PRETORIA – South African Police Service (SAPS) and Lesotho Police are conducting a joint investigation into allegations of illegal military training camps operating on South African soil, following explosive claims made by Lesotho’s Police Commissioner Borotho Matsoso.
The investigation centers on allegations that a group called “Malata Naha” has established terrorist training camps on farms in the Free State, where they are allegedly recruiting and training Basotho youths for potential insurgency activities.
National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, addressed the matter during a Board of Commissioners meeting on Saturday, where all nine provincial commissioners discussed the allegations as a priority agenda item.
“The safety and security of the people of South Africa is of paramount importance, and anyone who is found to be in the country committing illegal acts will face the full might of the law,” General Masemola assured in a statement released by Police Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
The Board of Commissioners, which serves as the highest decision-making body of SAPS, has mobilized multiple specialized units to investigate the claims. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, has deployed their Crimes Against the State (CATS) unit to conduct searches at various identified farms.
Initial investigations yield no evidence
According to the preliminary report from SAPS crime intelligence division, various searches have been undertaken by CATS at identified locations, but “no such evidence has been found to date.”
However, intelligence structures from both countries have heightened their operations and remain “on the ground to investigate the existence of such camps” following direct discussions between the two police commissioners.
The allegations come against the backdrop of longstanding territorial disputes between Lesotho and South Africa. The claims involve areas in the Free State, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, which some Basotho believe were wrongfully taken during colonial rule.
The controversy escalated following the arrest earlier this month of Lesotho MP Tšepo Lipholo from the Basotho Covenant Movement, who has been campaigning for the return of these territories. Lipholo faces charges of sedition and incitement for allegedly calling for armed struggle to reclaim the disputed lands.
Ongoing investigation
The joint investigation continues with intelligence operatives from both countries working to establish facts. General Masemola has assured South Africans that law enforcement agencies from both countries “remain on high alert.”
“South Africans are urged not to panic or worry as police from both countries remain on high alert,” stated Brigadier Mathe.
