11 August 2025
The headquarters of the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) at Industrial Area in Maseru. The LEC has suspended a supply manager amid allegations of repeated procurement violations. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi
The Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC), the state-owned utility responsible for distributing and supplying electricity nationwide, has come under scrutiny for purchasing electrical cable for R1.2-million from a questionable South African company.
The transaction was uncovered during a June hearing of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where LEC executives faced questioning over the irregular awarding of the contract to a Free State-based supplier.
LEC’s management defended the purchase, arguing that four-core cable had been unavailable for months and that an emergency procurement was essential to prevent service disruptions.
However, in a dramatic turn, the committee conducted a surprise visit on Friday morning to the cable supplier’s premises in Bluegumbush, Qwaqwa, South Africa. Footage from the visit showed that the company, HDM Catering & Projects, had no visible ties to the electrical industry.
PAC chairperson Machabana Letsie is seen questioning two employees at the site, a man and a woman, who confirmed that they were only engaged in catering services, such as renting out cooking equipment. “That is all we know,” the unidentified woman said. “Other services, I have not seen anything.” When Letsie inquired about signage or branding indicating the company’s identity or line of business, none was visible.
Neo Mokatsa, spokesperson for the National Assembly, who attended the site visit, told GroundUp that the committee later met with the owner of the company, Mmafane Ben Mokoena, who claimed that although the property stored catering equipment for his wife’s business, his company was also involved in electrical, civil and mechanical works.
“I do electricity, roads and construction. I also supply electrical materials and everything,” he said. He added that while he focused on the projects aspect of his business, his wife was running the catering side.
However, Mokoena failed to produce certificates such as approval from the South African National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) or the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), proving that the cables met safety and quality standards.
“We have never been requested to provide such things,” Mokoena told the committee.
During the meeting, Mokoena described how he was introduced to LEC procurement manager Mpeo Mputsoe by a business associate, identified as Ramahloko from Lesotho. According to Mokoena, Ramahloko told him that LEC needed a 5,000-metre four-core cable but he couldn’t supply it.
“I told him I didn’t have a problem. I could buy the material and supply,” said Mokoena.
He said he travelled to Lesotho and met Mputsoe, who provided him with specifications. Mokoena claims he sourced the cable from Bloemfontein and delivered it to Maseru on 1 April.
PAC member Thabiso Lekitla questioned the unusual process, noting that Mokoena bypassed the standard tendering procedure and dealt directly with a procurement manager. Mokoena said he had handled “emergency deals” like that in South Africa before and saw no problem with this one.
When asked to produce an invoice or related documents showing how and where he acquired and sent the cables to Lesotho, Mokoena claimed the invoice was in his email. When pressed to provide it later, he changed his story, saying he would call the supplier to resend the documentation. Letsie indicated the committee would record the documents as “unavailable” if they could not be produced.
Mokoena appeared irritated when pressed about missing paperwork, accusing the committee of ambushing him. “I only heard this morning that you are coming. Now I am being harassed,” he fumed. Letsie clarified that no prior notice was necessary for a fact-finding visit, and that the requested documents were only from the past two months.
Another red flag was the cost of transporting the cable. The committee revealed that LEC paid R70,000 for cable transportation from Bloemfontein to Maseru. Mokoena initially claimed the cable originated from Cape Town, then altered his statement to say it was from Bloemfontein.
However, Letsie said the cable cost had risen from R400,000 to R1.2 million, including the R70,000 transport fee.
One document provided by Mokoena showed a transport cost of R14,000, which he later said only covered one leg of the trip. He stated an additional R14,000 was needed for the return trip. He claimed the truck was hired in South Africa. The figures do not match the R70,000 billed to LEC.
The committee pointed out the Revenue Services Lesotho border documentation indicating the truck, registered in Lesotho, not South Africa, and bearing its plate number was cleared at Maseru Bridge on 6 May, not 1 April as Mokoena claimed.
When confronted, Mokoena stuck to his story, insisting the cables were delivered in April and that Mputsoe signed the delivery documents. Letsie countered that Mputsoe likely signed delivery documents early to facilitate early payment, even though the cables had not yet entered the country.
Mokoena did not produce any documents for when the consignment crossed the border to Maseru to support his version of the story.
Letsie raised concerns over how the procurement was handled, stating it appeared Mputsoe managed the entire process alone, from placing the order and approving the purchase to receiving the goods.
“This is so odd. Everything was done by Mputsoe himself without checks and balances,” said Letsie. She said Mputsoe had informed the committee that LEC could not source the cable from the original manufacturers due to its unavailability, and that Mokoena was the only supplier who had the cable.
Mokoena told GroundUp that he had cooperated with the PAC, but he didn’t like being ambushed. He said his lawyers had advised him to not discuss matters related to that case.
Speaking to GroundUp, Mputsoe stated that he could only respond through LEC public relations office because company policies prohibit him from speaking to the media.
LEC spokesperson Makhetha Motsoari said they are unable to respond to the PAC findings as they are still awaiting a formal PAC report.
He said Mputsoe has not been suspended as has been reported. “He remains in office,” he said.