Peter Mosotho
Sickening!
That word aptly encapsulates the unnerving spectre of corruption that continues to bedevil our beloved country, Lesotho.
“Ex-convict lands top job,” reads the headline in this week’s edition of the Lesotho Times.
That story was referring to the appointment of Masupha Sole, the former chief executive of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), to the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission.
Sole is the same person who was convicted of bribery and fraud in 2002.
He was sentenced to 15 years in jail after the court found that he had received bribes from contractors hired during the construction of Katse and Mohale dams.
Headlines such as the above appear in our newspapers with such regularity.
To a dispassionate observer this has become a serious indictment on the will of the current political leadership to root out corruption.
For the record, corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain.
Suffice also, for purposes of brevity, to indicate that corruption damages the relations between the citizens and state, erodes public confidence in democratic processes and besmirches a country’s international profile thereby undermining foreign investment.
The appointment of Sole to the top job at the LHWC smacks of corruption at the highest level.
That Sole has been convicted of corruption is beyond question.
It is also beyond question that the LHDA like the Lesotho Revenue Authority, are the heart and soul of Lesotho, yet after having been duly convicted of corruption within the LHDA Sole is appointed technical advisor to the same project that he so mercilessly looted and damaged by receiving bribes.
There is no doubt that this reflects badly on the government of the day.
Elsewhere, it is a requirement that applicants for jobs must have no criminal record.
For Sole to be appointed to such a senior position there must have been consent from the political head of the project.
It would seem that in Lesotho it is macho to be corrupt.
That is why people who have looted government resources are actually rewarded by politicians for their misdeeds.
Surely there is more to Sole’s appointment than meets the eye.
This poor nation is made to suffer even more because someone wants to further their selfish motives by making such an irresponsible decision.
If we are to turn the economy of this country around and improve its image internationally then it must be our top priority to eradicate corruption.
Instead of just talking for political expedience we must take real measures to deal with corruption.
In both the private and public sectors we need a strong political will to deal with this national problem.
We must empower those who investigate corruption.
Sadly, under the present government that political will seems to be lacking.
Examples include the national ID scandal, the graft in the honourable prime minister’s office and the chicanery on the Thaba-Tseka road project.
It is unforgivable and shameful that when other leaders in the world are working hard to rebuild their economies after the recession
ours are hell bend on destroying our economy which is already fragile.