Probe Finds Political Connections Crippled Lesotho Hospital

The Queen Mamohato 'Memorial Hospital was opened in 2011 and run, along with three other clinics, as a public private partnership between the Lesotho government and the Tšepong consortium.

The health minister who presided over the hospital's transition to public private partnership was Semano Sekatle, a representative of the All Basotho Convention party which was leading the governing coalition and took the decision to end the public private partnership at QMMH. Sekatle as well as his principal secretary at the time, Khothatso Tšooana, are now accused by hospital staff of using this management change for their personal and political gain, a GroundUp investigation has found.

Many of the new appointees from last year are either relatives, friends, or fellow members of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) from Lebakeng and Abia constituencies, the political strongholds of Sekatle and Tšooana. Both were appointed by the ABC-led government to lead the Ministry of Health and oversaw the termination of the Tšepong contract.