Tšolo Thakeli

Tšolo "Tjeka-Tjeka" Thakeli (born 6 December 1991) is a Mosotho human rights activist, lawyer and entrepreneur.

Biography Thakeli qualified as a lawyer after graduating with a LLB in 2015. He stated he had struggled to find employment after finishing his studies, and worked as a garage attendant in Teyateyaneng.

The following day, Thakeli's home in Teyateyaneng, Berea District, was stormed by police, and he was arrested without warrant. He was initially charged with insulting Matekane and inciting violence, but the charges were dropped due to there being insufficient evidence. After being released, Thakeli was arrested later that same day on a new charge of sedition. He was detained for two days before being released; during that time, Thakeli alleged that he had been told by the head of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service to not mention Matekane's name publicly again.

Action for Southern Africa described the response to Thakeli's video as "terrifying", noting that Thakeli had not called for Matekane's resignation but was "just asking question", noting that freedom of expression was protected by the constitution of Lesotho. The national newspaper The Post stated that Thakeli had acted within his constitutionally and internationally recognised rights to criticise government officials.