Ministry refutes passport smuggling claims

THE Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Advocate Borenahabokhethe Sekonyela has refuted allegations that Lesotho passports are being smuggled to China.

Social media has been awash with reports of passports being smuggled to China via South Africa and images were even posted that appeared to show the Home Affairs Minister’s vehicle with passports in the boot as part of the purported illicit activities.

However, Advocate Sekonyela addressed a press conference in Maseru on Friday where he refuted the allegations, saying the minister’s vehicle was only used to ferry the passports to various destinations after the usual vehicle had been involved in an accident.

Advocate Sekonyela said the usual vehicle was involved in an accident at Lekokoaneng in Berea on Thursday and the driver had to be rushed to hospital with minor injuries.

He said when the accident occurred all ministry vehicles were being used for other duties hence the decision to use the minister’s vehicle to transport the passports to a safe place where they would be protected before they were dispatched to different destinations where their owners including Basotho who were supposed to return to work in South Africa were awaiting them.

“It is a pity that the minister’s vehicle was associated with such malicious information” Advocate Sekonyela said.

The media were shown the minister’s vehicle after the press briefing at the parking area at the ministry offices as proof that the vehicle was actually in the country and not in South Africa as claimed.

Meanwhile, Advocated Sekonyela indicated that the 32 page passports are now available and people are free to apply for them.