Accused of broadcasting defamatory remarks, Lesotho’s popular but controversial Harvest FM radio station based in the Lesotho capital of Maseru has been suspended for three months, APA learned on Tuesday.
Harvest Managing Director ‘Malichaba Lekhoaba told APA that the board of the Lesotho Telecommunications Authority (LTA) wrote a letter to the station on Monday, ordering the management to close the station down at Monday midnight for a period of three months.
Lekhoaba said the LTA cited complaints of defamation by the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Ts’eliso ‘Mokela, and the Commissioner of Police, ‘Malejaka Letooane, was the main reason for the closure.
She said the two officials complained that they were defamed by guests at the radio station during a discussion, and this left the board with no option but to suspend the privately-owned station for three months.
Harvest Radio, which has been operating for five years, has been a major critic of the government since the disputed February 2007 general elections.
Lekhoaba told APA that the radio would appeal the decision.
Source African Press Agency
This story is lacks a lot of vital information. It does not show that the radio station’s licence was suspended for failing to cooperate with the regulator after the regulator has repeatedly refused to supply information to the regulator so that the regulator may adjudicate complaints against the broadcaster. The broadcaster had failed to handle the complaints. The complaints have nothing to do with 2007 elections.
Thank you for the extra details. For people needing more information about broadcasting in Lesotho please contact the Lesotho Communications Authority at:
http://www.lca.org.ls/index.html