NSS causes total paralysis – Lesotho Times

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• Acting director general accused of bringing down vital agency
• Therefore, it cannot be relied upon to help stop rampant crime.  

Our reporter  

riceSome have questioned why the National Security Service (NSS) is unable to gather useful intelligence to help prevent the rampant murders and other violent crimes plaguing the country.

The answer is simple – aslesotho times Through painstaking investigation – The NSA is completely paralyzed and increasingly unfit to play any role.

Our investigations have proven that the NSA is a security agency in crisis, with a demotivated workforce, insufficient resources to carry out its work effectively, and intelligence collectors unable to work in tandem with their superiors.

Some intelligence officers have such a deep distrust of their superiors that they would rather not share any information they gather in the field because they worry that their information will be leaked and fall into the “wrong hands.”

Because some bosses are suspected of being “double agents” and are not focused on safeguarding national interests.

At the National Security Agency, procedures for collecting, processing, and disposing of sensitive information to protect national interests have broken down.

Sources tell us that without a viable intelligence agency, competent, well-trained, and adequately resourced personnel, and competent leadership to oversee it, the war on crime will fail.

The problems with the NSA are partly legacy, caused by politicians using the security agencies for political purposes.

SecondBut the central figure at the heart of the paralysis in Lesotho’s intelligence services is the acting director-general, Lebohan Maphisa.

NSS insiders accused him of further embarrassing the agency by appointing him as acting director-general for three months from April 1, 2024, pending the search for a substantive director-general to replace Pheello Ralenkoane whose contract has expired.

Following the expiration of his initial three-month term, Mr Mafisa was appointed Acting Director-General for a further three months while the search for a substantive replacement continues.

NSA morale is at an all-time low.lesotho times can be revealed authoritatively.

Immediately after taking office, Mafisa set about consolidating his power and targeting officials seen as loyal to Laren Cohen, with whom he is said to have had a bad relationship.

According to sources, Mr. Mafisa’s first move wasThe director of human resources, Vusi Mbole, was transferred to the position of director of security and he was replaced by Nomalinge Tlakeli as director of security.

This caused great consternation in the NSA. Mafisa’s critics accused him of taking this action to help Laren Cohen remove or redeploy cronies in favor of Mafisa’s own supporters.

“There is absolutely no reason to remove the HR Director (Mbole)… He is only doing it to smoothly deploy his blue eyed boy to a strategic position so that he can be appointed as the substantive DG…” our insider told us.

“Unfortunately, an organization becomes ineffective if it focuses only on loyalty to the boss and ignores merit…”

After appointing his “ally” Ms Trakely as HR director, Mr Mafisa immediately instructed her to seek a huge agencyAccording to the documents he saw,lesotho times.

Although Mafisa’s appointment letter was alsoLesotho Times, He was appointed as the acting DG based on his condition of service as currently serving as Deputy DG (Operations), the statement said.

Even assuming that Mr Mafisa had a reasonable expectation as Acting DG to ask for some form of additional remuneration, the huge remuneration he wanted – as shown in his letter to the Treasury – seems somewhat unreasonable.

riceEven more shocking is that after being appointed Acting Director-General, Mr. Mafisa

Some of the National Security Service personnel were disarmed and their guns and vehicles were seized, making it impossible for them to carry out their duties.

Sources tell us that most of the disarmed officers were counterintelligence personnel.

“The reason he disarmed the officers was that he suspected some of them were involved in a plot to murder him. But this is all childish paranoia…

“There is no need for him to take such drastic steps! How can he expect these officials to do their job without resources? There is no evidence that anyone in the NSA or elsewhere wants to assassinate him…” said a senior source.

thislesotho times It is understood some of the firearms have been returned to officers but the vehicles have not yet been returned.

The move has caused a lot of uneasiness as NSA officers cannot do their job without resources, especially vehicles.

“The biggest problem facing the National Security Agency right now is low morale. Intelligence officers are afraid to work and provide intelligence because they don’t even trust their superiors…” said a source.

“They are concerned that this information will be leaked and end up in the wrong hands…

“Intelligence information must be trustworthy and have appropriate safeguards to prevent disclosure. Intelligence personnel must be confident that their work will not be misused. It must be used only to protect the national interest. The NSA did not do that…”

Mafisa was also accused of favouring his supporters when travelling abroad, while anyone seen as close to Laren Cohen was excluded.

A recent trip to China for intelligence training was blocked by the chief secretary of a group chosen by Mr Mafisa.

Mafisa was also accused of being “stubborn and arrogant” for refusing to sign off on the purchase of some network equipment needed by the National Security Agency while he was deputy director-general. The equipment was purchased only after he was forced to approve it.

“He had no reason to refuse to sign… He was just too arrogant…”

Sources told us that unless the NSA is adequately resourced and works as a cohesive unit under proper professional leadership, Basotho should not expect anything from it.

“The fact is that criminals don’t take it (NSS) seriously. No one takes it seriously… So, those who expect it to infiltratereputation“We must fight terrorism and stop its criminal acts… You will be disappointed. This will not happen…” said an authoritative source.

televisionThe All Basotho Congress (ABC) recently criticised the National Security Service for its inaction.reputationCriminal gangs created chaos across the country, killing and maiming hundreds of people.

ABC directly blames the violent killings onand other crimes that shocked LesothoDue to the lack of ability to detect and preventcrimein advance.

ABC spokesperson Mphonyane Lebesa called on the NSS

Strengthen the ability to gather effective intelligence to prevent criminal activity from occurring.

But from what we know, the NSA is in crisis and should not be given any hope.

In fact, Acting Director-General Mafisa toldlesotho times last month,reputation Be inspiredKillingyesIt is about the police and not the NSA because it is a matter of maintaining law and order.

Not only is the statement itself saddening, it confirms what our sources have told us, that the NSA as it stands is not fit for purpose.

The job of any reliable intelligence agency is to gather intelligence and protect citizens from any external and internal threats. Apart from transnational criminals, Lesotho does not face any major threats from external forces.

“If he (the mafia) thinks the NSA shouldn’t be concerned with collecting evidence to help the police fight crime, then that sums up why the NSA is a joke…

“This should also explain whyreputationThe criminals laughed all the way to the morgue to dump the bodies of their many victims.reputation“The gangs don’t take the police and the NSA seriously at all…,” another senior source said.

Hundreds of Basotho have been killed in the past few months. Prime Minister Sam Matkene, head of the National Security Service, lamented that Lesotho is now among the top five countries with the highest murder rates in the world.

The government announced a banreputationIn May 2024, the US government launched a crackdown on terrorist groups, but the move appears to have actually emboldened them. Not only have their killing sprees intensified, but they have become more bold, with multiple mass shootings occurring in the past 60 days.

Yet the country’s main security agencies – the police, the National Security Service and the army – have done little to combat crime.

Their obvious behavior is random harassment and attacks on civilians, which has led to a surge in civil lawsuits against law enforcement agencies. The NSA in particular has been inactive. It has no justification for its existence.

televisionhelesotho times We sought an interview with Mr Mafisa, who he agreed to. We wanted him to answer a detailed list of 15 questions, including allegations by some of his subordinates that he was friends with an opposition leader (name provided) and that he informed the opposition leader through an agent.

There are serious differences between the Opposition Leader and Mr. Laren Cohen.

We even delayed publishing this story last week after Mr Mafisa postponed the interview on the grounds that he had to rush out of town to give him time to sit down with us.

Our reporter Mohloai Mpesi subsequently tried to contact him several times but failed as he no longer answered his calls.

When we are able to contact Mr. Mafisa, we will publish his response, if any, in detail.

As of now, it is our duty to inform the nation not to expect any help from the NSA to put an end to rampant criminal activities, which could cause the already comatose economy to collapse as investors vote with their feet.  

Trade, Industry and Business Development Minister Mokhethi Shelile told CNN last week that investors fearing crime are closing up shop and leaving.

The Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) also spoke about how rampant crime was deterring investors.

Since the NSA is also in a coma and its leader is a paranoid man who is more concerned about maintaining his position, the situation can only be grim.