If anyone needs any evidence that our police commissioner, Holomo Molibeli, is now a permanent resident of cloud cuckoo land, look no further than his self-congratulatory press conference over a week ago.

If Ntate Molibeli – who has never addressed any press conferences before – called this one in the hope of redeeming his waning reputation as a top cop, then he did a very bad job of it. His performance was not only underwhelming, it was also reckless and unempathetic.  He justified that he should not be redeployed to some cushy diplomatic post in Europe as has been reported, he should be dumped straight into the streets.

Lesotho has become a haven for criminals if not a hell-hole. Basotho are being moored every day. Ruthless criminal gangs and Famo terrorists have largely taken charge of the country.  Women in particular now regret why their species was ever created. A good number have been raped. Many have been murdered to harvest their body parts. No one is safe anymore in this country.  Yet Ntate Molibeli believes everything is just about fine and reports of escalating crime are exaggerated.

So, he presumably works up every day, takes his scented bubble bath, dons his Gucci double breasted suit (or alternatively his sumptuously decorated official Compol uniform resplended with all its Idi Amin style medals) looks himself in the mirror, admires himself for a good half an hour or so, and convinces himself that he is God’s gift to Basotho and no one else, than himself, is the best to lead the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS).  How tragic?

As Ntate Matele Matobakele, the highly regarded, highly respected and justifiably decorated deputy commander of our Lesotho Defence Force has trenchantly commented: “We have no police force to talk about”.

Our LMPS has become a tragic joke under Ntate Molibeli’s stewardship. Ntate Matobakele was not only dead right, he is the real God sent for speaking truth to power. The army should not really be involved in policing issues.  That is nevertheless under normal circumstances. Our circumstances are no longer normal. Which explains why Ntate Matobakele is right to declare that the army has no other option but to take over the role of the LMPS.  To believe that we have a worthy police force is as good as believing that Jesus Christ will land at Moshoeshoe I for the much anticipated second coming this Christmas.

We indeed have no police force worth talking about. I am not even impressed with reports that about 95 murder suspects have been arrested in the first 26 days of November 2021. These could just be knee jerk arrests in response to the widespread condemnation of the performance of the police.    The fact remains there has been no single conviction for murder, rape or GBV since Ntate Molibeli was rewarded with the top police job in 2017 yet murders and rapes keep escalating. Lesotho is now ranked third in the world in terms of rapes. At least unlike in the murder rankings, where we are first in Africa, we are second on the continent in terms of rapes. That is no consolation. Number two out of 54 (countries) in terms of bad behaviour is hardly a consolation. It’s tragic.

If it were not for the crisis of crime now gripping Lesotho, Ntate Molibeli’s presser would have been very useful for comic relief. However, we are now living in a hell hole. You have to thank the Gods if your family survives the night.  The best the country deserves now is a police commissioner who takes himself and his job seriously.

But inspite all the evidence on hand, Ntate Molibeli believes the media is exaggerating reports of crime in Lesotho. His statement that the media are making issues out of “non-issues” by publicising the World Population Review’s (WPR) 2021 report which places Lesotho at the top of worldwide homicide rankings is not only dumbfounding, it is dangerous, reckless and potentially treasonous.

The WPR, a highly respected body which works closely with the United Nations, has ranked Lesotho number six in the world in terms of homicides after largely failed Latin American rogue states like El Salvador, Honduras, Venezuela, Virgin Islands and Jamaica.

This effectively places Lesotho at number one in Africa, ahead of war-ravaged hopeless states like Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, the two horrendous Sudans, Ethiopia, among others.

By publicizing this report, Ntate Molibeli accuses the media of making “issues out of none issues”. Seriously Ntate Molibeli?  Which cloud cuckoo land has awarded you its permanent citizenship?

Yes, Ntate Molibeli is right that the WPR review report was published this year but relies on 2016 data.  The report does state so itself. But alas, unless Ntate Molibeli has been living in a cave, he must know that the crime states have even worsened since 2016. More and more people are being killed. Even the government has belatedly designated the lawless Famo gangs as terrorist organisations. Gender Based Violence (GBV) is now way over the top.

It the WPR had used latest 2021 data, then perhaps Lesotho would have been designated number one in the world in terms of homicides.

But Ntate Molibeli has the temerity to characterise all this as “non-issues”.  This is an insult to Basotho. It is an insult to His Majesty King Letsie who has admonished criminals for turning Lesotho into a “laughing stock”.

Let’s revisit Ntate Molibeli’s quotable quote at his presser.

“I don’t know if you are aware of this but one of the things that offend us is that people can make issues out of non-issues. For example, there is this issue that Lesotho is a certain number in the world in terms of murder statistics. Those who conducted that study did so in 2017, using 2016 data and only published the study in 2021. I request that you closely interrogate these issues. We are too ready to admit negative things about our country. It is important to be philosophical when dealing with issues and we should not be too ready to accept (negative things about Lesotho),” he said.

Phew!!! Really Ntate Molibeli. So, you really think we should spend time philosophising when our countrymen are being murdered? What planet are you living on Ntate?

You live Scrutator with no option but to join the brave Lesotho Mounted Police Service Staff Association (LEPOSA) in joining the calls for your ouster.

In any other civilised country, the police commissioner would automatically resign if at least 75 guns are stolen from a police station as we saw in Mafeteng Police Station. It’s called accepting responsibility.

Criminals can only be so daring as to steal weapons from a police station when they know they will get away with murder.  We have never experienced such brazenness before. We are only seeing it now because the failure of leadership at the LMPS.

LEPOSA is right to blame you Ntate Molibeli for the theft of the weapons.  When criminals are not countered, and they know they will not be countered, they only get more brazen.

LEPOSA is dead right in declaring that public confidence is now eroded in the police force. After robbing the Mafeteng Police Station, the criminals targeted Hlotse Police Station.  Why wouldn’t they? In fact, they could possibly walk into all police stations and extract weapons and walk away with no reprisals. That is the true state of the LMPS now. Yet Ntate Molibeli does not believe he should take responsibility because he wasn’t there when the weapons were stolen.

Just spare a thought for the woman – extensively reported in this newspaper – who was raped six times by two men and when he went to Maseru Central to report was instead demonized herself and jeered by the police officers present for breaking lockdown rules. And when he appealed to the police bosses, he was asked to submit a formal complaint to which she has gotten no response? That’s enough to explain the paralysis in the police force under the leadership of Ntate Molibeli.

Despite all these skelem, Ntate Molibeli is convinced that he is the right man to remain in the job of police commissioner.  He says he would only go “when the appointing authority decided otherwise”. He should consider himself the luckiest cop in the world. This because he remains in his job because the appointing authority is probably wearing very thick and dark blinkers.

To add insult to injury, Ntate Molibeli accuses those blaming him for theft of the guns from police stations and the collapse of the LMPS under his watch as “attention seekers who had never received any praise in their childhood”.

How callous can a police commissioner be?

He then says those calling for his ouster should similarly demand the sacking of the “person in charge of the ministry” that lost about M49, 5 million to fraudsters.  This he says in reference to Finance Minister, Thabo Sophonea, who revealed that some of his staffers had allegedly been involved in fraud and money laundering activities which had prejudiced the government of about M49,5 million.

Ntate Molibely is presumably right there? When such system failures happen in any entity, especially a public entity, the leader in charge of the entity should quit. It’s called taking responsibility. The fact that this does not happen in our society partly explains our current pre-dinosaurian status. We are poor because our leaders do not take responsibility. If they did, Ntate Molibeli would not be tying his own incompetence to Ntate Sophonea’s. Ntate Molibeli would just have resigned of his own accord a long time ago. People are dying under his watch. Dead bodies are piling all over him. That is enough to have got himself announcing he was paving way for someone to take over without him being pushed out.

For any criminal justice system to work, it starts with the police who must thoroughly investigate crimes and present winnable cases for prosecution.  It must then have judges who actually do their work and adjudicate cases competently and write good judgments.  But everything begins with the police. If the police become leaderless, rudderless and incompetent like the LMPS, then criminals take charge.

How surely can anyone explain a police force in which a woman turns up to report rape then get harangued for breaking down lockdown rules? I

What more should we expect? Your wife or husband will get murdered one day, and Ntate Molibeli’s officers will ask you to bring the dead body at the police to prove that your partner is indeed dead? If you refuse, they will instead lock you up. Many cases of murder that have been reported directly to Ntate Molibeli have not been attended to and will never be attended to because he enjoys too much of his coffee and pancakes.

As Ntate Matobakele has said, we have no police force worth talking about. And unless and until we have a government and prime minister who appreciates that basic truth, we can expect dead bodies to keep piling and more women getting raped with no recourse.  That is not the country we want to be. Unfortunately, that is the country we have become and will remain unless drastic action is taken.

Ntate Molibeli is right to congratulate himself for the arrest of those who nearly murdered Lesotho Times editor Lloyd Mutungamiri and the rogue soldiers who wreaked havoc on Basotho before he took over as police boss. But that was then. His role seems to have ended there. Many more people have since perished without the police caring. Cry the beloved country!!!

Ache!!!

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Moorosi Tsiane

THE Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) is hoping to continue with its winning streak when it takes on Bantu this Saturday in a Vodacom Premier League match at Ratjomose Ground.

Simunye goes into the match after collecting six points in two matches since the league resumed three weeks ago from the long Covid-19 break.

LMPS goes into the match following their 2-1 win over Sefotha-fotha while Bantu suffered a 1-0 defeat over LDF last weekend.

The police outfit mentor Seephephe Matete told the Lesotho Times that they know Bantu are going to be a difficult opponent to beat but they are ready for the challenge.

“They have been having some internal problems I am aware and they lost their match last weekend.

“They are a big team which we respect and they are coming wounded we need to be more careful as they will be fighting to bounce back,” said Matete.

Matete added that they are still in a regrouping process and they are not yet where he wants them to be.

“We are still in a recuperating phase, identifying our strengths which will help us to protect our weaknesses so it is not just going to be easy. The other factor is the upfront, we are not solid because of unavailability of striker (Monyatheli Ntobo) who will return in January. For us to be able to be consistent we need to have a stable team.

“We have a solid defense and midfield, so we are still trying to find an attacker then we will be set,” Matete said.

Bantu coach Bob Mafoso who was absent in their last weekend loss against LDF admitted that his team is facing some challenges but said they have quality players for the games.

“Last weekend loss, was the second in a row because we had previously lost to Lifofane. It is worrying because one cannot really tell whether we are going through a rough patch just like any other team or our problems are a result of bad organisation. In the Lifofane match we arrived 15 minutes before kick-off and we went on to lose the match and now our team has only 11 in field players practicing as some have left due to different reasons,” Mafoso said.

He said that LDF and LMPs are one of the stable teams in the league.

“LMPS, like LDF is one of the teams which are stable in terms of playing personnel.

“We do not have numbers in terms of playing personnel but we have a quality so we will go into the match to fight,” said Mafoso.

In other league matches log leaders Matlama will take on Kick4Life in a first match of a double header set for LCS Ground where the second match will see LCS hosting LDF.

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Leemisa Thuseho

LESOTHO Defence Force (LDF) rugby side, Liqhomane beat Maseru Warriors 17-10 in the Econet Rugby League final, reclaiming the title they had lost in 2020.

The finals were played at Mabote ground over the weekend.

The weekend victory saw Liqhomane winning their second league title after they first won it in 2019 before they were toppled by the same team last season.

Liqhomane bagged M10, 000.

Meanwhile, Mabote Beavers thrashed Roma Kings by a 42-0 score in the 3^rd place pay offs to win the league’s bronze medal.

In an exclusive interview with Lesotho Times, LDF player coach Refuoe Makhasane who is also the club chairman said winning the league was their main target from the onset, therefore they were pleased to have achieved it.

However, he said playing against Warriors in a final wasn’t an easy task as it is always a fight whenever the two giants play.

“We won, but it wasn’t an easy game as we were playing against the defending champions.

“Despite having led the pack throughout the season, Warriors still had a chance to win the league even in the last minute. Therefore, we were out for a fight as we knew they were not going to be a walk over,” Makhasane said.

The weekend win on the other hand saw Liqhomane closing the season in style having won all their game throughout the campaign. Thus Makhasane said it could have been a shame to them to lose the final.

“We have been winning our games since the start of the season and losing the last game could have been an embarrassment,” Makhasane said.

Makhasane gave credit to the players citing that they didn’t have enough time to prepare for the final but their fighting spirit and determination worked for them.

“Most of our players were working in the security department during the African Union Sport Council Region 5 games and that means we didn’t have proper preparations. But having won against the odds indicates that we have a strong and competitive team,” Makhasane said.

In his part Warriors coach Morapeli Motaung congratulated the new champions and also warned them to watch out for the next season.

“Congratulation to the winners, it is promising to see teams like Liqhomane growing because that contributes to us having a larger pool of competitive players to select our national teams from.

“Finishing second is a huge achievement for us because at the beginning of the season we lost a number of players due to various reasons. So, our team was made up of inexperienced players, but next year we will have a strong team,” Motaung said.

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Leemisa Thuseho

TEAM Lesotho displayed an unsatisfactory performance having failed to go past the last 32 stage at the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Table Tennis Championship.

The championships were held in Botswana from 11 to 14 December.

All Lesotho players only managed to advance from group stage to the last 32 in both ladies and males categories. However, they couldn’t make further to the next stage as they were all booted out.

Expectations were high that the team would at least reach the semifinals following its commendable performance in the last edition of the games which was held in Lesotho in 2019.

In the 2019 competition, Lesotho won a bronze in team events in both males and women’s categories. Again a duo of Reaboka Bofelo and Matšeliso Chere settled for a bronze medal in ladies doubles.

One of the players Reitumetse Maome who was also appointed the team’s manager to Botswana event, believes despite the poor performance, the players did their best.

“The tournament was tough, we tried our best as a team. However, it was important for us to learn and gain experience.

“We got a chance to weigh our competitiveness against top countries in the region and that will know where to improve going into 2022 season. Having been able to get through the group stages, means we had potential to go further,” Maome said.

Maome also pointed out that they were aiming high at this tournament because it also served as one of the qualifiers for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham, England.

During the tournament preparations, at some point the team had to stop training after the trip was cancelled on the back of lack of finances. However, Lesotho National Olympic Committee came into their rescue in the last minute and paid for the trip.

Due to limited budget the team even went to Botswana without a coach.

Maome believes that all what transpired before the trip should have been a motivation to the team to prove that they can punch over their weights despite the challenges.

“I believe the challenges we had prior to the trip could have motivated us, because honestly our association (Lesotho Table Tennis Association) pushed beyond measures to make the trip happen.

“It is true we could have trained more if there had not been the cancelation, but also it says players shouldn’t be easily demotivated by circumstances they couldn’t control,” Maome said.

Lesotho’s team was led by top-ranked player, Khethang Mothibi. Other male players were Themba Talane, Hareteke Mapeshoane and Likhetho Mothibi.

The ladies’ team comprised of Thato Mathibeli, Nthabeleng Mokeki, Reaboka Bofelo and Maome.

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Moorosi Tsiane

MATLAMA registered a 1-0 victory against LCS last weekend to cement their place at the top of Vodacom Premier League table.

The last weekend win saw Tse Putsoa extending their lead to four points from the second placed Bantu who are the defending champions.

Lisema Lebokollane was on target for the Sea-Point based outfit to help them extending the gap from one point to four as Matlama sit on top with 41 points while Bantu are on 37.

Bantu struggles continued as they went 1-0 down to LDF thanks to an early goal from striker Katleho Makateng who slotted home from the spot.

The loss meant that Bantu chances of defending their title are continued to be threatened as the team has been having internal problems that saw all their foreign players excluding Lazola Tjokojokwana not showing up since the team opened last month for the resumption of the league.

Bantu coach Bob Mafoso also has some contractual issues with the team and has not been with the team for the past two weeks while vice president technical Panyane Phiri resigned at the start of this month.

Victory for the army side saw them registering their second win since the resumption of the league as they beat Liphakoe with a same score margin a fortnight ago.

LDF are now fourth on the table with 30 points from 14 matches.

LMPS on the other hand had to come from one goal down to register a 2-1 win against their bitter rivals Sefotha-Fotha.

Sefotha-Fotha had found the lead from Tšepo Seturumane in the opening minutes of the match before Tanki Polokoane levelled the matter for Simunye while the second goal came in the second stanza from Roboama Koloti.

LMPS are on eight spot with 24 points from 15 matches while Sefotha-Fotha continue to flirt with relegation sitting at the bottom of the table with six points from 18 matches.

In the last match of the catch up matches played on Sunday, Swallows gave away their early lead to Lijabatho to lose the match 1-3.

Mohau Khali scored from the spot for Swallows before Ntsimane Mashili equalized for the visitors. Michael Kanguite scored Lijabatho’s second goal while Pheko Mara scored their third goal to wrap up three points for Charles Manda’s charges.

Swallows remained on second from the bottom with 10 points from 17 matches while Lijabatho are sixth with 27 points from 18 matches.

The post Matlama extends gap appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Of all the things we can be accused of, no one can point a finger at us, Basotho, for lacking in political humour. Lesotho’s politicians are never a big yawn. They are an entertaining bunch. The best comedians in the world. They make Trevor Noah green with envy.

The circus in the once mighty All Basotho Convention (ABC) has kept us entertained for quite some time. There is no sign that it will abate any soon. If Ntate Majoro remains defiant – expect to see Ntate Motsoahe, resplendent in his yellow jacket, green pants, purple shirt and pink shoes, heading straight to try and physically evict the prime minister from State House. If we were not an economic backwater, the antics of our politicians would keep us laughing. We would be number one in the world happiness stakes in place of Finland. We will not be number one in homicides.  We would be a good circus.

But as we all know, for you to enjoy a visit to a circus, you first must have a full tummy. You must also have taken a good warm shower from a piped source. You must also be in good health and anticipate that if you catch Omicron at the circus, you can get a bed and medicines at Tšepong. You must also have a job and healthy bank balance. Unfortunately, a majority of Basotho don’t have these. We get by on less than M20 a day.

This is why it’s high time we must all stand up and demand of our politicians that their time of behaving like clowns in a circus is over.  They must now do what we elect them to do; ie govern this country to prosperity and stop taking us for fools.

We will all be wrong to dismiss the current tiff between bontate Majoro and Mochoboroane as just another sequel in our circus circuit.

For those among us who live in a parallel universe or in the mountains, let me briefly explain this astonishing tiff.  Ntate Majoro was recently chaperoned to some meeting by Ntate Machesetsa (the BNP leader), where the prime minister launched a scathing attack against bontate Mochoboroane and Metsing over their relentless behaviour in trying to avoid being joined to the treason of Tlali Kamoli and his fellow delinquents.

They had remained adamant that they should not be tried for treason until after the completion of the reforms process as per the love pact between the now fallen Motsoahae regime and the SADC regional bloc. As we all know, their argument fell away when our courts – at all levels – upheld the supremacy of His Majesty’s constitution against the proclivities of the normally useless SADC. You cannot blame bontate Mochoboroane and Metsing for not trying. It’s never nice being in court daily for such a heavy crime, not knowing whether or not you will be convicted and hanged. But when all has been said and done, the conclusions of the courts are what binds any civilised nations. The two politicians should thus have simply submitted themselves to the law, particularly because they should be exemplary in upholding it.

The brave Mochoboroane decided to take the bull by the horns and present himself before Justice Sakoane Sakoane. In a further sign of his bravery, he submitted an affidavit outlining his role in the fateful events of 30 August 2014. He explains why he assisted the soldiers? I cannot fathom any other example of bravery because Ntate Mochoboroane is in fact confirming he participated in the attempted putsch.  In other words, he is an honest man. It is up to Ntate Sakoane to make a ruling on the matter. But the weakling or marshmallow of our politics, Methotjoa Metsing, elected to do what he knows best; vote with his feet.  A local weekly claimed last week that he had been found and would soon appear in court. The police have rejected that report. Instead, Ntate Metsing is still hiding under a bed somewhere in Orkney, the mine at which he used to labour underground before Lesotho’s politics changed his fortunes. I will disclose exactly in which house Ntate Metsing is hiding as soon as the police announce a reward of M50 000 or more for information about his exact whereabouts.

Ntate Metsing – as we now know from his deputy Ntate Mokhosi – will remain hiding until the reforms are completed and the LCD gets the judiciary and judges it wants to try their leader. At least this is another circus we can all laugh at. Ntate Mokhosi never ceases to amaze. He is always good for a laugh.  In other words, he is saying Ntate Sakoane, who is doing a splendid job as chief justice, is not fit for purpose. This alone warrants a second treason charge against the LCD and Ntate Metsing.

But the circus we cannot afford to laugh at is what has transpired since. Ntate Majoro has since used a gathering, in Mount Moorosi, Quthing, to which he was chaperoned by Ntate Machesetsa, to launch a blistering and unprecedented attack on bontate Metsing and Mochoboroane.

He essentially accused them of being crooks trying to blackmail the government to help them avoid meeting their judicial comeuppance for their past and present sins.

An irate Ntate Mochoboroane then fired back, accusing Ntate Majoro of being the biggest crook in the universe in a no holds barred interview with the Sunday Express.

Now, this is no ordinary tiff. It is not your usual bickering among our kindergarten politicians.  Ntate Mochoboroane is no ordinary political nincompoop. He is a developing political behemoth. His MEC party, unless he is jailed, is an inevitable ruling party one day in the future. He has also been a cabinet minister in various portfolios with an impressive track record.  Once, Ntate Motsoahae tried to fire him from his post as communications minister and replace him with the Guptarite or Nikuved Joang Molapo. Ntate Mochoboroane simply summoned Kamoli to stand guard at his office. It was Ntate Motsoahae himself who ended up voting with his feet, seeking refuge in Ladybrand, before opting for Ficksburg, to be as far away as possible from Mochoboroane. Now, these are not the actions of a political spittle. They are the actions of a man with steel nerves. That’s is why his real name is Mochoborooooooooane (a horse with a back bone of steel). This is why we cannot afford to take Ntate Mochoboroane’s fightback against Ntate Majoro as mere rantings of an unhinged political player. After all, Ntate Mochoboroane is still an integral part of Ntate Majoro’s cabinet, occupying the all too important post of Development Planning Minister, a position just as important as the prime ministers.

Where in Africa, have you seen a serving minister attacking his prime minister and accusing him of graft? Where in Africa have you seen a minister daring a prime minister to fire him? For this, we have to stand and salute Ntate Mochoboorane for his bravery.  While he was initially wrong to join Ntate Metsing in a vainglorious attempt to avoid appearing before the courts, Ntate Mochoboroane eventually got it right. He has proved he is one of a few in our political class driven by principle regardless of the kwenzikwenzis (consequences).

Among other things, Ntate Mochoboroane accuses Ntate Majoro of rigging the controversial fleet tender to reward his friends. He also accused him of covering up the brutal murder of former Home Affairs procurement official, Khahliso Soro, because the prime minister’s friend masterminded the murder.

Ntate Soro was brutally tortured and his heart ripped out after he had in 2018 threatened to expose his Home Affairs superiors for their corruption and covetousness before the parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) then chaired by Ntate Mochoboroane. As is typical with our useless police under Holomo Molibeli, there has not even been anything close to an attempt to investigate the murder. Not even a visit by the police to the murder scene in Ha-Pita, Maseru. Although the scumbag that masterminded Ntate Soro’s death is well known, nothing will happen to it because it is a friend of the prime minister, Ntate Mochoboroane contends. Now that is a very serious charge.

“Majoro is not at all holy and he knows very well that he is corrupt,” a fuming Ntate Mochoboroane said in a no-holds-barred weekend interview with the Sunday Express.

These are allegations that cannot and should not be taken lightly. Moreso because they are not the words of an opposition politician vying for power by trying to discredit an incumbent.  No, they are from a politician who is an integral part of the existing power matrix.

By confirming he is willing to forego the coalition gravy train by taking the prime minister head on, it means Ntate Mochoboroane knows a thing or two about the veracity of his allegations.  This is not to say the prime minister is guilty of the allegations. But when a sitting member of cabinet accuses a sitting prime minister of being complicit in corruption and murder, only a Medieval society can fail to demand answers from the premier.

For the record, the Sunday Express committed a journalistic faux pas by not putting Ntate Mochoboroane’s allegations before Ntate Majoro for his side of the story. The prime minister would have not bothered to comment anyway but at least he should have been afforded the right of reply. This however should not stop civic society and Basotho at large from demanding answers from Ntate Majoro.

In any normal society, Ntate Majoro would have sprung to action; called a press conference; derided the Sunday Express for not giving him an opportunity to respond; and then confirmed or denied that he is corrupt or an accessory to murder. But the prime minister has not done that and will probably not do that because he knows Basotho will not demand answers.  And that has always been our biggest mistake. That explains our current state of backwardness. We don’t hold our politicians accountable. They therefore take us for granted.

Our civic society – with the little exception of Ntate Tsikoane Peshoane’s Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) – is comatose, if not wholly non-existent.  If it was worth anything, civic society would be haranguing Ntate Majoro for answers.

Ntate Mochoboroane owes it to Basotho to provide evidence of the corruption he alleges against the prime minister. Ntate Majoro equally owes this nation a response to these serious allegations. These are not the issues that can just be ignored. If we indeed have a prime minister who protects a murderer, who was preceded by another suspected of actually committing murder, then be afraid, be very afraid.  It explains why we now top the world in terms of homicides, instead of producing and exporting electrical vehicles (Elon Musk style).

I have been following the goings on in Britain, the country after which everything we love, including our political system (minus the calibre of our actual politicians), is derived with a deep sense of trepidation.  I love prime minister Boris Johnson. He is a funny clownish character. But he is hard working. He commandeered his entire nation into accepting the mad act of leaving the European Union (Brexit). Imagine, Ntate Majoro commandeering us to leave SADC (Lexit) yet as an economist, he knows there is economic strength in numbers?  But despite his pomposity and vile arrogance and racism, Ntate Johnson delivers for his people. Now, Ntate Johnson is on the verge of losing his job as prime minister because he passed via a Christmas party of his staff at his Downing Street offices last year. Can you believe it? A prime minister facing ouster because he briefly attended a Christmas party?  Many Basotho will accuse the Brits of rank madness.  But that’s how a principled political system works nonetheless. The crime here is that Ntate Johnson viad the party after he had imposed a lockdown to contain Covid and had banned all social gatherings. He had even banned Brits from having sex.   He was barely at the party for five minutes and did not even finish a half glass of his favourite Maluti lager (which they send him from here and which is why he reinstated a full British High Commission here).

But the people of Britain, who understand the need to hold their politicians accountable are having none of it.  There cannot be one rule for politicians – as is our case in Lesotho – and a rule for everyone else. Why should I be banned from interacting with family and friends and bonking my lover while the prime minister can attend Christmas parties and even let his staff organise them in the first instance? That is the question every Briton is asking.

If it was here in Lesotho, boNtate Majoro or Motsoahae could lock all of us in our houses then convene their friends to celebrate their 85^th and 98^th birthdays respectively and get away with it? If Scrutator took them to task, the rest of the nation would think I am mad. Now that should explain why we are where we are in terms of development. We let our politicians get away with anything.

Here, we have a prime minister who has been accused of shielding a murderer from the wrath of the law and of being corrupt by a sitting member of his cabinet. Yet no one appears to be bothered. No one is asking any questions. In the meantime, corruption has decimated us that we are no longer on the edge of a precipice but halfway under it. Homicides have become our second nature. Nothing is being done about it. If we are to remain a Stone Age entity (country) then we have none but ourselves to blame.

As Bob Marley trenchantly commented in Redemption Song “None but ourselves can free our minds (from political treachery)”. The best we can do for ourselves is hold our politicians accountable. Unless we do, we will just have to accept our continued demise.

I am on record saying Ntate Majoro must remain in power until the 2022 elections, despite the prolific efforts by Ntate Motsoahae’s corrupt and inept cabal to oust him. For him to retain my support (which is essential for him to remain even as a PS in the next government) he must at least explain why Ntate Soro’s well known murderer is still strutting his stuff around and his alleged role in furthering the nests of those corrupt dudes in the fleet tender. It’s either that or I am done with him.

Ache!!!

The post Mochoborooooooooane…. once more… appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Bereng Mpaki

LESOTHO Electricity and Water Authority (LEWA) this week donated grocery hampers worth M10 000 each, to ten orphanage homes across the country.

LEWA’s public relations officer, Sebusi Khanyela said that the orphanages were identified through the assistance of the Ministry of Social Development.

“The criteria used to select the beneficiaries was based on registration and vulnerability status. Each orphanage was allowed to identify its needs and household essentials to the value of M10 000,” Mr Khanyela said.

He added that they found it worthy to donate grocery hampers during the festive season since Christmas is a time of joy and gift giving.

“LEWA is pleased to contribute towards making a difference in changing other people’s lives,” Mr Khanyela said.

“Christmas is the time of giving and celebration of love, joy and peace. These grocery hampers are a symbol of LEWA’s love and care for those struggling to make ends meet.

“LEWA also realized that the COVID-19 Pandemic has decreased economic opportunities and has placed homes and other minority groups to live through hand-to mouth supplies,” Mr Khanyela said.

The orphanages to receive the hampers are the Apostolic Faith Mission and Beautiful Gate in Maseru; St Cecelia in Berea; Touching Tiny Lives (Mokhotlong); One Day Foundation (Butha-Buthe) Phelisanong Centre (Leribe); Matholeng Safe House (Mafeteng); St Camillus (Mohale’s Hoek); Pulane Children’s Home (Quthing); and Rachel Children’s Home in Qacha’s Nek.

The post LEWA donates 100K worth of items appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Staff Reporter

TOP petroleum company, Engen Lesotho, has come under fire from the Ministry of Labour and Employment over its decision to recruit an expatriate for the vacant post of managing director.

The post fell vacant after the retirement of the former incumbent, Theodore Molapo, in August this year. The Lesotho Times has established that Engen Lesotho’s parent company in South Africa has applied for a work permit for a South African national, Tebogo Mosehla, to succeed Mr Molapo.

The move to hire Mr Mosehla has not gone down well with Labour and Employment Minister, Moshe Leoma, who has said that companies should give locals first preference whenever they are recruiting new staff. Expatriates should only be hired in exceptional circumstances where they possess rare skills that are not locally available, the minister says.

In an interview with this publication, Mr Leoma said he had received Mr Mosehla’s work permit application. He however, said he was conducting his own investigations before making a final decision on the matter.

“We have received his application for a work permit at the office,” Mr Leoma said, adding that the application was made following a visit by Engen officials from South Africa to request a special dispensation to allow them to hire Mr Mosehla.

“Engen sent its representatives from South Africa to my office and requested that he (Mosehla) be granted a work permit. They argued that Basotho business people in the petroleum sector who deal directly with Engen Lesotho had requested for a specialist who would assist them to become independent players in the industry.

“I subsequently held another meeting with Engen Lesotho officials requesting that I approve the work permit. The last managing director was a Mosotho national but they requested that the position be given to an expatriate from South Africa whose primary mandate would be to assist them to become independent. They say he is a specialist and their expectation was for me to approve the work permit a fortnight ago.

“But I have a localisation policy. That is why I am not rushing into making a decision in relation to work permit applications for expatriates. I take my time to interrogate these issues. I will have a meeting with my principal secretary (Matela Thabane) and the labour commissioner (Mamohale Matsoso) for a briefing on the matter before making a decision on the issue,” Mr Leoma said.

He said he was conducting his own investigations to find out if there was merit in hiring an expatriate at the expense of a Mosotho.

“This is not the first time that this issue of (the lack of local expertise) has been raised. Vodacom Lesotho advanced the same argument but I stood firm and the managing director’s post was eventually given to a Mosotho. I want the Engen Lesotho vacancy to be filled by a Mosotho. My main interest is to localise these positions because we have competent academics in Lesotho who are being overlooked for top jobs,” Mr Leoma said.

Energy and Meteorology Minister, Mohapi Mohapinyane said he was not aware of Engen Lesotho’s plans to hire an expatriate. He referred all questions to his principal secretary, Themba Sopeng.

On his part, Mr Sopeng said his ministry was fully in support of the localisation policy and he was happy with progress towards empowering locals in the petroleum industry.

“The issuance of work permits is the prerogative of the labour ministry. However, on our side, one of the things we are aiming to achieve with the localisation policy is to empower Basotho in the service industries. To that end, I can say that implementation of the policy is going well particularly in the transport sector. All trucks transporting petroleum belong to Basotho businesses,” Mr Sopeng said.

The post Engen Lesotho under fire over MD recruitment appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Moorosi Tsiane

TEAM Lesotho Chef De Mission, Caswell Moru heaped praises to the athletes for splendid performance at the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games following muddled preparations.
The games started a fortnight ago and came to an end last Sunday with Lesotho finishing third in overall medal table with 18 gold medals, 17 silver and 17 bronze medals adding up to 52 medals.
South Africa took the first position with 75 medals (37 gold, 27 silver, 11 bronze), while on Second is Botswana with 64 medals (24 gold, 21 silver and 19 bronze).
Moru said no one gave the team pulled a surprise and performed well despite all the challenges they encountered during preparations until the time the games started.
“There were many challenges and honestly no one really gave them support for them to perform in such a way.
“They surprised all of us because they outdid themselves given the little preparation time they had,” said Moru.
He said that one other challenge they encountered was receiving money late which also led to their delay in preparing the team.
“We received money very late to prepare for the team which means that our preparations were also delayed.”
Moru said they also couldn’t start camps in time because there were no proper arrangements done for the external students who were sitting for their final examinations.
“We also couldn’t start with camps early because the games were clashing with the final examinations of our external students,” said Moru.
“Had we better prepared, I believe we could have performed well and won probably more medals.”
He said one of the things that threatened the games was the number of Covid-19 cases that were escalating at an alarming rate within team Lesotho.
“The number of positive cases were worrying and it was mostly affecting our best athletes,” Moru said.
However, Moru said they benefited from the games, which includes the infrastructure legacy and exposure for the athletes.
“There are also some positives that we are taking from the games, things like infrastructure which I believe it will help us in the future while also preparing for other international games.
“Our athletes also got exposure because most still qualify to go to Malawi in the next edition of the games. They now have confidence in competing with their peers,” he said.
Moru further mentioned that they also got experience as administrators on how to run and prepare for international events.
He said they need to start as early as January 2022, to prepare for Malawi games.
“Time is already not on our side and I think if the Malawi team can prepare as early as January next year that will be better. The good thing is that most of athletes who competed this year will still be eligible for next year games,” said Moru.
“We already have a team so we need to work with these athletes that we already have. But that is also up to our national federations to see they keep these athletes active, we need to increase the number of our domestic competitions while also trying to take them to competitions outside the country as much as we can.”

The post We did well at AUSC Games: Moru appeared first on Lesotho Times.

IN a highly usual development, Development Planning Minister Selibe Mochoboroane has made sensational corruption allegations against Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro.

We must state from the onset that we hold no brief for Mr Mochoboroane, Dr Majoro or any politician for that matter. Ours is simply to be the eyes and ears of the nation. We have a duty to hold political leaders and other public officials to scrutiny and objectively report on their conduct of public duties.

It is for this reason that we think Mr Mochoboroane’s allegations must not be dismissed as hot air, they must be probed to determine whether there is any truth to them.

As reported by the Sunday Express in its latest edition, Dr Majoro and Mr Mochoboroane are engaged in a nasty fight.  This after Dr Majoro accused the MEC leader and his Lesotho Congress of Democracy (LCD) counterpart, Mothetjoa Metsing, of attempting to blackmail the government into stopping their treason and murder trial. Dr Majoro made the comments while addressing a public gathering in Mount Moorosi, Quthing last week on Wednesday.

Mr Mochoboroane, who is also leader of the Movement for Economic Change (MEC), reacted angrily to Dr Majoro’s allegations by making sensational claims of his own against the premier and deputy leader of the All Basotho Convention (ABC). He accused Dr Majoro of brazen corruption in several instances including the awarding of the government fleet tender to a local taxi organisation in 2019.

“Majoro is not at all holy and he knows very well that he is corrupt,” a fuming Mr Mochoboroane told the Sunday Express.

“Ntate Majoro is corrupt and I have evidence in that regard. He has his own case of corruption that was presented to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP Hlalefang Motinyane) by the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) boss, Mahlomola Manyokole. This is in connection with the awarding of the government fleet tender. The tender was awarded while Majoro was still the minister of finance. He has therefore moved to have Manyokole fired to stop the case because he (Majoro) has power and influence.

“While I was chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I even called him (Majoro) to testify and he refused to come until I heard his testimony in camera. I told him to his face that he was directly involved in corruptly awarding the fleet tender to the Maseru Star Taxi Association.

“I even told him that he had directed the Lesotho Post Bank manager to give loans to the taxi association’s members to enable them to buy taxis and then rent them out to the government. This is absolute corruption,” Mr Mochoboroane added.

He went as far as accusing the prime minister of conniving with the police command to block an investigation into the possible murder of a Home Affairs official because a close friend of the premier was implicated in the killing of the official. He did not name the premier’s “close friend”.

The 39-year-old Khahliso Soro was a senior procurement officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs. He was found dead in September 2018 near his home in Ha- Pita, Maseru almost a week after he went missing.

His decomposing body was found in an unoccupied house near his own residence by children who had been playing nearby.

His mysterious death left tongues wagging as he died a few days after he promised the Public Accounts Committee that he would name and shame high-ranking officers in the Home Affairs ministry who had embezzled public funds.

As if these allegations were not sensational and damaging enough, Mr Mochoboroane claimed he had more dirt on the premier which he would reveal in due course if the latter continued provoking him.

The minister has made serious allegations and they ought to be investigated.

We call upon the relevant institutions to do their work as this will go a long way in protecting the country’s image as a country that respects the rule of law and upholds the principle of equality of all before the law.

The post Corruption allegations against PM must be investigated appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Staff Reporter

OVER the past two weeks, the country waited with bated breath to see what the major political parties would come up with. This after a faction of the ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) proposed a meeting of all parties represented in parliament to discuss a government of national unity (GNU).

The GNU, which was proposed by former premier Thomas Thabane’s faction of the ABC, was aimed at ousting Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro after the latter refused to resign in line with a 2 December 2021 resolution of the ABC’s national executive committee (NEC) to recall him.

In the end, the GNU meeting was aborted with key Thabane ally and ABC spokesperson, Montoeli Masoetsa, claiming it was not even their idea to begin with. But it seems Mr Masoetsa was being economical with the truth. The reality appears to be that the Thabane faction realised that there were no takers for their GNU brainchild and they stood to be embarrassed if they had gone ahead with the meeting. Even before the meeting, key political parties like the Democratic Congress (DC) and Basotho Action Party (BAP), who have a combined 37 National Assembly seats, had already rejected what they saw as a ruse by the Thabane faction to help it win its factional wars at the expense of the national interest. Given that other political parties have been cagey about the idea of a GNU and that some ABC MPs, especially those already serving in Dr Majoro’s cabinet, were unlikely to support his overthrow for fear of losing their ministerial jobs, it would have been near impossible to win support for the GNU idea even if the Thabane faction had convened the meeting.

Unsurprisingly, the Thabane faction decided to abandon the GNU idea and they have now decided to hold a special conference next month to try and get rid of Dr Majoro. (See story on Page 2).

Even if that meeting goes ahead, Dr Majoro’s fate would have to be decided in parliament where, unless something drastic happens, the premier commands the numbers to cling on.

The BAP and DC were not alone in opposing the GNU. Analysts who spoke to the Lesotho Times this week, were unanimous in rejecting the idea on the grounds that it was a selfish ploy by the Thabane faction to involve other parties in resolving its self-inflicted leadership crisis and infighting ahead of next year’s elections.

Alexander Hudson, a Sweden-based Democracy Assessment Specialist, says GNUs are usually employed in contexts where either a national election has produced an unclear or disputed result, or it is not yet possible to hold an election for some reason.

Zimbabwean political science scholars, Tasara Muguti, Baxter Tavuyanago and James Hlongwana, said a GNU “is born out of circumstances in which the legitimacy of a party in office is severely weakened and the party is incapacitated to govern the country alone.

“This then makes it imperative for such a party to seek legitimacy by forming a governance alliance with partners in opposition.”

Generally, GNUs have been formed when there are disputed elections or when a country is emerging from a violent upheaval as was the case in South Africa in 1994. At that point, Lesotho’s only neighbour was emerging from decades of apartheid rule. There was also endemic black-on-black violence pitting African National Congress (ANC) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters against each other. To manage the transition, it was decided that all parties winning more than five percent of electoral votes in elections that year should be included in a GNU to steer the country forward.

Similarly in 2007, Kenya had a GNU which included rivals Mwai Kibaki as President and Odinga Odinga as prime minister. This after a disputed election which claimed thousands of lives. Zimbabwe had a similar GNU arrangement from 2009 to 2013 which included the late long-serving President Robert Mugabe and his nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).   Mr Mugabe had lost the first round of the presidential election, before he unleashed unprecedented violence which left tens of thousands of MDC supporters dead, injured or displaced. Then South African president Thabo Mbeki, who was SADC’s emissary in the Zimbabwe crisis, orchestrated a GNU to resolve the impasse created by Mr Mugabe’s legitimacy.

As observed by constitutional law expert, Hoolo ‘Nyane, none of these conditions which warranted GNUs in fellow African countries apply to Lesotho at this juncture. Therefore, there is no justification for a GNU, says Professor ‘Nyane who is also Head of the Public and Environmental Law department, at the University of Limpopo.

By the ABC’s own admission to SADC leaders in 2018, Lesotho did not need a GNU because it had a constitutionally elected government after the June 2017 elections which had been declared free and fair by local and international observers and accepted as such by both winners and losers. This after the then opposition, which included Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu’s Democratic Congress (DC), had demanded a GNU as one of the conditions for their participation in the multi-sector reforms process.

In rejecting the GNU, the ABC-led government wrote to SADC leaders, saying a GNU was out of the question because a lawful government was already in place.

“We cannot discuss a government of national unity because we held elections in June last year (2017) to deal with a situation that had arisen after parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the-then government.

“The elections were declared free and fair and no one is contesting the results. Our understanding is that the current situation requires certain sustainable actions that should not drag us back to lengthy discussions of forming a government of national unity which is not necessary because there is no problem with the sitting government,” the then Thabane administration said to SADC leaders in 2018.

But in an about turn, Mr Thabane and his allies now want the very GNU they refused to entertain when he was prime minister.

Prof ‘Nyane said the “newly found quest for a GNU by the ABC is clearly a manifestation of frustration from its executive committee after its decision to recall prime minister Majoro failed to materialise”.

“The NEC is trying another antic to push Dr Majoro out of power. Otherwise, they know that neither the law nor the circumstances allow for such a call. If Dr Majoro does not cooperate with their decision to recall him, they know that they have to use a majority in the National Assembly to withdraw their confidence from the Prime Minister. The ABC NEC realises that Dr Majoro is not going to resign, and their prospects of staging a successful motion of no confidence are extremely slim. Hence, they are creating an artificial ‘crisis’ that they think will be acceptable to other political parties as a justification for their call for the GNU.

“This is political opportunism because they know that there are political parties that have, in the past, peddled the idea of the GNU like the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and the Alliance of Democrats (AD). So, the ABC desperately hopes to court these ‘GNU parties’ into their veiled bid to oust Dr Majoro. At the present moment, there is no crisis that the ABC alleges exists, which can justify the call for the GNU,” Prof ‘Nyane said.

National University of Lesotho (NUL) education lecturer, Mahao Mahao, concurred, saying, “the GNU idea is perhaps the craziest thing ever put on Lesotho’s political table in 2021”.

“It was flawed in many ways. One of the flaws was that it was proposed by ABC NEC members who are outside parliament. It was also flawed because it was proposed by members of a party that is already leading the government. We are talking about the ABC secretary general (Lebohang Hlaele) and a few people in Thabane’s circle who are known to wield influence. Considering that Thabane’s judgement may be poor due to age, some of the people around him are milking the situation to the fullest.

“The GNU idea is self-serving and only intended to topple a sitting prime minister. The internal strife of the ABC is the key catalyst for the Thabane faction’s demands and the public must not be duped into believing that the GNU was proposed with good intentions. It is nothing but hogwash. What everybody is now aware of is the joke that the ABC has become,” Dr Mahao said.

Rather than be swayed by the ABC, the nation should instead start preparing for next year’s elections which will usher in a democratically-elected government, not the elitist GNU, Dr Mahao said.

Fellow NUL lecturer and analyst, Mamotsamai Ranneileng, also rejected the GNU, saying it would not benefit the nation.

“The GNU is not going to benefit Basotho; the ABC NEC only wants to use it to get rid of Dr Majoro. The NEC’s intentions are not pure. It is only looking after its own interests. Its members now want to get into government to get a piece of the cake before the elections. They are now talking about a GNU because they have no hope of winning the elections. They have torn their own party apart through endless power struggles and they are now using childish tricks to get other parties to help them to deal with their own mess,” Dr Ranneileng said.

Prof ‘Nyane noted that by their nature, GNUs are elitist arrangements by politicians and hardly ever serve any nation in which they are constituted. They are usually negotiated without the input of the ordinary people and thus take away their constitutionally enshrined right to vote for governments of their choice.

For this reason, GNUs must be avoided and only be a last resort, Prof ‘Nyane said.

“GNUs are generally controversial because they are elitist arrangements by the political class to share the spoils of government. Sometimes they are the only solution out of a political crisis. For a political crisis to warrant such elitist arrangements, there must be a complete breakdown of constitutionalism. But there is no such crisis in Lesotho.

“In any event, Lesotho will soon be entering the election period in terms of the constitution. That (election) should be the major pre-occupation of all political parties; not the imaginary crises that the ABC says exists.

“The voter in Lesotho is already expecting an opportunity provided by the constitution to vote for a new government, not some elitist arrangement by political parties to enter into power without a mandate from the voter,” Prof Nyane said.

When all is said and done, Lesotho does not need a GNU. Now that the ABC’s factional plan has suffered a still-birth, the party must go back to the drawing board and come up with strategies to resolve its internal contradictions without encumbering the nation in its endless rifts, the analysts said.

The post GNU an unnecessary, selfish and elitist political enterprise: Analysts appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Gaborone, Botswana, December 14, 2021—:  Letshego is making considerable strides in its digital transformation strategy, having digitised its access channels with the launch and improvement of channels such as WhatsApp, USSD and web over the course of 2020 and this year launching the LetsGO Digital Mall in 10 regional markets, ahead of timelines thanks to Agile Enterprise methodologies.

“Letshego’s vision is clear, we wish to be a digitally-led organisation that remains adaptive to the ever changing environment, ensuring we remain future-fit so we can continue delivering on our promise to improve lives,” commented Andrew Okai, Group Chief Executive

The Group’s digitisation strategy is structured to achieve broad transformation across multiple functions and includes the empowerment and upliftment of digital skills within its own staff compliment.

“We are not only here to improve the lives of our customers, but also those of our own people by upskilling and empowering our employees with world-class digital skills ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of our business well into the future,” added Andrew Okai, Group Chief Executive.

Letshego’s empowerment of digital skills doesn’t end there.  Speaking in a private interview, Enos Banda, Letshego’s Group Chairman, announced another new avenue of digital empowerment for the benefit of Letshego’s regional communities, the LETSGO DIGITAL ACADEMY, with Botswana being the first market to benefit from this digital skills initiative, launching in the first quarter of 2022.

“The launch of our LetsGO Digital Academy is intended to build and empower more Africans with world-class digital skills and experience, but also resonates directly with the ethos of Letshego’s LetsGONation.  We are building a nation for Africans, by Africans,” commented Banda.

Enos Banda reiterated that education and skills are two key levers that brighten the minds and potential of our future talent and will ensure and secure Africa’s future as an innovative, entrepreneurial hub for a multitude of sectors, including fintechs, manufacturing, digital innovation, health, agriculture and entrepreneurship.

The LetsGO Digital Academy will initially enjoy a limited intake of 10 interns as the Group fine tunes the curriculum and internship opportunities that the Academy provides.  Qualifying applicants need to demonstrate foundational digital expertise, and a passion to expand their aptitude into digital financial skills and hands-on regional experience within the swiftly evolving financial sector.  In partnership with Letshego’s well regarded educational institutions and strategic commercial partners applicants will go through a thorough selection process before securing a place in the Academy.

“Letshego remains committed to achieving a demonstrable social impact by empowering individuals to use their capital and financial solutions for productive purposes. The LetsGO Academy resonates this same purpose – to empower members of our community to broaden their development horizons, so they too can play a more active role and contribution within their respective regional communities and economies,” added Banda.

The LetsGO Digital Academy may provide talent for Letshego’s longer term recruitment ambitions, but Letshego reiterates is not the Academy’s primary purpose.  The Academy is simply another way Letshego can leverage its footprint, reach, offering and expertise to empower individuals for our collective development.

Concluding on the motivation for establishing such an Academy, Banda summarised “The COVID-19 pandemic has sent extraordinary shock waves, challenges and tragic loss of lives across global economies.  From an economic perspective, it has forced us to shift into a different mindset to manage the increasingly unpredictable environments we now live in.  Resilience, Adaptability and a solid grounding in digital literacy is now no longer a unique asset for individuals, but an essential attribute for us to live and thrive in future economies.  Letshego is committed to sharing its expertise and opportunities for regional knowledge to expand the horizons of Africans across our footprint.”

Letshego looks forward to sharing more details around applications and curriculum by the end of February 2022.

ENDS.

About Letshego Group

The Letshego Group is truly African multinational organisation committed to achieving social impact through its retail financial services strategy across 11 sub Saharan markets.  Letshego first opened its doors in Botswana 23 years ago, and today has over 3,000 employees including Direct Sales Agents, or “Digital Eagles”.  Letshego’s customers include individuals, as well as micro and small entrepreneurs (MSEs). Letshego Holdings Limited (holding company) is listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange, with a subsidiary listing on the Namibian stock exchange.  Presence markets include: Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana.

www.letshego.com / www.letshegoinvestor.com – or follow us on social media #LetshegoGroup #letsgodigitalnation

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Letshego – Group Media Relations 

Lauren Callie

Head of Group Strategic Communications

Mobile: +27 82 894 5581

Email: laurenc@letshego.com

PR Agency for all media enquiries:

Taazima Kala-Essack

General Manager and Lead Consultant

Hotwire

Tel: +267 392 3579

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Hotwire

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The post LETSHEGO LAUNCHES LETSGO DIGITAL ACADEMY TO BUILD FUTURE-FIT COMMUNITIES appeared first on Lesotho Times.

…former ABC deputy leader slams Majoro, Mokhothu for “failure of leadership”

’Marafaele Mohloboli

BASOTHO Action Party (BAP) leader, Nqosa Mahao, has accused Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro and his deputy, Mathibeli Mokhothu, of dismally failing to provide leadership to address the challenges the country is facing including  rampant killings and endemic poverty.

Professor Mahao also accused Dr Majoro and Mr Mokhothu of pushing for the closure of parliament at a crucial time when legislators had to debate and approve an omnibus constitutional amendment bill which seeks to bring about a raft of changes aimed at creating stability in government.

Among other things, the bill sponsored by the National Reforms Authority (NRA), seeks to make it harder to remove a sitting prime minister by introducing a requirement for two thirds majority instead of the current simple majority vote for his removal. The bill also seeks to introduce two term limits for a premier.

However, the bill is unlikely to be debated any time soon following the closure of parliament for its annual Christmas break. Indications are that both the National Assembly and Senate will open in February next year and from that time until the end of April they will be seized with the national budget. This would then mean the earliest that the constitutional amendment bill and other parliamentary business can be discussed is May 2022.

This will be just a month shy of the end of the current parliament’s tenure before the next elections.

Prof Mahao, a former deputy leader of Dr Majoro’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) believes that Dr Majoro and his Democratic Congress (DC) coalition partner, Mr Mokhothu, are behind the closure of parliament at such a crucial time to avoid a no confidence vote against the government.

The no confidence motion was tabled by former ABC legislator, Tefo Mapesela, and it is likely to be supported by an ABC faction loyal to  party leader, Thomas Thabane, which is vehemently opposed to Dr Majoro. The premier succeeded Prof Mahao as ABC deputy leader after the latter dumped the party in April this year to form the BAP. Prof Mahao cited an alleged plot by Dr Majoro, Mr Thabane and secretary general Lebohang Hlaele, to expel him from the party  as his reason for dumping the ABC.

Addressing a rally in Matsieng early this week, Prof Mahao said, “our country is in trouble because of a leadership that came to power without any concrete plans and a vision”.

“Majoro and Mokhothu have run away and decided to close parliament after learning of the plans by some of their colleagues to pass a no confidence vote against them.

“We are in the middle of the reforms process and the constitutional amendment bill can only be passed by a two thirds majority in both the Senate and the National Assembly. Thereafter, there must be a cooling period of two months before a referendum is held to approve the bill after it has been voted upon in parliament. How will all this be possible when Majoro and Mokhothu have decided to close parliament and run away?

“We only have until 24 June 2022 before the tenure of the current parliament ends. When are we ever going to debate the bill sponsored by the National Reforms Authority when parliament is closed?

“We have heard that they will only open parliament in February 2022 just to work on the budget submissions. So, when will the reforms be deliberated on? This means that we might go for elections with an uneven playing field. This means we, as the BAP, may have to come in and see the reforms process to finality.”

Prof Mahao accused Dr Majoro and Mr Mokhothu of a “leadership deficit’, saying they had failed to take responsibility and act “yet week in, week out, there is a  new scandal happening in this country”.

“I am dead serious when I say this country is lost because it doesn’t have a leadership. Hence you see the endemic poverty and killings. People are dying like flies and our leaders are not taking any responsibility. Basotho must understand that they are being governed by two parties (ABC and DC) whose leaders have no vision. The BAP must work hard to win power in 2022.

“The ABC even wrote to us, inviting us to a government of national unity and we told them that we don’t want anything to do with this proposed GNU. We will only be in a government that has been given the mandate by the people. It seems the DC is not part of the government and they are only there for the state resources which they will use to buy votes in 2022.”

Prof Mahao, who fought a two-year-long war with Mr Thabane for control of the party, said the ABC was now finished due to the infighting. He warned his own party members against infighting lest the BAP goes the way of the ABC.

“Today the ABC is finished. The cause of its demise is infighting. We should desist from infighting and be different from all these other parties. We should demonstrate that we are a new party with new values and a different outlook. We should also take advantage of the ABC’s problems and lure its leaders into our party,” Prof Mahao said.

The post ABC is finished: Mahao appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Limpho Sello

THE government will make it compulsory for all private and public sector employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19 amid spiraling infections.

Health Minister Semano Sekatle said the new requirement will come into effect in just over a week on 1 January 2022.

Mr Sekatle made the announcement early this week in a televised address to the nation.

“Because of surge in Covid-19 infections, the government has resolved that from 1 January 2022, all public servants, NGO and company employees should not be allowed entry into their work premises without being vaccinated,” Mr Sekatle said.

“To show that the positivity rate is increasing at an alarming rate, it has shot up from 0, 85 percent to 13 percent in just one week. Hospital admissions have increased from three percent to seven percent of those infected.

“However, there are no new deaths and we believe that this is because of the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccines. Many people have been receiving their jabs,” the minister added.

Although the move to make vaccinations compulsory could help prevent severe illnesses and deaths in the event of infections, it is doubtful if the government has the capacity to ensure that all workers are jabbed in just a week before the start of the new year.

In a subsequent interview with the Lesotho Times yesterday, Mr Sekatle insisted this could be done because his ministry had procured enough vaccines to cover every eligible individual in the country. All the workers have to do is to present themselves at the various vaccination points countrywide and be jabbed in line with the mass vaccination programme which was introduced in March this year, Mr Sekatle said.

“We have enough vaccines and we have adequate personnel to attend to all workers. All that is required is for people to show up at vaccination points to get jabbed,” Mr Sekatle said.

It appears the Ministry of Forestry, Range and Soil Conservation has wasted no time in implementing Mr Sekatle’s directive.

That ministry’s principal secretary, Lefu Manyokole, issued a memorandum to all staffers in the ministry this week, instructing them to ensure that they are jabbed by 2 January 2022 latest.

In the memo titled ‘Mandatory vaccination for public officers’, Mr Manyokole says that all staffers will be required to produce proof of vaccination and the information will be recorded by the human resources department for compliance and monitoring purposes.

He warns of penalties for non-compliance, saying, “an officer who does not comply with the above directive will not be allowed entry into the ministry’s premises across the country and services thereof (sic)”.

“It is also worth noting that any officer who will fail to comply with this directive will be deemed to have committed misconduct and a disciplinary action (sic) may be instituted against them,” Mr Manyokole states.

However, the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC)’s Human Rights and Justice Programme Manager, Rapelang Mosae, believes the compulsory vaccination directive is being hastily implemented without adequate consultations with all stakeholders.

It could even be in violation of human rights, Mr Mosae said.

He said experts were still studying the impact of the vaccines, particularly their side effects. Therefore, it was not proper to make the vaccinations compulsory when their effects were not yet fully understood and when there were no clear laws or guidelines on issues like compensation in the event of adverse reactions, he said.

“For starters when you say that something is mandatory, you will have to bear the consequences of whatever might happen.

“Secondly, the minister has just made an announcement without any enabling legislation. This (compulsory vaccination) requirement will result in the limitation of fundamental rights and these should only be limited in exceptional circumstances. The minister would have to prove that there are indeed exceptional circumstances warranting the government decision.

“Other countries have tried similar things only for their courts to strike down such requirements for violating the human right to choose whether or not to be jabbed,” Mr Mosae said.

In Kenya, the High Court last week suspended a government order to prevent those who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from accessing services and entering public places such as national parks, bars and restaurants.

The east African country announced last month it would require people to show vaccination certificates from 21 December 2021 to access in-person government services, including hospitals, schools, tax and immigration offices.

But the High Court suspended the order pending a hearing of the case filed by a Kenyan citizen who termed the directive “tyrannical” and a gross violation of the constitution.

However, Mr Sekatle said they had every reason to make vaccinations compulsory to fight the pandemic.

He said vaccines had been proved to prevent serious illnesses and deaths in patients hence the government had taken upon itself to implement all necessary measures to ensure public safety.

Specifically, on whether compulsory vaccination did not amount to a violation of individual rights, Mr Sekatle said, “all rights are limited and some rights are superior to others”.

“Can one compare the freedom of choice to the right to good health and safety? No, it does not work like that. We have to protect the public. If it means limiting some rights in the public interest then so be it.

“Every human right is limited, there is no absolute right. Anyone who suggests otherwise should look at the constitution and they will find that every right is indeed limited,” Mr Sekatle said.

He said they would soon issue a gazette on compulsory vaccinations and those who refuse to abide by the regulations will not only be prosecuted but will also be denied access to services.

Meanwhile, the National Covid-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) said Lesotho had as of yesterday recorded 26 004 infections and a cumulative 665 deaths.

The post Govt imposes mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for all workers appeared first on Lesotho Times.

’Marafaele Mohloboli

TWO Lesotho Revenue Authority officers are in hot soup for allegedly misappropriating about M1, 4 million which was collected as toll fees from motorists at the Maseru border toll gate.

The money is said to have been misappropriated over several months starting from August 2020 to date.

The LRA, Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) and the Road Fund have all confirmed that they are investigating the theft of the toll fees which are collected at the border gate by LRA officers on behalf of the Road Fund.

Although these institutions were unwilling to disclose the actual amount involved, LRA sources said the rogue officers had stolen an estimated M1, 4 million over the past year and four months.

Commenting on the matter, Police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli said, “Our fraud department is investigating the theft of revenue collected by LRA officials at the Maseru Border Gate”.

“At this point in time we can’t confirm that M1, 4 million was stolen as has been said by some people. The amount could even be higher. We shall only be able to disclose the amount when our investigations are complete. The only thing that we can confirm for now is that we are indeed investigating a case of theft and fraud,” Senior Supt Mopeli said in an interview.

LRA spokesperson, Pheello Mphana, also confirmed that the revenue authority was probing the theft of funds at the Maseru border.

“We have two different issues which we are dealing with pertaining to misconduct and criminal activity at the Maseru border toll gate. These cases were discovered during some random inspections. Two officers are involved and they have since been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.

“There is also a separate case wherein the Road Fund and LMPS are investigating into missing revenue at the toll gate. We are assisting in that probe but the matter is being dealt with by the Road Fund and the police,” Mr Mphana said.

On his part, the Road Fund CEO, Nkekeletse Makara, confirmed that there were ongoing investigations into the theft of revenue at the Maseru border.

“We will only be in a position to say how much was stolen, prefer charges and decide how best to recover the funds when the probe is complete,” said Mr Makara.

The alleged theft of funds comes against the background of the recent alleged embezzlement of a much higher M50 million by some officials in the Ministry of Finance.

The suspects are Lehlohonolo Selate, Ntšeliseng Lawrence, Mookho Rafono, Tlali Mokoaleli, Thabang Nkoe, Hlabathe Phafoli and Thithili Makhesi.

They are accused of siphoning M50 million from state coffers through a well-orchestrated scheme in which they inflated and diverted payments meant for suppliers to themselves and their phony companies which had not rendered any services to the state.  The fraud was facilitated by the various Ministry of Finance officials.

While the others have been granted bail, the Crown has been fighting to keep Mr Selate in custody.

He was originally denied bail when Chief Magistrate, ‘Matankiso Nthunya, released his fellow accused on bail last month.  He is still in custody but he has lodged another application to be freed on bail.

Mr Selate is the alleged mastermind in the M50 million theft from the finance ministry. He is a suspected career criminal, with a multitude of criminal cases going as far back as 2013.   One of his alleged major heists involved a case in 2018 in which he defrauded M17 million from Standard Lesotho Bank. The money was partly stolen from accounts held by various district councils at the bank.

Mr Selate is said to have used the same modus operandi in which he recruits insiders of an institution to help him facilitate fraud. In this case, he used the bank’s employees to help him divert funds to his phony companies. All the insiders involved were however detected and fired by the bank.

Mr Selate has also been involved in nearly a dozen other fraud cases in which he has allegedly defrauded various state and private institutions of millions including the Water and Sewerage Company (Wasco), National Manpower Development Secretariat, Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation, Maluti School of Nursing, among others.

He has not been tried in any of the cases because he has been inexplicably granted repeat bails at the magistrates’ court even after he previously skipped other bails. His records in the various criminal cases have also been recorded as having mysteriously gone missing.

It is understood that if Selate is released on bail this time, a spotlight will be cast upon judicial is responsible by prosecution authorities.

The post LRA officers in hot soup over missing M1, 4 million appeared first on Lesotho Times.

. . . as soldier kills wife, daughter before shooting himself

’Marafaele Mohloboli

POLICE are investigating a case in which a Maseru-based army sergeant allegedly shot dead his wife and 11-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself.

Police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, said Sekhopha Maja (51) could have murdered his 40-year-old wife, ‘Malintle and his daughter, Lintle, before committing suicide on Friday in the Lesia part of the Thetsane suburb.

“On 18 December 2021, police received information from the now deceased’s neighbours that they had heard gunshots the night before,” Senior Supt Mopeli told the Lesotho Times this week.

“They (neighbours) suspected that all was not well as they had not seen anyone or noticed any movements at their neighbour’s place. Police went to the house and entered by breaking in. They found three bodies lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

“All three bodies had gunshot wounds and some pistol shells were discovered at the scene. It is suspected that the army officer shot his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself. Investigations are ongoing and we are yet to establish the cause of the killings. However, it is believed that the wife suspected her husband of an extra marital affair and had even found evidence of the alleged affair on his phone. This is said to have led to a heated confrontation between the two which culminated in the fatal shootings,” Senior Supt Mopeli said.

He appealed to couples to seek help whenever they experienced challenges in their relationships instead of resorting to violence and killings.

“We appeal to the public not to settle their differences by killing one another. There are many ways to resolve differences and these include seeking mediation from other people. Life must be cherished because we only live once.

“We also appeal to those with illegal guns to voluntarily hand them over to the police. This will help end or reduce the unnecessary killings,” Senior Supt Mopeli said.

The incident comes barely a month after a Qoaling, Maseru man, Thabang Machabe (33) shot dead his 27-year-old fiancée, ‘Mapalesa Chaka, before shooting himself. Both were buried last week.

Three months ago, one Police Constable (PC) Ramoabi of Butha-Buthe, shot and killed his married lover before turning the gun on himself.

The murders underline the violence and killings that continue to plague the country. These killings have helped catapult Lesotho to the dubious distinction of being Africa’s murder capital and sixth in the World Population Review’s global homicide rankings.

Even war-ravaged countries like South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq have less murders than Lesotho.

El Salvador is the murder capital of the world. Apart from El Salvador, only Honduras (2^nd ranked), Venezuela (3^rd), the Virgin Islands (4^th) and Jamaica (5^th) are ranked higher than Lesotho.

The post Another gruesome killing appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Limpho Sello

THE Lesotho Blood Transfusion Services (LBTS) says it is well stocked with enough blood units to sustain the country throughout the festive season.

This is the first time in five years that the LBTS is not experiencing blood shortages during the festive period.

In an interview with the Lesotho Times this week, LBTS Principal Laboratory Technologist, Khotso Kalake, said they had 432 blood units which were enough for the holidays, particularly Christmas Day on 25 December 2021, Boxing Day a day later and New Year’s Day on 1 January 2022.

Mr Kalake said the blood units were likely to cover the first two weeks of January 2022 as well.

He attributed their change of fortunes to hard work and sustained campaigns to get people to donate blood throughout the year.

“This is all because of the campaigns we kept going even when the situation appeared bleak,” Mr Kalake said.

“We soldiered on and we are grateful to donors who continued giving blood even when others were reluctant to do so. We have realised that it pays to be consistent and not give up.

“Last month, we set up 11 mobile blood collection sites and we had 12 mobile sites this month. Many people came through to donate. Some of the places where we received the biggest donations include the Police Training College (PTC) and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) in Maseru. For example, we went to the PTC and collected 100 blood units. This went a long way in increasing our blood stocks,” Mr Kalake said.

He said various organisations had also weighed in by inviting them to collect blood during the World AIDS Day commemorations on 1 December 2021.

The news of adequate blood stocks is a welcome relief to the nation during the festive period when demand for blood is likely to increase due to road accidents as more people travel to be their families.

At this time last year, the LBTS was in dire straits as it had only 20 blood units that had been sourced from Mokoanyane Barracks in Maseru.

Before then in October 2020, a blood crisis played out in the country.  It got to the extent where patients requiring blood transfusions were asked by hospitals to bring their relatives or other donors to give them blood. At the time, Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital — the country’s largest referral hospital — said the blood shortages delayed operations on patients and other life-saving medical procedures.

The post Blood bank well stocked, ready for the festive period appeared first on Lesotho Times.

. . . as jobs carnage continues after Nien Hsing closes C&Y factory,

Bereng Mpaki

LEADING textiles conglomerate, Nien Hsing Textiles Group, has closed down its C&Y Garments subsidiary in Maseru, rendering about 2700 workers jobless in the process.

Barely three months ago, the Group also closed its Nien Hsing International subsidiary, also in the Thetsane, Maseru industrial hub area, sending more than 2700 workers packing.

Group general manager, Ricky Chang, described 2021 as the company’s annus horribilis (horrible year), saying a Covid-19 induced slump in demand for their products had forced them to lay off a combined 5500 workers this year alone.

This means that the company has retrenched more than half of its 10 000-strong workforce in just one year.

Both C&Y Garments and Nien Hsing International are part of the larger Nien Hsing Textiles Group, which originates from Taiwan. The group had textile manufacturing factories in Lesotho, which collectively employed over 10 000 workers. Apart from the two, others in the group are Global International and Formosa Textiles. There used to be five factories in all before Glory International closed last year and sent home 1500 workers in the process.

Now that C&Y Garments has followed Nien Hsing International’s example and retrenched its 2700 workers, this means that the group would have retrenched more than 7000 workers in 2020 and 2021.

This is a massive jobs carnage considering that the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) reported that at least 6000 workers lost their jobs within the manufacturing sector from March 2020 to March 2021 mainly due to the Covid-19 induced slowdown in global economic activity. This was before the 5 500 workers who lost their jobs at Nien Hsing’s companies since September 2021.

The haemorrhaging of jobs in the entire textiles and garment factories may continue as Mr Chang conceded that they were unsure about what 2022 holds in store for them. He said they were considering merging their remaining three subsidiaries into one operation to manage their ballooning production costs.

Prior to last year’s retrenchments, the government had put the number of factory workers in the country at 45 000. Given the LNDC reports of 6000 job losses up to March this year and the subsequent job cuts at the Nien Hsing Group in September and December 2021, the total number of those who have been retrenched to date is about 11500. In other words, a staggering 25 percent of the entire workforce have lost their jobs since last year.

Speaking on the jobs carnage at his company in an exclusive interview with the Lesotho Times this week, Mr Chang said, “we have just experienced the worst year since we started operating in Lesotho more than two decades ago”.

“During 2021, we had to shut down two factories. We shut down Nien Hsing International Lesotho factory in September 2021 and this month we have shut down C&Y Garments. In 2021 alone, we have lost over 5500 workers to retrenchments as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which has caused a slump in the demand for our products.

“That figure (of jobs lost) accounts for more than half of our entire staff complement which was over 10 000 before the pandemic,” Mr Chang said, adding they would soon be merging their remaining subsidiaries into one company.

He said the business environment remained uncertain due to the emergence of the new, more infectious Omicron variant of the virus.

“There had been signs of recovery in the market but the emergence of the Omicron variant poses a new challenge for the textile industry. It is therefore hard to predict what 2022 holds in store for us.

“We have to be optimistic that a cure for the virus will be found soon. It is also important for the government and all stakeholders to continue raising awareness on the need for everyone to adhere to the safety protocols to stop the virus from spreading within the country,” Mr Chang said.

The Group, like most other textile enterprises operating from Lesotho, has been taking full advantage of the United States (US)’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which allows them to export their products duty-free to the superpower.

Meanwhile, the Lesotho Wholesale, Catering and Allied Workers Union has bemoaned the jobs carnage saying this will further entrench poverty in the country.

The union’s secretary general, Lebonejoang James Molefi, is not buying the Nien Hsing Group’s argument that it has been forced into the drastic job cuts by the Covid-19 induced slump in demand for its products.

He believes the textile companies are only using Covid-19 as an excuse to reduce their workforce in order to arm twist the government into giving in to their demands not to increase workers’ wages.

In June this year, the government awarded a 14 percent salary increase to textile workers. Other sectors were awarded a nine percent wage increase for the 2021/22 financial year.

The salary hikes came on the back of violent worker protests for better pay from 10 May to 7 June 2021.

The workers had complained that the cost of living had gone up since their last wage adjustment in 2019.  They wanted a 20 percent salary increase for the current 2021/22 financial year, while their employers were offering six percent.

They were also demanding the retrospective publishing of the minimum wage gazette for the 2020/21 financial year which was never issued after employers pleaded that they were financially constrained due to the negative effects of Covid-19.

Nien Hsing Group’s Mr Chang alluded to the impact of the salary hikes and the consequent escalation of production costs as the reasons behind their move to lay off workers at Nien Hsing International and C&Y Garments.

However, Mr Molefi is unconvinced by the Group’s explanation.

“The Group and other textile employers are making these job cuts as part of a plan to arm-twist the government not to make any concessions to workers ahead of next year’s elections. They know that political parties, including those in government, will be needing the workers’ votes and could give them concessions like salary increments to win their support. To forestall the authorities from awarding any increments like this year’s 14 percent award, the employers are retrenching, citing a depressed market and ballooning costs.

“The government should not just accept these excuses. It must conduct its own investigations to ascertain if it is really the case that these companies cannot afford to retain workers. We believe the employers are only using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to retrench workers ahead of next year’s elections,” Mr Molefi said.

An “Industry Status Report for January to March 2021” prepared by the LNDC suggests that the Corporation was aware of the looming job cuts at the Nien Hsing Group earlier this year.

“Nien Hsing has combined its five companies into three and planning to combine the three companies into one company,” the LNDC states in a section of the report titled “Closures”.

Contacted for comment, LNDC public relations manager, Tiisetso Moremoholo, referred this publication to the corporation’s 12 August 2021 statement wherein it said it was “troubled by the downscaling of operations by key players which has resulted in considerable job losses”.

“In an endeavour to save these jobs, the Corporation has engaged the companies that have downsized their operations through sizable layoffs. These companies have cited disruptions in the supply chain due to Covid-19 as the main driver behind downsizing. A progressively deteriorating investment climate has also been named as a factor which affects business negatively.

“The Corporation has initiated engagements with key stakeholders to jointly address issues that negatively impact on the investment climate.  The Corporation has also resuscitated the Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT), which is a high-level problem-solving forum led by the Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry (Thabiso Molapo) to address investors’ grievances. The main objective of the IMTT is to facilitate collaboration with key stakeholders to improve the investment environment to restore investor confidence.

“The corporation therefore wishes to assure workers and the public that it is exploring all avenues to preserve and create new jobs for those who have been retrenched, through operationalising expansion projects in its pipeline.

“Saving existing jobs is as equally important, if not more important to LNDC than creating new ones, particularly under these strained economic conditions. Looking after the welfare of existing investors to ensure that they thrive and create additional jobs for Basotho as reflected in the Corporation’s mandate remains a key priority for LNDC,” the LNDC statement said.

Trade and Industry Minister, Thabiso Molapo’s mobile phone rang unanswered when this publication called him for comment yesterday.

The post 2700 more factory workers retrenched appeared first on Lesotho Times.

…emails ‘back up’ minister’s claims about Majoro’s involvement in the govt fleet tender

’Marafaele Mohloboli

NEW evidence, in the form of emails have surfaced, suggesting that there could be truth to Development Planning Minister Selibe Mochoboroane’s claims that Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro influenced the awarding of the government fleet tender to a Maseru-based taxi association in 2019.

As reported by the Sunday Express a fortnight ago, an explosive fight broke out between Dr Majoro and Mr Mochoboroane, who is also leader of the Movement for Economic Change (MEC) party.

This after the premier and deputy leader of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), had accused the MEC leader and his Lesotho Congress of Democracy (LCD) counterpart, Mothetjoa Metsing, of attempting to blackmail the government into stopping their treason and murder trial. Dr Majoro made the comments while addressing a public gathering in Mount Moorosi, Quthing, on 8 December 2021.

Mr Mochoboroane reacted angrily to Dr Majoro’s allegations by making sensational claims of his own, accusing Dr Majoro of brazen corruption in several instances including the awarding of the government fleet tender to a local taxi organisation in 2019.

“Majoro is not at all holy and he knows very well that he is corrupt,” a fuming Mr Mochoboroane said in a no-holds-barred interview with the Sunday Express.

“Ntate Majoro is corrupt and I have evidence in that regard. He has his own case of corruption that was presented to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP Hlalefang Motinyane) by the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) boss, Mahlomola Manyokole. This is in connection with the awarding of the government fleet tender. The tender was awarded while Majoro was still the minister of finance. He has therefore moved to have Manyokole fired to stop the case because he (Majoro) has power and influence.

“While I was chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I even called him (Majoro) to testify and he refused to come until I heard his testimony in camera. I told him to his face that he was directly involved in corruptly awarding the fleet tender to the Maseru Star Taxi Association.

“I even told him that he had directed the Lesotho Post Bank manager to give loans to the taxi association’s members to enable them to buy taxis and then rent them out to the government. This is absolute corruption,” Mr Mochoboroane said.

His allegations were subsequently dismissed as baseless by Dr Majoro’s press attaché, Buta Moseme, and Maseru Star Taxi Association chairperson, Sekhonyana Mosenene. Lesotho Post Bank Managing Director, Molefi Leqhaoe, also said Mr Mochoboroane’s allegations that he had been pressured by Dr Majoro to give the taxi association loans to procure vehicles were “mere lies” meant to discredit the banking institution.

In the wake of the denials, this publication then asked Mr Mochoboroane to back his allegations but the latter refused, saying he did not have to prove anything to the Lesotho Times.

Nevertheless, this publication has been favoured by other sources with two separate emails suggesting that the premier could have influenced the awarding of the tender while he was still finance minister in 2019. The emails were sent from what appears to be the premier’s personal Hotmail account. At the time of going to print, both Dr Majoro and Mr Moseme had not responded to this publication’s request for comment on the matter.

But it appears that in January 2019, Dr Majoro sent an email to one of the officials in the finance ministry titled, ‘Resolution of the first fleet tender’.

In the email, Dr Majoro wrote, “I have received reports on how the first fleet tender worked out and clearly there is some additional actions that we need to take”.

“We were not able to procure 116 vehicles as planned and the groups that we targeted, namely the taxi industry, women groups, and youth groups performed poorly on the tender. I am happy that the groups for the disabled over-performed.

“I would like to give direction as follows:

(a) Issue an offer of 100 vehicles to the taxi industry, represented by Maseru Star association; (b) Issue an offer of 8 vehicles for women groups; (c) Issue an offer of 8 vehicles for youth groups.

“This tender is a developmental initiative of the Government of Lesotho… Thus, proceed to engage with these groups more closely to understand their limitations and how these can be mitigated now and in future tenders.

“It is also clear that some of the people who received offers are unable to honour them due to lack of funding and steep bank requirements. We need to also understand their plight and determine how we can extend a hand,” Dr Majoro states in the email.

He apparently wrote another email to the same official in March 2019, this time titled ‘Fleet procurement’.

“Regarding the transfer of funds to the Postbank to enable it to lend to our supplies (sic), please proceed to authorize such transfer. Also, as we find new accounts that can be transferred, let’s do so until the transaction is complete. This said, it is clear that we need to watch the Bank closely as it is tittering on the brink of recklessness,” Dr Majoro seemingly wrote to the official.

While the emails themselves are not conclusive proof of corruption by the premier, they nevertheless still suggest that he influenced the awarding of the fleet tender to certain groups against procurement laws which require the government to award contracts to the most competitive and deserving tenderers.

Moseme could not be reached to comment on this matter as his phone was not available.

Motena Tšolo, who was principal secretary in the Ministry of Finance at the time, said she had been given directives regarding the fleet tender by her then boss, Dr Majoro.

“I was even summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (then chaired by Mochoboroane) and the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) regarding the same matter,” Ms Tšolo said in an interview with this publication.

However, she refused to say what directives she had been given or what she had told the PAC and DCEO regarding the fleet tender. Suspended DCEO Director General, Mahlomola Manyokole, has said the premier has a case to answer in connection with the awarding of the fleet tender.

On his part, Mr Mochoboroane yesterday said, “the emails you are referring to speak and affirm my claims”.

“When I made the allegations, I was referring to them and a few others which I am still not ready to share with you.  The time is coming when he (Majoro) will rue the day he dragged my name into his political gimmicks. By now most people should know that I don’t make threats nor politick cheaply. I don’t fabricate issues. I speak facts because I don’t have time to play for the audience,” Mr Mochoboroane said.

The post Majoro, Mochoboroane fight latest: appeared first on Lesotho Times.

… but appears set to intensify fight to topple Majoro

… calls for special party conference to decide premier’s fate  

Pascalinah Kabi

ALL Basotho Convention (ABC) leader Thomas Thabane and his allies have abandoned plans to meet with all political parties represented in parliament to lobby for the formation of a government of national unity (GNU) to oust Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro.

Instead, the party will now hold a special conference on 28 January 2022 to decide Dr Majoro’s fate.

Authoritative ABC sources said Dr Majoro himself and secretary general, Lebohang Hlaele, have been tasked with raising funds for the conference.

ABC spokesperson, Montoeli Masoetsa, this week confirmed that the party had resolved to abandon the GNU plan after some unnamed officials in the party’s national executive committee (NEC) objected to the proposal on the grounds that they had not been consulted on the issue in the first place. He said the members voiced their disapproval of the idea at a meeting last week on Wednesday.

The ABC had proposed a meeting with other political parties to discuss the formation of a GNU in the wake of Dr Majoro’s refusal to resign after the NEC had voted to recall him at its 2 December 2021 meeting.

Ten out of 17 NEC members voted to recall Dr Majoro and replace him with deputy secretary general and now fired cabinet minister, Nkaku Kabi. Only seven voted to retain Dr Majoro.

In a subsequent interview with the Sunday Express, Mr Masoetsa said the NEC had elected Mr Kabi to replace Dr Majoro at a meeting chaired by Mr Thabane. He said they had recalled Dr Majoro following an outcry by the rank and file of the party as well as the general public over a plethora of issues including poor service delivery and the premier’s alleged failure to stop the high murder rates in the country over the course of his 19 months in power.

The proposed GNU meeting had initially been slated for 15 December 2021 at the AME Hall in Maseru. However, it had to be aborted after two of Dr Majoro’s ABC loyalists, Keketso Lepheane and Tlali Mohapi, obtained a last-minute interim Constitutional Court order to stop it pending the finalisation of their application to permanently halt it from proceeding because it allegedly violates the constitution.

The duo had argued that the proposed GNU meeting was “treasonous” as it had been convened to “illegally” oust the prime minister.

However, the constitutional bench comprising of Justices Molefi Makara, Keketso Moahloli and Fumane Khabo on Thursday issued a final judgement dismissing Messrs Lepheane and Mohapi’s bid to permanently stop the meeting. The bench ruled that their fears that the political parties would engage in treasonous conduct “lacked merit.”

But it seems the ruling was only a pyrrhic victory for Mr Thabane and his allies after the presiding judge Makara warned them against any treasonous conduct at the GNU meeting. He did not clearly articulate what would amount to treasonous behaviour at the meeting, save to say that the security forces would immediately descend on the parties if they ever engaged in such conduct.

More importantly, even if the meeting had gone ahead, it appears Mr Thabane and his allies would not have obtained enough support for the GNU. Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu’s Democratic Congress (DC) and Professor Nqosa Mahao’s Basotho Action Party (BAP) both came out in opposition to the GNU, saying it was merely a selfish ploy by the Thabane faction to help it win its factional wars at the expense of the national interest.

The DC and BAP have a combined 37 seats. Given that other political parties were cagey about the idea of a GNU and that some ABC MPs, especially those already serving in Dr Majoro’s cabinet, were unlikely to support his overthrow for fear of losing their plum jobs, it would have been difficult to win support for the GNU idea even if the Thabane faction had convened the GNU meeting.

Unsurprisingly, the faction has decided to abandon the GNU meeting and play another card- that of the special conference to deal with Dr Majoro. Even though the letter inviting other parties to the meeting was authored by Mr Hlaele, Mr Masoetsa now says it was never their idea but that of other parties to discuss the formation of a GNU.

“We discussed this matter of the GNU last week on Wednesday and decided to abandon it,” Mr Masoetsa said in an interview with the Lesotho Times this week.

“The GNU was never our proposal. At our Wednesday meeting, NEC members said the proposal had not been explained to them,” he added.

Some NEC members who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity, said the GNU meeting had to be abandoned when some members including Dr Majoro himself, shot down the idea.

“The idea of the GNU meeting was the brainchild of a five-man logistics committee which had been tasked by the NEC to ensure that Dr Majoro hands over to Ntate Kabi in the aftermath of the 2 December decision to recall the prime minister. The committee comprises of Hlaele, Kabi, Masoetsa, Maseru District Chairperson Tsotang Mphethe and Sekhonyana Mosenene.

“In our Wednesday meeting, some NEC members argued that the committee overstepped its mark by inviting political parties to a GNU meeting without the blessing of the NEC.

“Sparks flew during those discussions and even the leader (Thabane) expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which party affairs were being handled. His deputy (Majoro) then suggested that the meeting must be cancelled. Ntate Thabane spoke in support of Dr Majoro’s call not to convene the GNU meeting,” the NEC member said.

His comments were backed up by another NEC member who said it was then agreed that the NEC would convene a special conference next month to discuss Dr Majoro’s fate and other issues.

“The party will hold a special conference on 28 January to discuss and vote on the NEC’s decision to recall the prime minister,” the source said.

Another source said Dr Majoro also agreed to the special conference and further proposed that he should work with Mr Hlaele to raise funds for the conference.

“The NEC agreed to Ntate Majoro’s suggestion that he and Ntate Hlaele should work together to raise funds for the conference,” the NEC member said.

Mr Masoetsa confirmed that the party will hold a conference on 28 January 2022.

“However, this will not be a special conference. It will be normal conference that we are supposed to hold every January. The NEC will have to meet ahead of the conference and agree on the agenda,” Mr Masoetsa said.

However, other NEC members interviewed insisted that this will be a special conference to discuss Dr Majoro’s fate.

Just as he had also participated and even voted at the 2 December 2021 meeting which resolved to recall him, Dr Majoro again took part in last Wednesday’s meeting which culminated in the abandonment of the GNU idea. He appears set to participate in the special conference.

An NEC member, who is sympathetic to the premier, said the latter felt the best strategy to fight his opponents was to participate in all party meetings in the hope of influencing the decisions in his favour.

“When that fails, as was the case at the 2 December meeting, he knows he can always refuse to resign. As he rightly pointed out, even if the decisions go against him, the party cannot topple him. Only the MPs can do that and the reality is that the Thabane camp doesn’t have the numbers at the moment,” the NEC member said.

It now appears certain that while the ABC will carry over its ceaseless infighting into the New Year, the country will continue suffering with Dr Majoro fighting to save his job and the coalition he leads continuing to be bereft of a plan and ideas to take the country forward.

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