’Marafaele Mohloboli
THE youth league of the Movement for Economic Change (MECYL) has condemned the appointment of Nthakeng Selinyane as government spokesperson, saying this will not only drain the already over-burdened fiscus but also result in the unnecessary duplication of roles.
The youth league also echoed their party leader, Selibe Mochoboroane’s call for legislators to be left out of the government’s new deal to lease vehicles from locals.
Mr Mochoboroane who chairs the Public Accounts Committee recently told our sister Lesotho Times publication that the inclusion of legislators in the scheme to lease 300 vehicles from locals was a recipe for disaster as it would only serve to compromise and prevent them from effectively fulfilling their oversight role over the executive.
Mr Mochoboroane made the call in the wake of Finance Minister, Moeketsi Majoro’s recent announcement that the cabinet had resolved to lease 300 vehicles from Basotho with immediate effect as it moves to ensure that all its vehicle needs are procured from locals.
MECYL Secretary General, Nkejane Lethoba, addressed a recent press conference in Maseru where he echoed Mr Mochoboroane’s call for a reversal of the deal and also condemned the appointment of Mr Selinyane.
Mr Lethoba said it was “shocking” that the coalition government had made noise about the Bidvest fleet management deal during the previous regime only to go on to make another deal where they simply rewarded each other.
He said if the legislators respected the electorate enough then they should not seek to benefit from the vehicle fleet deal which is also open to legislators from the opposition.
Mr Lethoba also took a swipe at the government for appointing Mr Selinyane to the post of government spokesperson.
Communications Minister, Thesele Maseribane, has been doubling up as the government spokesperson.
According to Mr Lethoba, the appointment of Mr Selinyane amounts to a duplication of duties and “a waste of the state’s resources”.
“It is well known that the government already has people who are doing this job. The hiring of Selinyane and other deputy ministers is a duplication of efforts meant to exhaust the already limited resources.
“This cabinet is ballooning by the day and soon it will have the number of ministers equaling that of members of parliament. These appointments are totally against the appropriation bill which was tabled by the Minister of Finance proposing the freezing of posts due to the already strained wage bill,” Mr Lethoba said.
Mr Lethoba also called on Prime Minister, Thomas Thabane, to sack the Minister of Home Affairs, Tsukutlane Au and his deputy, Machesetsa Mofomobe, for failing to address the situation at the country’s borders where Basotho have to queue for long periods due to the slow pace of South African immigration officers.
“The duo has failed dismally and if the PM does not sack them, the negotiations between Lesotho and its South African counterparts should be removed from the level of ministers and dealt with by the heads of states,” Mr Lethoba said.
Mr Mofomobe said the MECYL were entitled to their opinions as this was a “democratic dispensation”.
“We are hardly eight months in power as the government and the (Pakalitha) Mosisili-led government was in power for over 15 years.
“I would advise these youths to consult their leader for an orientation on how bilateral relationships are handled. All that they are doing is making a political stunt,” Mr Mofomobe said.
He said that he was working day and night with Mr Au to find solutions to resolve the challenges faced by Basotho at the border posts with South Africa.
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