Hopolang Mokhopi
FORMER South African soldier, Lieutenant-Commander Sylvester Mangolele, has been arrested alongside Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM) deputy leader, Moshoeshoe Hetsa, and the party’s spokesperson Abdulmalik Sekhonyana Molapo.
The trio is currently detained at Police Headquarters in Maseru and is expected to appear before Maseru Magistrates Court tomorrow.
They were taken into custody on Friday while attending BCM leader Dr Tšepo Lipholo’s court case at the Maseru Magistrates Court. Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, confirmed the arrests.
SSP Mopeli stated that Mangolele is expected to face charges of impersonation and misrepresentation, after allegedly presenting himself as both a South African soldier and a Southern African Development Community (SADC) representative, despite reportedly being dismissed from the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 2024. He was also found with two sachets of cannabis, which he admitted were for personal use.
Meanwhile, Hetsa and Molapo are likely to face charges of inciting public unrest, for allegedly facilitating Mangolele’s entry into Lesotho and featuring him in a broadcast said to encourage the public to rise against the government and the elite. The trio is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
A source close to the case revealed that Mangolele served as a marine soldier in the South African Army from 2003 until his dismissal in 2024. Investigators were told that BCM members assisted his entry into Lesotho, picking him up from the border, taking him to Pioneer Mall to buy food, and arranging accommodation for him in Lower Thetsane at a residence belonging to a woman identified as Mamakara.
However, it has since emerged that Mangolele falsely claimed to have been deployed by SADC, a claim dismissed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which clarified that no such entity as the “National Peace Commission” exists within SADC structures. He also alleged he was sent by an associate, Henry Mark Carter, which authorities have likewise refuted.
In an interview prior to his arrest, Mangolele told the Sunday Express that his visit to Lesotho was meant to promote peace in the SADC region, representing the “National Peace Commission”. He said he attended Dr Lipholo’s court proceedings, where a magistrate had recused himself in the interest of justice to prevent prejudice against the accused.
“The magistrate’s decision to recuse himself ensures that Dr Lipholo is not prejudiced by any appeal the Crown might lodge,” Mangolele explained.
“I am in the country only for today’s sitting and will return to South Africa for other official commitments. All protocols were followed at the border, in accordance with the constitution and the law.”