By Teboho Phasumane | Military Affairs Correspondent
Not all power in the military wears a press badge. And not all leadership comes from those with the loudest parade-ground voice.
As Lesotho approaches a crucial transition in military command, public attention understandably has focused on the visible contenders. The handshakes. The diplomats. The ones seen standing behind podiums at national events. But in every defense force, there is another kind of general. The one whose name isn’t often printed, but whose absence would collapse everything in a matter of days.
Ask anyone inside the Lesotho Defense Force which division holds the entire machine together, and most will give you the same answer: logistics and operations. And behind that backbone is a senior officer whose quiet competence has sustained the LDF through years of turbulence, reform, and underfunding.
Logistics: The War We Don’t See
The public rarely talks about fuel shortages, barracks maintenance, uniform procurement, medical supply chains, or troop deployments to remote districts. These aren’t glamorous topics. They don’t make press headlines. But every soldier in the LDF knows that without them, there is no force to command.
In this regard, the man currently overseeing the LDF’s logistical and operational command has done what few before him managed: kept the wheels turning without scandal. Not a single procurement leak. No supply failures during national deployment. No public embarrassment of soldiers on the ground running out of essentials. In a region where military budgets often vanish without trace, that is no small feat.
A Career Built on Competence, Not Loyalty
Unlike other officers who owe their rise to internal alignments or personal alliances, this general’s path was built over decades of steady, unflashy service.
He is not a politician in fatigue. He is not known for leaks, nor whispers, nor political posture. But ask junior officers who’s earned respect across ranks and his name surfaces without hesitation.
Colleagues describe him as “precise,” “level-headed,” and “the kind of leader who listens before he speaks.” More importantly, he has outlived three different leadership cycles in the LDF without being purged, sidelined, or entangled in factional disputes.
He simply does the job. And for those who understand the military that’s the highest praise one can earn.
Reform Without a Flag
What makes his leadership particularly noteworthy now is his role in supporting institutional reform without drawing attention to himself.
While other generals were building alliances in cabinet corridors or aligning themselves with political parties, he was modernizing troop rotation systems, standardizing supply chain protocols, and quietly restoring the LDF’s operational credibility.
He has not given interviews. He has not denied or confirmed his ambition for command. But those inside know he is one of the few officers who can walk into any unit, be recognized for service not symbolism and walk out without resistance.
Why It Matters Now
In the coming weeks, decisions will be made that will shape the next decade of the LDF. There will be pressure to choose a crowd-pleaser. Or a candidate who fits a particular image. But the army is not a performance. It is a structure. And structures do not survive based on charisma alone.
Whoever assumes the role of Commander will face an exhausted institution. Soldiers still waiting for consistent promotion pathways. A region growing more unstable. A public that no longer tolerates missteps.
At a time like this, Lesotho would be wise to elevate the general who has already been holding the structure together not from the front row, but from the control room.
His name is Major General Ramanka Mokaloba.
He may not be known to the press. But in the Force, he’s the reason everything still works.
