The construction of the  Teyateyaneng Taxi Terminal has taken a controversial twist, with fresh evidence suggesting that Minister of Local Government, Lebona Lephema, is directly benefiting from the project his ministry awarded to an unknown Chinese construction company.

Images obtained by Lesotho Tribune show the site buzzing with activity, but what stands out is not just the scale of the project. It is the yellow plant equipment, cement bags branded Maluti Mountain Cement, and bricks produced by his company being used. All three have been linked to businesses owned or connected to Minister Lephoma himself.

What the Images Show

• First image: A van bearing Executive Transport logo (Lephema’s company) parked at the site, next to piles of soil, raising questions on whether this “Chinese company” is in fact outsourcing almost entirely to Lephoma’s resources.

• Second image: A worker in safety gear stands guard next to large stacks of cement bags, clearly marked Maluti Mountain Cement, a brand tied to the minister. A grader works in the background, flattening the site for taxi bays.

• Third image: The same site reveals pallets of cement, fresh bricks, and heavy machinery, all pointing to direct supply lines from Lephoma’s private ventures.

Conflict of Interest?

Lephema, as Minister of Local Government, presides over the very ministry that awarded the TY Taxi Terminal project. By all appearances, his businesses are now supplying key materials, cement, bricks, and machinery, to the Chinese contractor.

This deepens existing controversy around the minister. Lesotho Tribune has previously reported exclusively that Lephema has been seeking a M108 million bailout from the LNDC to rescue his financially troubled mining venture.

Instead of promoting fair competition and empowering Basotho contractors, the project seems to be another example of politically connected elites capturing state opportunities.

As of now, Minister Lephema was not available to provide this publication with comments.