Lesotho soldiers arrested for selling firearms to zama zamas
The two accused were arrested with guns they could not prove were in their possession lawfully
The case against two Lesotho Defence Force soldiers was postponed at the Maseru Magistrates’ Court. They are accused of stealing firearms and selling them to informal miners. Archive photo: Sechaba Mokhethi
Two Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) soldiers are expected to appear in court in connections with allegations that they are part of a syndicate of soldiers stealing military firearms to sell to illegal miners.
In a statement, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service said it is investigating reports that firearms were stolen from LDF armouries and sold to “makhomosha”, a local term for informal miners, also known as “zama zamas” in South Africa.
Police said their investigation led to the arrest of two serving corporals: Mosuoe Letšoana and Lerato Sechoala. They were arrested on 23 January, allegedly in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle and a 7.65mm pistol.
Police said the suspects were unable to provide proof that the weapons were lawfully in their possession.
“Investigations are continuing as police follow the trail of firearms that may already have fallen into the wrong hands,” a police statement said.
Sources close to the investigation told GroundUp that authorities suspect the case may be linked to a wider network involved in removing damaged or decommissioned firearms from military armouries. The weapons were allegedly smuggled out in parts, then reassembled, and sold for between M70,000 and M100,000 (M1=R1).
Two weeks ago, South Africa’s former head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Robert McBride, told South Africa’s Parliament that zama zamas arrested during raids were often found with firearms belonging to the Lesotho Defence Force.
McBride said South African authorities have repeatedly recovered LDF weapons during operations in abandoned mines. Some of the firearms dated back to the 1980s and were originally supplied to Lesotho by the apartheid government.
Last Thursday, Letšoana, 39, and Sechoala, 42, appeared in the Maseru Magistrates’ Court.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences were committed around November 2025 at Makoanyane Barracks in Maseru. The state alleges that the accused acted, “jointly and in furtherance of a common purpose” and “unlawfully and intentionally stole five Galil rifles, four AK-47 rifles, nine 9mm automatic pistols and two 7.65mm automatic pistols”.
The accused will be remanded in custody at Maseru Correctional Services until their next court appearance on 10 February.
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