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A natural bath soap factory

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ROMA – A FORMER National University of Lesotho (NUL) chemistry lecturer, Ntai Khoabane, is now running a massive factory that has a capacity to produce 9 000 bars of natural bath soap every day.
The soap has been named Seilatsatsi.

They are currently producing 6 000 bars of soap at the moment. The soap cleanses, moisturises and soothes your skin!
That is because it is natural, it contains Vitamin E and has Aloe Vera, according to Khoabane.

So that we can understand how we arrive at this point, we traced the story of Khoabane from when he was in primary school.
(Whatsapp the company at: +266 58865885)
He was fortunately born to a father who liked science in action.
“When I was still young, I saw my father repairing everything from radios and TVs to cars and other electronic products,” he said.
“And every time he engaged in one of those projects, he called me to work with him.”

For a young curious mind, there was nothing more engaging than such kinds of projects, he said.
When he was in high school, Khoabane was fortunate to meet a gifted teacher, Mr Matolo, who not only loved science but “knew how to make it appear so simple”.

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His encounter with Mr Matolo cemented his love for science. When he was in Form D, he realised that science had branches and divisions.
“It was during this period that I began to learn the world of chemistry and the world of biology, separately. That fascinated me more,” he said.
During that time, he began to dream about what he could do with what he was learning. Such chemicals as sulphuric acids and the process of making them captivated him. The deeper he learned about the applied part of science, the more he realised it was not as easy as it sounded.
Ya, in the lab, we can easily make the chemicals we want.

“But in practice creating chemicals is a different story,” he said.
Producing anything on a large scale required plenty of specialised knowledge and equipment. He was to soon realise that there is more that is needed than just knowing the make-up of a product and its properties.
With all this background, it was not surprising then, that he chose science the moment he entered the NUL gates.

He was particularly interested in chemistry over biology, “for the reason that I think it is easier to control chemicals than to try to control biological things”.
Immediately when he was done with his first degree, he took the Honours in Chemistry at the same university.

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From there, because of his hard work, he got a job as a demonstrator at the university. Incidentally, the Department of Chemistry had just bought a brand new Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) machine and wanted to train someone to be hands-on to run it.
Yes, the NUL does have this mind-boggling machine that can tell you the hidden structures of molecules.

He was the right candidate for the training.
He later found himself doing a Master’s degree in the area of NMR at Durham University, East England.
He later came back home to take up his position until he was promoted to the position of lecturer.
Many of those who picked chemistry at the NUL know a thing or two about their beloved lecturer.

Even though he enjoyed teaching, he avoided losing sight of his real goals. He began to explore the world of bar soaps and realised that they are very expensive to start with because of the machinery that was needed.
“I found that I would need to invest a lot of money to get to the level of production I wanted.”

So he explored liquid “soaps” which are actually detergents. He found that these were easy to do. They did not need expensive equipment. He tried them and eventually set up a manufacturing business at home. He manufactured the detergents after work and sold the soap over the weekends.

That sounded good but there was one hiccup.
His detergents were expensive compared to those in the market. That was because he bought raw materials in small quantities.
Many Basotho complain that Lesotho’s products are more expensive compared to other outside products. One of the reasons is that Basotho produce on a very small scale.
So here was a dilemma he now faced.

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Bar soap production was expensive to set up. Detergents required too much raw materials to make for a good business.
He decided to retreat. In fact, like General MacArthur, he was not retreating; he was only advancing in another direction.
Over the years, he learned that the only way to move on to what he wanted was to save money. This he did over the years while he was teaching at the NUL.

When the time came, he quit his job and the NUL and set up a company called Chembi which (a) manufactures soap (b) distributes laboratory equipment and chemicals and (c) distributes cleaning materials.
Chembi now produces 6 000 natural soaps per day with room for more if the demand increases. It has six employees!

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Knives out for Molelle

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MASERU

KNORX Molelle’s appointment as the Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) in February 2023 could have been illegal.

The Law Society of Lesotho has told Prime Minister Sam Matekane that Molelle was appointed without being admitted as a legal practitioner in Lesotho, as required by law.

The society claims the information came from a whistleblower on January 2 and was corroborated by its roll of legal practitioners in Lesotho.

The society says the appointment violates section 4 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act 1999 which states that a person shall not be appointed as the DCEO director general unless they have been admitted as a legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act.

In the letter, Advocate Ithabeleng Phamotse, the society’s secretary, tells Matekane that this requirement “is not a mere procedural formality but a substantive qualification essential to the lawful appointment of the Director General”.

“The absence of such qualification fatally impairs the appointment ab initio, rendering it null and void from the outset,” Advocate Phamotse says in the letter written on Tuesday.

The society argues that if left unaddressed the illegality undermines the credibility, effectiveness and legality of the DCEO’s operations and exposes the kingdom to serious risks, including challenges to the lawfulness of decisions and actions made by Molelle.

“Should it be confirmed that the appointment was made in contravention of the mandatory legal requirements,” Advocate Phamotse said, “we respectfully urge you to take immediate corrective action to rectify this glaring irregularity”.

Advocate Phamotse tells the prime minister that if the appointment is not corrected, the society would be “left with no alternative but to institute legal proceedings to protect the interests of justice and uphold the rule of law in Lesotho”.

“We trust that you will accord this matter your highest priority and act decisively to avert further damage to the integrity of our governance structures.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman, Thapelo Mabote, said they received the letter but Matekane had not yet read it yesterday.

Matekane is on leave and is expected back in the office on January 14.

Questions over the validity of his appointment come as Molelle is being haunted by the damaging audio clips that were leaked last week.

The clips were clandestinely recorded by Basotho National Party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.

In some of the clips, Molelle appears to be describing Matekane and his deputy Justice Nthomeng Majara as idiots. He also appears to be calling Law Minister Richard Ramoeletsi a devil.

In other clips, he seems to be discussing cases. thepost has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio clips.

Staff Reporter

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Massive salary hike for chiefs

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MASERU

THE government has increased the salaries for traditional leaders by a massive 88.5 percent.

This means that a village chief not appointed by a gazette will now earn M3 001 a month, up from the previous salary of M1 592. That means village chiefs will now earn an extra M1 409 per month.

A village chief, or headman, appointed by a gazette has moved from M1 966 to M3 567 per month.

Above a village chief is one with jurisdiction over a small cluster of villages, a category three chief, who now moves from M3 768 to M5 181 per month.

A category four chief, known as ward chief, has moved from M4 455 per month to M7 993.

The category five chief, who reports directly to a principal chief, will now earn M10 674, up from M9 939 per month.

There is no increment for principal chiefs.

The government says the budget for chiefs’ salaries has moved from M129.4 million to M208.3 million annually.

The hike follows a series of discussions between the Lesotho Workers Association, representing the chiefs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship.

The revised salaries will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2025.

According to the settlement agreement, a discussion about raising the lowest salary of M6 000 for the lowest-ranking chiefs will be revisited in October 2025.

Chiefs who spoke to thepost have expressed satisfaction with the hike, saying it will significantly improve their lives.

Chief Mopeli Matsoso of Ha-Tikoe in Maseru said his previous salary of M1 500 per month would now be doubled, which would improve his life and help provide smoother services to the community.

He stressed that they used to close the offices while going out looking for jobs to compensate for their little salaries.

“Now the people will get smoother services,” Chief Matsoso said.

“The offices will forever be open,” he said.

Chief Matsoso said the salary hike will also serve as a motivation for other chiefs.

Chief Tumo Majara of Liboping, Mokhethoaneng, also expressed his gratitude.

Chief Majara acknowledge the positive impact the salary review would have, especially as a new officeholder.

“I guess we are all happy, that review will help a lot,” he said.

The Principal Chief of Thaba-Bosiu, Khoabane Theko, said the salary increase of chief is a welcome move by the government.

“I’m yet to study how the new salary structure looks like. But I welcome it as a good move by the government,”Chief Theko said.

Nkheli Liphoto

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Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

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MASERU

Motlatsi Maqelepo, the embattled Basotho Action Party (BAP) deputy leader and Tello Kibane, who was the party chairman, have rejected their suspension from the party arguing it was legally flawed.

The BAP’s central executive committee on Tuesday suspended Maqelepo for seven years and Kibane for five years. The suspensions became effective on the same day.

The party’s disciplinary committee which met last Wednesday had recommended an expulsion for the two but that decision was rejected with the committee pushing for a lengthy suspension.

Maqelepo’s suspension will end on January 7, 2032 while Kibane’s will run until January 7, 2030.

Their suspension letters from the BAP deputy secretary general Victoria Qheku, say they should not participate in any of the party’s activities.

“In effect, you are relieved of your responsibility as a CEC member and BAP deputy leader,” Maqelepo was told in the letter.

“You were found guilty by default on all charges and the committee recommended your immediate dismissal from the party,” the letter reads.

On Kibane, the verdict states that the committee decided to mitigate the recommended sanction by reducing his suspension to five years.

“In the gravity of the charges, the suspension affects your membership in the BAP parliamentary caucus from which you are removed as a chairman.”

They were suspended in absentia after they refused to attend the disciplinary hearing, which they said was illegal.

In response to the suspension, Maqelepo wrote a letter addressing the BAP members in general, defying the committee’s decision to suspend them.

He has called for a special conference, appealing to party constituencies to push for it, citing the ongoing internal fight that includes the leadership’s decision to withdraw the BAP from the coalition government.

Maqelepo also said the central executive committee is illegally in a campaign to dissolve committees in the constituencies and replace them with stooges.

He reminded the members that there is a court case pending in the High Court seeking an interdiction to charge them in the party’s structures without approval of the special conference that he is calling.

He said the party leadership should have awaited the outcome of the case before proceeding with any disciplinary action.

“The party that is led by a professor of law continues to do dismissals despite the issue being taken to the courts,” Maqelepo said.

The party leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, is a distinguished professor of law.

Maqelepo said they would write the central executive committee rejecting its decision to suspend them, saying they will continue taking part in party activities.

He said their fate in the party is in the hands of the special conference.

He appealed to all the party constituencies to continue writing letters demanding the special conference.

Both Maqelepo and Kibane received letters on November 28 last year inviting them to show cause why they should not be suspended pending their hearing.

They both responded on the following day refusing to attend.

Maqelepo, Kibane, Hilda Van Rooyen, and ’Mamoipone Senauoane are accused of supporting a move to remove Professor Mahao from his ministerial position last year.

They were part of the BAP members who asked Prime Minister Sam Matekane to fire Professor Mahao, who at the same time was pushing for the reshuffling of Tankiso Phapano, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy.

When Matekane ignored Professor Mahao’s demands, the latter withdrew the BAP from the coalition government much to the fierce resistance of the party’s four MPs.

Maqelepo started touting members from constituencies to call for a special conference to reverse Professor Mahao and the central executive committee’s decision.

The central executive committee issued a circular stopping Maqelepo’s rallies but he continued, with the support of the other MPs.

In the BAP caucus of six MPs, it is only Professor Mahao and ’Manyaneso Taole who are supporting the withdrawal from the government.

Nkheli Liphoto

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