LESOTHO: Lesotho Times editor transferred to SA hospital amid fears for his safety

Maseru - Zimbabwean-born editor of the Lesotho Times newspaper, Lloyd Mutungamiri, has been transferred to a South African hospital in Bloemfontein  as fears about his safety mount, reports said on Friday.

 

According to the state owned Herald newspaper, the veteran journalist was moved from the Queen Mamohato memorial hospital in Maseru to an unidentified hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa. 

This came after reports early this week indicated that the veteran journalist was in a critical condition at the hospital after he was attacked on Saturday night in the driveway of his Maseru home.

According to Nehanda Radio,  Mutungamiri was reportedly under a 24 hour police surveillance, as fears about his safety mounted. 

His wife accused the country's military for the assassination attempt.

She said that she was convinced that the attempted murder of her husband was linked to a recent story that his newspaper published.

The newspaper published a story recently in which it revealed secret negotiations about an exit package for Lesotho’s army commander Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli.

The report claimed that the army chief was not happy over the story as it suggested that he was demanding more than R40m for his exit.

Following calls for a thorough investigation by regional media organisation, and the human rights group, Amnesty International, police in Lesotho launched a probe into the attempted murder.

News24