Lesotho's Royal Palace project needs M50 million more to resume
The government has earmarked a further M50 million to restart work on the Maseru palace, lifting its projected cost to M461 million.
The government has earmarked another M50 million to resume construction of the new Royal Palace in Maseru, a building meant to serve as the official residence of King Letsie III and Queen 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso. The additional allocation raises the projected cost of the project to M461 million, up from an original price tag of M136.7 million.
Construction began in 2011, with completion scheduled for May 2013, and the building is still unfinished in November 2026. An audit report by the Auditor-General, published in May 2025 and later scrutinised by the Senate Committee on Government Assurances, found overpayments exceeding M74 million to consultants and the contractor. It also found M5.49 million paid to Nyolohelo Mohale as Clerk of Works/Principal Agent, although the ministry had no official documentation authorising his appointment.
The editorial argues that the M50 million must be properly accounted for and that procurement must be transparent, while warning that accountability should not cause further delays to finishing the building.
Why it mattersTaxpayers face a projected cost of M461 million, far above the original M136.7 million, and the audit findings mean the M50 million will be closely watched.