Staff Reporter
MASERU — Retrenched Lesotho Football Association workers are suing the football governing body over unpaid salaries and severance packages.
The Sunday Express can reveal that the office of the chief executive officer has been served with a letter of demand from legal representatives of one of the former workers ordering Lefa to pay him within the next seven days.
Lefa chief executive officer, Mofihli Makoele, confirmed to the Sunday Express that his office had received such a letter.
About 40 staff members were not paid their March salaries while the association’s senior staff has gone for three months without pay.
This paper has been reliably informed that other workers are set to take the same route in the next coming weeks if they don’t get their packages.
“I have not been paid my salary and my severance package which were due to be paid before the end of March.
“It is strange because nothing has been communicated to me until today. I have only heard from my former colleagues that salaries might be paid before the end of this week,” the former employee said.
He said the termination letter of his contract, which he received on February 29, had indicated that his severance package would be disbursed to him before the end of March.
He added that the 20 retrenched workers were made scapegoats for the current financial situation facing the association.
The former employee said all he wanted now is the money owed to him by the association so that he can concentrate on his future.
“I think the president (Salemane Phafane) should shoulder the blame for what has been happening at the association in recent months.”
He added that Phafane had failed to explain to workers the problems bedevilling the cash-strapped association.
Former Lefa public relations officer, Tsiu Monne, recently called for the current executive committee not to stand in the next election scheduled for August.
He said the committee had failed the football fraternity and should go.
Speaking to the Sunday Express on Friday, another long-serving member at the football association expressed frustration with the current uncertainty at Lefa.
“It has been really difficult for all of us; we never really thought the situation was so bad until we went for months without pay,” he said.
Lefa has avoided answering questions on the subject which has been making headlines since the beginning of 2012.