By MISA Lesotho editorial team
Thaba-TSEKA – A fact-finding mission led by MISA Lesotho has uncovered deep-rooted governance failures and internal power struggles behind the prolonged closure of Motjoli FM, Thaba-Tseka’s only community radio station.
At a weekend mediation meeting organized by MISA Lesotho, District Administrator (DA) Tlali Mphafi issued a stark ultimatum: “If we fail this time to expedite reopening of this radio station, I promise to write a letter of recommendation to the LCA to privatise it.”
Members of Motjoli FM board disclosed that the station’s original 13-member board of governors, elected by the community in 2012 to oversee operations, refused to relinquish power after their constitutionally mandated three-year term expired in 2015. Despite repeated calls for elections, the board clung to authority for nearly a decade, delaying license renewals and exacerbating financial mismanagement.
The board previous board is accused of misusing funds and failing to pay the LCA’s required 10-year license renewal fee, which led to the station’s abrupt closure in December 2023.
The chairman of the current board, Mr Thabo Ntoa has narrated how their predecessors abused their power. He commended MISA Lesotho and anticipated progress from the intervention, “MISA’s involvement has strengthened our resolve,” he said, acknowledging the NGO’s role in breaking the deadlock.
DA Mphafi warned that Motjoli FM’s silence has left Thaba-Tseka’s residents dangerously uninformed, quoting Proverbs 29:18: “A nation without knowledge perishes.” He praised MISA Lesotho’s intervention as a critical step toward reopening the station but cautioned that privatization remains an option if governance reforms stall.
Motjoli FM, Thaba-Tseka’s sole community radio station, lost its broadcasting rights after the LCA revoked its license over unpaid fees. Previous attempts by the DA to resolve the issue with the station’s management and regulators collapsed amid finger-pointing and bureaucratic delays.
It is required by the LCA that radio stations pay for renewal of their broadcasting licenses every 10 years. Frantic efforts initiated in the recent past by the DA with the radio station’s management and relevant authorities, including the LCA and the district police commander, have all failed fruition.
Addressing stakeholders gathered for a two-day fact-finding mission organised by MISA Lesotho in Thaba-Tseka last Saturday and Sunday, Mr Mphafi said:
“If our concerted efforts to solve this matter and reach a lasting solution fail this time, in the presence of MISA Lesotho, I will give up,” the DA said.
However, Mr Mphafi has hope that the current challenges can be put to rest , “The situation at Motjoli FM is critical but rectifiable with the right approach”
When Motjoli FM started operations in 2012, it was being nurtured by a 13-member board of governors elected by the community as an oversight structure for the radio station’s operations, on behalf of the rest of the Thaba-Tseka community.
In line with good corporate governance, and as the constitution provides, the board of governors ought to have relinquished power and organised an elective annual general meeting for election of a new board around 2015.
With several varying excuses by the then board of governors, the new board had not been elected until 2024.
Meanwhile, MISA Lesotho has learnt further about how the current board is also polarized.
The chairman of the current board, Mr Thabo Ntoa, has narrated how the previous board abused their power while in office, during their term. He commended MISA Lesotho for their mediation and anticipated progress from the meeting.
The mediation forms part of MISA Lesotho’s ongoing project, “Bridging the information gap in areas where mainstream media does not reach,” which aims to empower community radios through capacity-building and advocacy.
At MISA Lesotho, we remain committed to a pluralistic media landscape in Lesotho, Community radios like Motjoli FM are lifelines for civic education and transparency.
