. . . amid court challenge of controversial promotions
Tefo Tefo
LESOTHO Correctional Services (LCS) Commissioner ‘Matefo Makhalemele has been sent on a 57-day forced leave as the government continues shaking up the security sector.
Commissioner Makhalemele’s involuntary leave comes in the wake of a High Court challenge by a LCS member of the former’s promotions of 27 officers two days before the 3 June 2017 National Assembly elections.
Sources privy to the developments told the Sunday Express that Commissioner Makhalemele’s leave became effective on Wednesday after she received a letter instructing her to go on leave on 18 July 2017.
Commissioner Makhalemele joins her Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS) counterpart Molahlehi Letsoepa, who was also sent on an involuntary leave by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane last month.
Commissioner Letsoepa has since been given until Tuesday this week to “show cause” why he should not be dismissed by Dr Thabane for alleged misconduct and “and/or criminal activities”.
Since being inaugurated last month, the Dr Thabane-led four party government has been consolidating power by purging and replacing senior officials considered vestiges of the former seven-party coalition government that was headed by Democratic Congress leader, Pakalitha Mosisili and deputised by Lesotho Congress for Democracy leader Mothetjoa Metsing.
Two weeks ago, Dr Thabane also ended the tenure of Colonel Tumo Lekhooa as National Security Service director-general, barely a year after his appointment for a three-year term.
Colonel Lekhooa was dispatched to his old job as Director of Military Intelligence at the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF).
The premier also appointed former LMPS commissioner Khothatso Tšooana as Police and Public Safety ministry PS two weeks ago after he had been sent on early retirement in 2015 by the Mosisili government which deemed him unfit to hold office.
Mr Tšooana had been appointed as LMPS commissioner in January 2014 by Dr Thabane, during the latter’s first tenure as prime minister.
Commissioner Makhalemele’s enforced leave comes in the wake of a High Court application filed on Friday by a member of the LCS, Sergeant Bokang Ramotena.
In the application, Sgt Ramotena challenges the legality of 27 LCS promotions that were made on 1 June, 2017 just two days before the snap elections that ushered in the four party coalition government headed by All Basotho Convention leader, Dr Thabane.
The other parties in the coalition are the Alliance of Democrats, Basotho National Party and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho.
The new positions which were announced through the Corrections Internal Circular Notice No. 45 of 2017 dated 20 June 2017, range from the ranks of correctional officer to deputy commissioner.
In her court papers Sgt Ramotena argues that the promotions were made on a corrupt basis and nepotistic.
“48012 (Phaello) Malataliana who is promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioner is the wife of 45195 L. Moerane who is promoted to Chief Officer,” she states.
“41959 T. Masenkane who is promoted to ACC is the father of 78534 T. Masenkane who is promoted to position of Correction Officer.
“53068 M. Mahloane who is promoted to position of Chief Officer is the sister of 78510 L. Letlala.
“The incidents mentioned above are purely acts of nepotism as the junior officers were promoted on selective basis which was arbitrary as the same were not done on merit but their affiliations with other officers in high ranking positions,” Sgt Ramotena states in her papers.
She asserts that the correct promotion procedure mandated that vacancies in the LCS should be declared in the vacancy report form (GP 102) with the number of available vacancies in each rank.
Sgt Ramotena also indicates that applications should be analysed against job requirements or job specifications by the management team (sectional heads) and “lastly, the Principal Secretary approves shortlisted candidates”.
However, she contends the senior officers’ promotions were done contrary to the law as they were promoted by a board comprising of three individuals “as opposed to five which is required by the law”.
“This was an illegality and the purported promotions are of no force and effect as there were done contrary to the dictates of the law.”
Sgt Ramotena avers that she was not considered for promotion in 2015 on the grounds that Commissioner Makhalemele had not received her appraisal form as part of the application.
She attached to her court papers the letter she received from Commissioner Makhalemele in response to her application for promotion which stated among other things, that she needed to send her appraisal form.
“The report I got indicated you were able to apply for that position, what was pending was an appraisal as you also had indicated,” reads part of Commissioner Makhalemele’s letter dated 9 September, 2015.
“I also got a report that your seniors were instructed to appraise you but they said they had never worked with you therefore, they cannot appraise you.
“The office had instructed Assistant Superintendent Matsinyane to appraise you as a person who had worked with you and for a long time. Please be informed that the office is still awaiting your appraisal,” Commissioner Makhalemele further states in her letter.
Commissioner Makhalemele is the first of 30 respondents cited in Sgt. Ramotena’s court application, including the Ministry of Correctional Service (second respondent) and the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Correctional Service (third respondent).
Repeated efforts to obtain comment from Communications Minister, Joang Molapo were fruitless as his phone went unanswered yesterday.