A disturbing conflict of interest scandal is unfolding inside the Lesotho National Development Corporation. At the centre of it is Tšepo Putsoa, the LNDC Property Manager who has already been suspended for corruption involving the embezzlement of millions. New allegations now suggest he may have been using his public role to steer tenants toward private properties owned by a sitting minister.
Lesotho Tribune was alerted by a well known blue chip company that had previously rented office space from LNDC in Maseru. The company, which asked to remain anonymous, said that due to harsh economic conditions they approached LNDC to renegotiate their rent. Those talks failed.
Frustrated, the company began searching for cheaper space and eventually found a commercial property near Sparrows. Their shock was immediate when they discovered that the property belonged to Minister of Local Government, Police and Home Affairs, Lebona Lephema. The shock deepened during the viewing. The person handling the process was the same man they had been negotiating with at LNDC, Tšepo Putsoa, now appearing to act in a private capacity on behalf of the minister.
“It felt like déjà vu,” said a company source. “We were desperate for a solution after LNDC refused to ease rental terms. Only to find ourselves negotiating with the same man, but now representing a private landlord. That is when alarm bells started ringing. Was this coincidence or intentional”
To get clarity, Lesotho Tribune contacted Putsoa and LNDC’s interim CEO. No response was offered. The publication also reached out to Minister Lephema’s executive team. Once again, nothing came back.
The silence raises serious concerns. If LNDC’s refusal to renegotiate leases was influenced by Putsoa’s private dealings, the situation would point to an abuse of public office. It would also amount to a breach of the Public Officers Code of Conduct, which prohibits public servants from using their official positions to advance private business interests.
A corporate governance analyst who reviewed the matter described the situation as a textbook conflict of interest. “When the same official who denies you favorable terms at a public institution later appears on behalf of a minister’s private property, the issue is not coincidence. This is exactly the kind of practice that destroys public confidence.”
The central allegation is that tenants were being pushed out of LNDC properties and redirected toward properties owned by the minister, with Putsoa functioning as the link. If this pattern is confirmed, the implications could extend to corruption, abuse of office and fraud.
Lesotho is already grappling with questions about transparency, accountability and the use of state machinery for private gain. Incidents like this deepen fears that key institutions are being captured by politically connected networks.
Lesotho Tribune has submitted follow up questions and continues to pursue the story. As pressure builds on LNDC and the Ministry of Local Government to explain the overlap between public duties and private financial interests, the country must confront a difficult truth. Public institutions are beginning to serve private power rather than the people they exist to protect.
