six months after they began paying for them has left some of the soldiers fearing that they could be victims of a scam by the arms supplier. Even the Czech Republic, the country where the guns are being sourced from, is said to have delayed granting an export permit to Rugged Lava Arms & Ammunition, amid concerns about the instability in Lesotho. Two Lesotho soldiers were arrested a month ago, and their defence force said they had had little assistance to release the pair who were pursuing an alleged... Prime Minister Thomas Thabane says respect for civilian authority has been restored in his forces. Despite the warnings by SADC, it has emerged that the LDF had approved a deal for a local company, Rugged Lava Arms & Ammunition, to supply private guns to its soldiers for their personal use. He however, contradicted Lt Mothibi by saying that the first batch of guns should have been delivered in September 2019. Bongiwe Zihlangu BASOTHO National Party (BNP) leader, Thesele ‘Maseribane, says Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli has “emptied” the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) armory and taken the weapons to a military training camp in Setibing for reasons not yet known to the government.

"The vetting process to determine who is eligible to get a gun is done by the authorities together with the issuance of the licenses.

The weapons are for their personal protection outside their work,” Lt Mothibi told this publication yesterday. Political parties in the mountain kingdom failed to meet a Friday deadline for a fresh peace deal. Amid major concerns over Lesotho, the activation of the Africa standby force will be discussed at the AU. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us. Mine is just to supply the merchandise after having satisfied myself that all the procedures have been met.

Officials are optimistic that the climate for the holding of early elections remains on course. The SADC standby force, also known as the SADC Preventive Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL), was essentially deployed to prevent rogue soldiers from destabilising Dr Thabane’s coalition as it went about implementing SADC recommended multi-sector reforms to curb perennial instability in the country. js.src = "//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"; We could have got the guns from any other registered supplier but we were made to believe by our bosses that this is an authentic deal because this particular company is owned by one of the cabinet ministers.

a. for the defence of any person from violence or for the defence of property; ... Police Use of Force.
THE Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is facilitating the acquisition of weapons by its soldiers for their private ownership.

The LDF has gone out of its way to facilitate the purchase of private guns by its members by facilitating stop order payments to the favoured supplier after making all the necessary arrangements with that supplier. LDF Public Affairs Officer, Lieutenant Kelebone Mothibi, however said there was nothing wrong with soldiers acquiring private weapons for personal use. They came and did their own checks in the presence of the LDF authorities.

var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (!d.getElementById(id)) { Ramaphosa on the brink of Lesotho peace accord. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox. The alleged mercenaries have reportedly accessed a stash of weapons waiting for them in Lesotho.

The company, which has only been in business for a year, now stands accused by the soldiers of failing to deliver the guns almost six months after it started receiving payments through stop order deductions from the soldiers' salaries. Chief Chronicler at Sarah Lesedi blog. Keiso Mohloboli. He was replaced by Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, 46. "The company (Rugged Lava Arms & Ammunition) belongs to one Mr Peete Sekhonyana and he is the one who approached the LDF authorities with this arrangement (to supply guns) which was accepted. But the development has stirred serious concerns in light of the current proliferation of weapons being used in numerous murders in the country for which nobody has been held accountable. The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) has a history of interfering in political affairs and therefore in the mid-1990s the Ministry of Defence was created to transform the Lesotho Defence Force into an apolitical, accountable, capable and affordable defence force. On his part, Mr Sekhonyana denied claims that he was merely a front in the company which some say is owned by a cabinet minister (name supplied) from one of the coalition parties. But Lt Mothibi said the deal was still on and Mr Sekhonyana would deliver the weapons beginning next month. On December 2018, the LDF Air Wing commissioned a new Airbus Helicopters H125 transport and utility helicopter nicknamed Mokhele (LDF 23). Lesotho officials hiding in SA say they will not return home until the situation is stablised. In terms of the deal between the soldiers and Rugged Lava, owned by one Peete Sekhonyana, the payments are deducted from the soldiers’ salaries over a three year period and the amounts deducted vary depending on the model of the guns ordered. LDF Public Affairs Officer, Lieutenant Kelebone Mothibi, however said there was nothing wrong with soldiers acquiring private weapons for personal use. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC.