—as Principal Chiefs, gvt pleas fall on deaf ears
Moroke Sekoboto
THE Lesotho Association of Chiefs (LAC), which represents subordinate chiefs, has vowed to continue its strike until the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police delivers on its promise to raise their salaries.
The subordinate chiefs, who began their work stoppage last Monday, are represented by the Lesotho Workers’ Association (LEWA) and insist they will not resume their duties until the salary adjustments are made.
The industrial action continues despite calls from the College of Chiefs — a body comprising Principal Chiefs — for LEWA and the striking chiefs to put the needs of Basotho first and avoid further disruptions to chieftainship services.
LAC made its announcement at a press conference held yesterday at Memorial Hall in Maseru, following a separate press briefing by the Principal Chiefs on Wednesday.
At the press conference, Chieftainess ‘Mamolapo Majara criticised LEWA for interfering in chieftainship matters, calling the union’s actions illegal.
She said Lesotho’s chieftainship is governed by the Lerotholi Laws and Chieftainship Act of 1968, which require chiefs to support the monarch and uphold the law. Chieftainess Majara stressed that chiefs must serve their people impartially and follow orders from their superiors (Principal Chiefs).
Addressing the strike, she said Principal Chiefs could not align with a workers’ union or participate in strikes, as they are not employees. She stressed that LEWA’s involvement in the saga violates chieftainship laws.
At the press conference, yesterday, LEWA Secretary General Hlalefang Seoaholimo challenged statements made by both Principal Chiefs and the Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs, and Police, Lebona Lephema, which claimed that chiefs are not public servants.
Mr Seoaholimo alluded to Section 3 of the Labour Act of 2024, which specifies that the Act “applies to any employment relationship in both private and public service”.
He criticised the Principal Chiefs and the ministry for relying on outdated laws, instead of the current Labour Act which was passed by the Senate and Parliament on 2 April 2024.
“Section 3(1) of Labour Act No. 3 of 2024 makes it clear that the Act applies to any employment relationship in private and public service,” Mr Seoaholimo said.
“Subsection (2) exempts members of the Lesotho Defence Force, Lesotho Mounted Police Service, National Security Service, and Lesotho Correctional Services, but does not mention chiefs.”
Mr Seoaholimo also argued that chiefs provide essential services as part of local government duties, questioning why the Principal Chiefs and the ministry insist that chiefs are not public servants.
“We are surprised by the Principal Chiefs’ statements. Instead of threatening the chiefs, they should be advocating for the implementation of the agreement, since chiefs help deliver services to the people,” he said.
LAC chairman, Sekhonyana Letsie, urged the ministry to implement the agreement so they can continue serving Basotho.
“We will resume our duties once the agreement is implemented. There is a significant salary gap between Principal Chiefs and us, which is why they may not understand our struggles. They claim they can serve the people, but how will they do that from Maseru? People in the remote areas know us because we live among them, unlike the Principal Chiefs,” Chief Letsie said.
The ministry had signed an agreement with LEWA and the Lesotho Association of Chiefs (LAC), which represents the lower tier subordinate chiefs, on January 11, pledging a 100 percent salary increase for them, effective from April 1, 2025.
This agreement resulted from an out-of-court settlement with the Directorate of Dispute Resolution and Prevention (DDPR), which aimed to resolve long-standing disputes over chiefs’ pay. LEWA had taken the ministry to the DDPR on behalf of the LAC.
The subordinate chiefs are categorised into different layers. According to the seemingly confusing categorisation in the agreement reached with LEWA, about 3,326 “ungazetted headmen” would see their salaries rise from M1,592 to M3,001 per month.
Chief I (Village Chief/Ramotse) and Chief II categories would have their pay adjusted from M3,768 to M5,181, and from M1,196 to M3,567, respectively. Area Chief II salaries were set to increase from M4,455 to M7,993, while Area Chief I positions would go from M9,939 to M10,674.
Before reaching this compromise, LEWA had demanded even higher compensation, suggesting M25,000 per month for Area Chiefs I and II, M20,000 for Chief I Ramotse, M15,000 for Chief II, and M6,000 for Headmen.
Despite the signed agreement, the Ministry of Local Government has yet to implement the salary increases.
During a Senate session last month, local government Principal Secretary (PS), ‘Mamphaka Lebesa, said her ministry was still waiting for necessary approvals from the ministries of public service and finance and development planning before payments could begin.