Lesotho Tribune Statement on the Assault of Journalist Monaheng Mphahama

For Immediate Release

Maseru – 19 July 2025

The Lesotho Tribune strongly condemns in the harshest terms the cowardly and barbaric assault of our colleague, journalist Monaheng Mphahama, who was physically attacked on Friday (18 July 2025) evening while performing his journalistic duties.

Mphahama was broadcasting live on his Facebook news platform, exercising his constitutionally protected right to inform the public when he was violently assaulted by an individual involved in the very car accident he was reporting on in the Maseru CBD. This unprovoked and senseless attack is not just an assault on Mphahama as a person, it is an attack on press freedom, the public’s right to know, and on democracy itself.

This incident highlights the growing dangers journalists face in Lesotho simply for doing their jobs. It also underscores the glaring absence of adequate protection for members of the media. It is unacceptable that a journalist should be met with violence for carrying a camera instead of a weapon, and for choosing to report the truth instead of staying silent.

We call on the Government of Lesotho, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service, and all relevant authorities to treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. The perpetrator must be held accountable through swift legal action, not just to deliver justice to Mphahama, but to send a clear message that the intimidation and assault of journalists will never be tolerated in a democratic society.

We further urge the government to take immediate steps to guarantee the safety of journalists, provide clear protocols for media protection in hostile situations, and reaffirm its commitment to upholding press freedom as enshrined in the Constitution of Lesotho and international human rights frameworks.

An attack on one journalist is an attack on all of us.

We stand in full solidarity with Monaheng Mphahama and all journalists in Lesotho who continue to serve the public interest despite increasing threats and hostility.

Lesotho Tribune

Editorial Team