Tag: Press Release

The Centre for Development in Social Justice (CDSJ) strongly condemns the reported abduction, assault and torture of journalist, activist and human-rights defender Mr Kananelo Boloetse on Saturday, 5 September 2026.

According to information presently in the public domain, Mr Boloetse was reportedly taken from his residence in Maseru by unidentified armed men, subjected to serious physical assault and later abandoned in the Thaba-Bosiu area before receiving medical treatment and reporting the matter to the Lesotho Mounted Police Service.

Solidarity and a wider democratic concern

CDSJ extends its solidarity to Mr Boloetse, his family, colleagues in the media, fellow human-rights defenders and the broader community of people and organisations working to advance democracy, accountability and social justice in Lesotho.

An attack of this nature cannot be viewed simply as a private act of violence against one individual. Where a journalist, activist or public-interest advocate is abducted and tortured, the consequences extend beyond the immediate victim. Such incidents can create fear among journalists, civil-society organisations, researchers, lawyers, activists, whistleblowers and ordinary citizens who rely on democratic freedoms to participate meaningfully in the life of the country.

Mr Boloetse has been publicly engaged in journalism, advocacy, constitutional litigation and wider debates on governance and accountability. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with his views, protecting his right to express himself, investigate matters of public interest, organise, litigate and participate in national debate ultimately protects the democratic rights enjoyed by every Mosotho.

Civic and media space is democratic infrastructure

CDSJ is deeply concerned about the broader condition of Lesotho’s civic and media space and believes this incident should prompt national reflection on how democratic actors are protected.

Lesotho has long benefited from an active civil society, an engaged media, an independent legal profession, community organisations, human-rights defenders and citizens willing to question decisions affecting their lives. These actors do not exist outside the democratic system, nor should they be understood as opponents of the State. They form part of the democratic infrastructure of the Kingdom of Lesotho and contribute to transparency, accountability, public participation, development and stronger public institutions.

The present moment should not deepen divisions between Government, civil society, the media and other democratic actors. It should become an opportunity to strengthen the partnership necessary to protect Lesotho’s democracy. The defence of constitutional democracy requires cooperation among State institutions, Parliament, the judiciary, law-enforcement agencies, political leaders, civil-society organisations, media institutions, professional bodies, communities and citizens.

Government’s responsibility and an investigation led by evidence

Government carries an important constitutional responsibility to ensure that every person in Lesotho can exercise fundamental freedoms in safety. This becomes especially important where journalists, activists and human-rights defenders face threats, intimidation or violence connected, or perceived to be connected, with their democratic work.

The strongest response would be a transparent, credible and professional investigation that establishes what happened, identifies those responsible and demonstrates that violence against people exercising legitimate democratic freedoms will not be tolerated, regardless of who the perpetrators may ultimately prove to be.

CDSJ deliberately refrains from drawing conclusions that properly belong to a competent investigation. At the same time, the seriousness of the circumstances requires all credible allegations, possible motives and relevant lines of inquiry to be examined thoroughly and independently. Democratic confidence is strengthened when institutions follow the evidence wherever it leads, without political favour, institutional protection or predetermined conclusions.

We place our confidence in the ability of the Government of Lesotho, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service and other responsible institutions to exercise the diligence, independence and professionalism this matter requires. We encourage Government to treat this moment not only as a criminal investigation, but also as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to an open democratic society in which journalists, activists, human-rights defenders and civil-society organisations can carry out their work without fear.

From response to lasting protection

CDSJ respectfully calls for a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the abduction and torture of Mr Boloetse, appropriate measures to ensure his continued safety where necessary, and accountability for every person who may ultimately be found to have planned, facilitated, financed or carried out the attack.

We further encourage regular and responsible communication with the public on the progress of the investigation, to the extent possible without compromising its integrity. Public confidence will depend not only on the outcome, but also on confidence in the process through which that outcome is reached.

Beyond the immediate investigation, Lesotho should strengthen practical mechanisms for protecting journalists, activists and human-rights defenders. This should include sustained dialogue among Government, civil society, media organisations, security institutions and other relevant stakeholders on how threats can be reported, assessed and addressed before they escalate. Such engagement should form part of an ongoing national commitment to protect the democratic space within which citizens participate in public life.

Protecting disagreement protects democracy

Government and civil society will not always agree, nor should they be expected to. Journalists will sometimes publish uncomfortable information, activists will challenge public decisions, civil-society organisations will criticise policy, and citizens will approach the courts to contest the actions of public institutions. These are not signs of democratic failure. They are signs that democratic institutions are being used.

Government has both the right and responsibility to govern, maintain public order, protect national interests and respond to criticism through lawful democratic processes. The strength of a democracy lies in the ability of these different actors to disagree while continuing to recognise one another as legitimate partners in the constitutional life of the country.

The response to Mr Boloetse’s case must therefore rise above political camps and institutional defensiveness. The question before Lesotho should not be which side of a political argument he belongs to, but whether our democratic system is strong enough to ensure that no one is abducted, assaulted or tortured because of journalism, advocacy, political opinion, public criticism or lawful civic participation.

Protecting that principle protects Government as much as it protects civil society, because stable democratic institutions ultimately strengthen the legitimacy of the State itself.

CDSJ encourages the Government of Lesotho to use this moment to renew its partnership with the media, civil-society organisations and human-rights defenders, and to reaffirm publicly that those who scrutinise Government, challenge decisions or demand accountability remain entitled to the protection of the State.

Our solidarity

To Ntate Kananelo Boloetse, CDSJ expresses its solidarity and wishes him strength and recovery. His experience should concern every person who values Lesotho’s democratic future.

No journalist should have to choose between personal safety and reporting the truth as they understand it. No activist should have to choose between safety and advocacy. No civil-society organisation should have to calculate whether speaking about injustice may expose its members to violence, and no citizen should be deprived of security because of legitimate participation in public affairs.

The most powerful response Lesotho can give to those who use violence to create fear, whoever they may ultimately be, is to demonstrate that our institutions remain stronger than intimidation and that our democracy remains capable of protecting disagreement.

CDSJ remains committed to working with the Government of Lesotho, law-enforcement institutions, the media, civil-society organisations, communities, development partners and all democratic stakeholders to protect and strengthen the civic space upon which Lesotho’s constitutional democracy depends.