Boitumelo Koloi
MASERU — Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and his coalition government were given a pat on the back by the regional anti-corruption mission which was in the country earlier this week for making significant strides in the fight against corruption.
The African Union Advisory Board on Corruption praised the Thabane-led coalition government for committing to the fight against corruption compared to most of its African counterparts.
The national anti-corruption agency Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offenses (DCEO), hosted a three-member mission who were in the country to assess the progress made by Lesotho in the fight against corruption.
Edward Hosea head of the mission to Lesotho said government has really gathered recognisable momentum in addressing corruption.
“The different facets of the Lesotho government are more than committed towards the fight against corruption and I am pleased to report that the country is in the right track,” he said, adding that they had met almost all the arms of government.
“The Prime Minister has indicated that he’ll do his best to make sure that the mandatory principles of the convention are implemented,” he said.
Since coming into office Thabane has declared a state of emergency against corruption.
Lesotho is one of the 34 African countries which have ratified the African Union Convention on the Prevention and Combating Corruption which was adopted in 2003 in Maputo at the second ordinary session of the African Union summit.
Hoseah who is also the Director, Prevention of Corruption Bureau of Tanzania whose country is among the best in the fight against corruption in the region, said that he is hopeful that Lesotho will soon triumph over the war against corruption.
He said that he was even motivated by the fact that even the judiciary of Lesotho is committed towards the eradication of corruption. He said they had met the acting Chief Justice Ts’eliso Monaphathi who further stressed that corruption is a national challenge of concern.
“The judges said they are even willing to fast track corruption cases, especially large scale corruption cases to quicken the cause of justice in eradicating corruption,” he added.
The Minister of Law and Correctional Services Mophato Monyake told a public rally in Maseru on Friday that government’s commitment to eradicate corruption had risen to greater heights adding that the law would take its course against corruption regardless of who it is that is implicated in the crime.
“This month more big names will answer corruption charges,” he said adding “next month (November) another former minister will stand trial for corruption”.
While in the country the mission also met the private sector, civil society and the media advocacy body Misa-Lesotho.
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