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· ALERTDate: May 27, 2005.Persons/Institutions: Masupha JoboViolation: ThreatenedOn May 27 2005, Masupha Jobo, who also hosts “Tsa Kajeno”, a sports show broadcast on CRFM, was summoned out of the studio to appear before the CR FM management and a delegationof the Lesotho Football Association (LEFA), which was comprised of the LEFA chiefexecutive officer, Kholoang Mokalanyane, and a member of the LEFA executive committee,Thabo Pule. The LEFA delegation complained that Jobo was promoting negative publicityabout the national soccer body in his programme.· ALERTDate: April 16, 2005.Persons/Institutions: Makoanyane RamarotholeViolation: BeatenMakoanyane Ramarothole, a photo journalist with the weekly English newspaper, Public Eye,was severely assaulted by students of the Lesotho Agricultural College and members of theirStudents’ Representative Council (SRC) during annual beauty pageant of the college, whichwas held on April 16, 2005. Public Eye newspaper had received an invitation to provide coverageat this annual event and sent Ramarothole to cover the pageant. The photo journalist wasduly allowed into the hall where the event was held and when he took out his camera to capturethe event in pictures, one student hurled vulgarities at the photo journalist and started beatinghim with clenched fists, kicking and insulting him further. The Journalist’s pleas that he cameto the occasion per invitation from a media house fell on deaf ears as more and more studentsjoined in to assault him even further.· ALERTDate: April 20, 2005.Persons/Institutions: Khutliso SekoatiViolation: ThreatenedKhutliso Sekoati , a journalist working for the weekly English newspaper, Public Eye, washarassed by Lesotho’s Chief Magistrate, Mr. Molefi Makara. Sekoati was covering a court casepresided over by Magistrate Makara, when before the case began, the Chief Magistrate orderedthe reporter to stand up, and asked him what he wanted in his courtroom, as he (Sekoati)was nothing but a liar. The journalist was covering a case against a certain Hanif Tayob, whowas arrested at Moshoeshoe I International airport on April 20, 2005, in the unlawful possessionof US$220 950, which was in contravention with the monetary exchange control regulations.Sekoati indicated that the Magistrate informed him that the article he had written earlier hadtarnished his image and was a product of an individual who was yelping for Makara’s demisein the legal profession. The Chief Magistrate, Sekoati asserted, also threatened to sue thetabloid newspaper he worked for in his personal capacity, for allegedly damaging his integrity,and demanded an apology as he considered the article to be in contempt of court.However, having gone through the trial records, Sekoati resolved that he was going to standhis ground and that the article had been fair and objective. Chief Magistrate Makara recusedhimself from the case, which was heard on May 9, 2005.· ALERTDate: March 21, 2005.Persons/Institutions: Bethuel Thai, Khutliso SekoatiViolation: LegislationOn March 21 2005, “Public Eye” editor-in-chief Bethuel Thai and journalist Khutliso SekoatiSo This Is Democracy? 2005-59-Media Institute of Southern Africa