. . . says“noxious gas” being pumped into his cell every night
Moorosi Tsiane
INCARCERATED Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM) leader, Dr Tšepo Lipholo, has made an?explosive claim that the government is trying to kill him using a poisonous gas.
In a scathing letter addressed to Acting Lesotho Correctional Service (LS) Commissioner, Matingoe Phamotse,on Thursday Dr Lipholo’s legal team– comprising of Borena-ha-bo-khethoe Sekonyela, Rantsiuoa Lesenyeho, Fusi Sehapi and Tebalo Potsana alleged that his health was deteriorating rapidly under inhumane and life-threatening conditions.
“Client (Lipholo) informs us that his health and life are deteriorating daily due to punitive and degrading conditions of his imprisonment. His feet and entire body are swelling up daily owing to extreme (sic) cold environment injurious to his mental health. He is imprisoned alone in a very small and confining maximum prison room with little or no ventilation as though he were a dangerous criminal convicted of a heinous crime.
“. . . Meanwhile client’s health is deteriorating, and his life is greatly threatened at the hands and custody of the Lesotho Government. Client reports that every night following denial of his bail on the 28 August 2025 some unknown person and or persons, apparently acting under the authority of the government of Lesotho, pump a hazardous poisonous gas that has a stench likened to sewage (sic), and this pumped gas/substance irritates his eyes to cry (sic),” reads part of the letter.
The letter alleges Dr Lipholo?is daily exposed to the noxious fumes and struggles?to breathe.
“This hazardous gas/substance suffocates client (Lipholo) to the extent that he loses breath and is unable to breathe (sic), it makes him cough and harshly irritates his eyes, nose and throat and leaves him with acute chest pains.
“The gas/substance is akin to chlorine gas poisoning which is constantly pumped into Client’s crammed, unventilated prison cell every night, especially in the early hours of the morning.
“The said pumped gas is poisonous and poses an imminent threat to Client’s health and life under the custody of the Lesotho Government. This substantially violates Client’s constitutional right to life,” the letter continues.
The lawyers accuse the government of trying to kill Dr Lipholo.
“This clearly indicates a deliberate and calculated act of assassination and or a plan (sic), initiative and or continuous process of assassination of our client (sic) at the hands of the Lesotho Government under the pretext or guise of death by natural or unknown causes.
“Client is adamant that if this situation is not given immediate attention and resolution, his untimely demise and or irretrievable damage to his health is inevitable and very imminent. Client has even reported this matter to your good office as head of Correctional Services but all in vain.”
Dr Lipholo’s legal team is now demanding immediate medical intervention — not from government-appointed doctors, but from a private physician of his choice.
“Resultantly, we request and or demand that Client be permitted to consult a medical doctor of his own choice in exercise of his right to medical health, which is an incident of the right to health (sic). We also appeal to the government of Lesotho to protect the life and health of client from the very aforesaid danger in the custody of the Lesotho Government as he had long foretold likelihood of his assassination at the hands and custody of the Lesotho Government,” the poorly written letter concludes.
Asked for comment, LCS spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Pheko Ntobane,?professed ignorance about the letter.
“I have not seen such a letter, but I will try to find out from the acting commissioner Phamotse,” said Adv Ntobane.
Dr Lipholo has been in custody since 4 July 2025, facing a plethora of serious charges including treason, sedition, human trafficking, and insulting the Royal Family.
He is joined by seven other members of his party on the treason charge stemming from an alleged plan to overthrow the government of Lesotho and reclaim land from South Africa by force.
Lesotho security agencies have accused Dr Lipholo of training an army militia on a farm in South Africa but their South African counterparts have said they have not yet found evidence of such in their country.
His claims of an attempt on his life come just two weeks after he was denied bail by Judge Fumane Khabo.