Police crime intelligence on high alert over alleged plan to reclaim 'land stolen' from Lesotho — Masemola
This comes after Lesotho police chief advocate Borotho Matsoso is reported to have confirmed the emergence of a group calling itself 'Malata Naha' which is allegedly recruiting Basotho youth from within the country and abroad to incite insurrection against their government and to fight for the contentious land in South Africa.
The land being claimed includes parts of the Free State, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Matsoso's comments come after the recent arrest of Lesotho MP Dr Tshepo Lipholo, leader of the Basotho Covenant Movement, a political party which has been demanding the return of Lesotho's 'stolen land'. The arrest sparked unrest in the country.
On Saturday, national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said Matsoso's allegations were high on the agenda of a meeting with all nine provincial commissioners to discuss crime combating efforts in the country.
'A preliminary report from the crime intelligence division was discussed in which intelligence structures have highlighted that they have heightened their operations to investigate allegations made and where necessary, track down and take down such illegal activities.
'The DPCI, also known as the Hawks crimes against the state (CATS) unit has also been roped in to investigate. Various searches have been undertaken by CATS at various identified farms and no such evidence has been found to date.'
Masemola said he reached out to Matsoso to discuss the allegations and they had agreed that both countries' law enforcement agencies' intelligence structures would investigate the existence of such camps.
Masemola said intelligence structures and operatives were on the ground to establish facts and urged South Africans not to panic as police from both countries were on high alert.
In 2023, Lipholo tabled a motion for the kingdom to reclaim South African territory that purportedly belonged to Lesotho in precolonial days.
At the time Lipholo declared: 'It's time for what is ours to be returned to us.'
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