Amnesty International has urged Lesotho’s authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the reported abduction and assault of journalist Kananelo Boloetse. Abducted from his home in Maseru on September 5th, Boloetse, known for his investigative journalism and human rights advocacy, was allegedly tortured and severely beaten. This attack, Amnesty argued, seemed designed not only to harm Boloetse but also to intimidate other journalists into silence.
Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, emphasized the need for journalists and human rights defenders to operate freely and safely, warning against the tolerance of violence and intimidation that undermine freedom of expression. As the editor-in-chief at Newsday Media, Boloetse has been overseeing coverage on governance and public accountability, while personally focusing on state institutions and education financing transparency.
Boloetse has gained recognition for challenging major telecom corporations and advocating for citizen protection, alongside his vocal support for free education and economic restructuring. According to Newsday’s statement, three unidentified men abducted him, later abandoning him in the Thaba-Bosiu area, where he managed to seek help despite severe injuries.
The assault on Boloetse occurred shortly after a cyberattack disrupted Newsday’s online operations, raising alarms from Lerato Peggy Matheka, Managing Director and Editor of Newsday Media. She contended that these were not isolated incidents but rather targeted attacks on Boloetse’s role as a journalist and defender of human rights, noting that valuables were left untouched during the abduction.
Unfortunately, such events are not unprecedented in Lesotho. Lloyd Mutungamiri, a former editor for the Lesotho Times, was ambushed in 2016 after exposing military overreach by the Lesotho Defence Force. Two Newsday reporters were also assaulted in 2020 during coverage of the Bacha Shutdown movement, a youth-led initiative against gender-based violence and unemployment.
These attacks contribute to a troubling decline in press freedom, despite protections under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Governments globally have escalated their repression through tactics like strategic lawsuits, arbitrary detention, and restrictive legislation. The 2026 Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index reports a concerning trend, with over half of countries now categorized as “difficult” or “very serious” for press freedom—a stark indication of the environment journalists like Boloetse are navigating.