Maseru, May.12—–A corruption case against the current Member of Parliament for Matlakeng Constituency Dr. Mahali Phamotse who is also former Minister of Education and Training as well as former Minister of Sports, together with ‘Mapaseka Kolotsane and Ratsiu Majara has been scheduled for hearing in August 2026.
Scheduling of the hearing date was previously a challenge as the case was not ready because some of the pre-trial stages such as full discovery of documents were not finalised. The defence had complained that the prosecution did not furnish them with all the documents needed to prepare for the case adding that among those that they were provided with, there were those that were illegible therefore needed to be replaced.
Another issue which was pending, thus delaying the hearing of the matter, was a Pre-Trial Conference which had to be revisited.
It is alleged that Dr. Phamotse who was a Minister of Education and training when the alleged offences occurred, working together with her co-accused, unlawfully influenced an awarding of the 2015 High Schools Textbooks Tender to Epic Printers and Molumeli PTY (Ltd).
It is further alleged that she took undue advantage as the Minister and abused her position to influence an amendment to the years of experience in the Ministry of Education and Training’s tender bid document called ‘ development, printing, supply and delivery of textbooks and teacher’s guides for Grade 5 for the national curriculum development centre’.
The legal team in this case is made up of Advocates Motiea Teele (KC), Karabo Mohau (KC) and Salemane Phafane (KC) who are for the defence while Adv. Peleha Joala is for the prosecution.
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