Thakalekoala read on the air on Friday a letter allegedly written by members of the Lesotho national army, denouncing Prime Minister, Phakalita Mosisili as an unwanted ruler of Lesotho. The letter, broadcast on the early morning talk show Rise and Shine included accusations of corruption involving Lesothos ruling elite. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service arrested Thakalekoala immediately after the broadcast, according to local reports. Thakalekoala appeared in court on friday in the capital, Maseru ; his hearing was continued until yesterday. The government has called the letter a treasonous attempt to incite the army to revolt, and it invoked the 1984 Internal Security Act to charge Thakalekoala. Mothetjoa Metsing, the communications minister, recently accused the station of receiving financial support from the opposition party, All Basotho Convention.
Lesotho is a tiny landlocked nation, surrounded by South Africa , with an estimated population of 2.1 million.
The Harvest FM presenter told reporters on Sunday that he would not eat or drink until he was released. He wants his case brought to court.
An estimated 700 people have crowded outside the police station where he was locked up in protest over the weekend, local journalists reported.
Another crowd, estimated at more than 1,000 people, gathered in protest outside court today.
The arrest of Thakalekoala occurred after a weeklong curfew was lifted in the capital. Allegations of attempted political assassinations against three ministers and one opposition leader prompted the government to impose a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew.
