A 30-year-old apprentice attached to the District Education Office in Leribe has appeared before the Leribe Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing multiple charges of bribery, corruption, fraud and extortion over an alleged scheme to manipulate the recruitment of teachers for financial gain.
Tšireletso Lekoetje, of Ha Raliee, is attached to the District Education Office under the Prime Minister’s Lesupa-Tsela Youth Apprenticeship Programme, formerly known as Lihahala, where he serves as an Assistant Human Resources Officer.
The prosecution alleges that between April 2024 and his arrest, Lekoetje abused his position by exploiting confidential recruitment information and his access to official records to solicit and extort money from applicants seeking teaching posts.
According to evidence presented in court, the accused allegedly targeted job seekers by demanding payment in exchange for favourable placement on teacher recruitment lists.
The court heard that in some cases, candidates who had legitimately performed well in interviews and were ranked first were allegedly threatened with being removed from the shortlist or having their rankings lowered unless they paid him.
The prosecution further alleges that Lekoetje manipulated official recruitment documents, including Schedule 17, by removing original pages and replacing them with falsified versions.
Through those alterations, he allegedly changed candidates’ rankings and submitted false information to the Teaching Service Commission, resulting in the appointment of less deserving candidates while qualified applicants were denied employment.
In one instance, the court heard, Lekoetje allegedly accepted M6,000 from a candidate who had initially been ranked third on the shortlist. He is accused of unlawfully elevating the candidate to first position, enabling the Teaching Service Commission to approve the appointment.
The candidate was subsequently appointed as a teacher at Thokoa Primary School, while another candidate secured employment at St Phillips Primary School.
Investigations by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) allegedly uncovered that Lekoetje received a total of M9,500 from several candidates in exchange for manipulating the recruitment process.
Lekoetje was granted bail on July 8 on condition that he pay a cash deposit of M2,000, provide a surety of M20,000, refrain from interfering with witnesses or ongoing investigations, attend all court proceedings and stand trial.
However, he failed to satisfy the bail conditions and remains in custody.
The case continues before Magistrate Tlohang Mohanoe and has been postponed to September 7, 2026.
Summary
- A 30-year-old apprentice attached to the District Education Office in Leribe has appeared before the Leribe Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing multiple charges of bribery, corruption, fraud and extortion over an alleged scheme to manipulate the recruitment of teachers for financial gain.
- Investigations by the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) allegedly uncovered that Lekoetje received a total of M9,500 from several candidates in exchange for manipulating the recruitment process.
- Lekoetje was granted bail on July 8 on condition that he pay a cash deposit of M2,000, provide a surety of M20,000, refrain from interfering with witnesses or ongoing investigations, attend all court proceedings and stand trial.
I am a journalist based in Maseru, Lesotho, renowned for investigative reporting. Over the years, my work has been published both locally and internationally, including in South Africa through the Amabhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Daily Maverick, among other publications.
In Lesotho, I have served as a senior reporter for several leading weekly newspapers, including the Lesotho Times, Public Eye, and Sunday Express. My reporting has focused on uncovering issues of public interest, promoting accountability, and giving voice to underreported stories.
In 2016, I co-founded the MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism in Maseru, an initiative dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism and fostering a culture of transparency and public-interest reporting in Lesotho.
