News

Returnees starve

Published

4 years ago

October 13, 2020

MASERU-BASOTHO working in South Africa but trapped in Lesotho during the Covid-19 lockdown have been left in the cold with no income and government support.

The government and other organisations have initiated programmes to provide people left vulnerable by the lockdown with relief aid.
But migrant workers have not been part of the beneficiaries, as they were considered to be employed and able to look after their families.
’Mateboho Nthola, a resident of Naleli, is one of them.

She was working at a farm in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province when Covid-19 struck.
Nthola, a single parent of two school going children, says she illegally crossed back into Lesotho when her employers in South Africa stopped paying her salary.

“My concern was that my children were suffering and I needed to be here to see to it that they have their daily needs,” Nthola told thepost.
“I thought the lockdown would be for just a couple of months and we would be able to go back to work but I was mistaken,” she said.

Nthola recently made some enquiries with colleagues in South Africa who told her that work has not resumed, leaving her stranded in Lesotho with no money to support her family.
“The little money I had is finished…I have no food and cannot pay my monthly rentals,” she said.

Efforts to get government support have been unsuccessful, she said.
“I made enquires and was told I am working. I only got something from friends, otherwise I would have starved to death together with my children.”
Covid-19 has had a distressing impact on Basotho, leaving many in poverty. Many have lost their jobs and those in the informal sector are facing hard times.

A former employee of Gold Mine Village Main Reef (VMR), who identified herself only as Mokulubete, said it has been six months since she last received a pay cheque.
“This has badly affected me since I am the only breadwinner,” Mokulubete said.

The mother of one said she had to rely on her savings, but they only lasted for three months.
She said her former employer had promised to pay them 60 percent of their salaries.

“Later on, we were told the mine could not afford to pay us and we were retrenched. The list was released in mid-August and had I known what was coming, maybe I would have looked for a job sooner,” she said.
She owes M9 000 for the past six months’ rentals. Her landlord was also retrenched from the same mine.

“The landlord has been very patient but it is hard for both of us as we were both retrenched. I hope to find something soon so that I settle my debt and take care of my family again. The stress is unbearable,” she said, adding that family and friends have been supportive.

Another victim is Tumeliso Mofammere, who worked as a domestic worker in South Africa before losing the job in July when her employers lost theirs.
“They couldn’t afford to pay me anymore,” Mofammere said.
She says she is relying on odd jobs while she is looking for another job.
“As a single mother of two, I keep wondering what will happen to my children if things go on like this,” she said.
There is a bit of hope though.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has received part of the M86 million from the European Union (EU) to help suffering migrant workers.
The funds have been mobilised for Lesotho through the Humanitarian Department of the European Commission (Echo) and the project will be implemented through the United Nations agencies and World Vision.

The IOM, during the handover of the funds last week, said it will continue to support vulnerable returnees from South Africa and other countries who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UN Resident Coordinator, Salvator Niyonzima, said since the start of the pandemic, IOM has registered 24 000 Basotho returnees.

“The majority (81 percent) has only returned because of the pandemic, and a slightly lower proportion (62 percent) returned because they lost their jobs due to Covid-related precautionary measures,” Niyonzima said.
He said of the registered returnees, 73 percent “worry about lack of food”.
He said the IOM will build upon its strong relationship with the Lesotho District Covid-19 Secretariats (Discosecs) to protect returnees.

He said this will also help prevent the spread of the disease into the community, and to address protection concerns, including Gender Based Violence (GBV), trafficking in persons and child protection and to help integrate returnees into the community.
“I have no doubt that the funding received will go a long way in supporting us the people in Lesotho,” he said.

The June 2020 Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment (LVAC) report indicates that around 770 000 people are food insecure in both rural and urban areas for the 2020/21 fiscal year.
Most of these people have lost their jobs and are not able to support themselves and their extended families.

A Skill Share Lesotho Assessment report released in July 2020 for IOM revealed that 40 percent of Basotho were forced to return home due to the pandemic.
At least 81.4 percent of migrants, according to the report, returned due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in South-Africa.

“At least 61.9 percent of returnees lost their jobs as a direct impact of Covid-19 and lockdown,” said the report, noting that most were domestic workers, in mining, and in the agricultural sector amongst others.

’Mapule Motsopa

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

5 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

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

News

Massive salary hike for chiefs

Published

5 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

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

News

Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

Published

5 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

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