Former SA soldier among BCM’s new arrests

Former South African soldier, Lieutenant-Commander Sylvester Mangolele, has been arrested alongside Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM) deputy leader, Moshoeshoe Hetsa, and the party’s spokesperson Abdulmalik Sekhonyana Molapo.
The trio is currently detained at Police Headquarters in Maseru and is expected to appear before Maseru Magistrates Court tomorrow.
They were taken into custody on Friday while attending BCM leader Dr Tšepo Lipholo’s court case at the Maseru Magistrates Court. Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, confirmed the arrests.
Meanwhile, SSP Mopeli stated that Mangolele is expected to face charges of impersonation and misrepresentation, after allegedly presenting himself as both a South African soldier and a Southern African Development Community (SADC) representative, despite reportedly being dismissed from the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 2024.
He was also found with two sachets of cannabis, which he admitted were for personal use. Meanwhile, Hetsa and Molapo are likely to face charges of inciting public unrest, for allegedly facilitating Mangolele’s entry into Lesotho and featuring him in a broadcast said to encourage the public to rise against the government and the elite. The trio will appear in court on Monday.