—Monokoane promises help to small entrepreneurs
Mohloai Mpesi
PEKA Member of Parliament (MP), Mohopoli Monokoane, is on a mission to help small businesses.
He has vowed to bridge the widening gap between struggling small businesses and Lesotho’s established business tycoons by creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from the latter.
Addressing a meeting with Quthing business owners at The Steak House over the weekend, Mr Monokoane said doing business should not be difficult.
The owner of Hippo Transport and Hippo Bricks, and leader of the fledgling Khanya political movement, said he wanted to make it easier for small business owners to engage established entrepreneurs, share ideas and gain knowledge and advice that could help them grow.
He said this remained a challenge in Lesotho, where successful businesspeople were often reluctant to mentor emerging entrepreneurs, making it harder for small businesses to develop.
Mr Monokoane, who also runs Peka Fresh Produce, made the remarks during Khanya’s ongoing nationwide public consultations, aimed at gathering public input for the movement’s policy agenda ahead of its registration as a political party.
Khanya was formed earlier this year after Mr Monokoane and Matala MP, Dr Tšeliso Moroke, defected from the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), citing poor leadership and what they described as persecution by the party’s executive committee.
The pair briefly joined the Basotho Action Party (BAP) before launching Khanya, whose name means “light” in Sesotho. The movement has said it will register as a political party only after completing consultations across all 80 constituencies.
Beyond politics, Mr Monokoane has championed commercial agriculture as a pathway to job creation, establishing demonstration farming projects in several districts under the Khanya banner.
The party members this month planted more than 190 hectares of land near the Seaka River, including more than 40 000 heads of cabbage of the Star 3316 variety, 1000 spinach seedlings, 2000 rape seedlings and 2000 mustard seedlings.
The project has created more than 40 jobs, he said, with plans to increase the workforce to 800 in the near future.
Mr Monokoane said the objective was to make it easier for small business owners to consult established entrepreneurs.
“Businessmen differ in rank; there are small, medium and big businessmen. Small traders want to reach the level of big businessmen, but established businessmen make it difficult for them to get there.
“We want to make it easy for small businessmen to consult established businessmen, share wisdom and knowledge, and solve problems easily to ensure that small businessmen develop too. We need to be problem solvers. We want businessmen to benefit everyone,” he said.
Khanya co-founder, Thabo ‘Mahapu’ Ramatla, said business owners in the southern region faced numerous challenges, including delays at the border when exporting goods to neighbouring South Africa.
“I know you face many challenges as businessmen. One of them is crossing the border (Teele Bridge) with stock, because it is not a commercial border. You have to go around through Mafeteng, which pushes up prices when you sell your goods,” he said.
He urged the business owners to join Khanya so they could work together to address their challenges.
“Join Khanya so that we become a government that will solve these problems. Business is not supposed to be difficult; it has to be easy so that you can turn your district’s fortunes around.
“We want you to share your challenges with us so we can walk this road together. But most importantly, you must join Khanya so that we have a constitution and manifesto created by you,” he said.
One businessman, Lehlohonolo Phatela, who ventured into the transport industry, said operators had long been promised greater control over the sector.
“As businessmen, our biggest issue is that we want the power we have been promised in the transport sector. We want the industry to operate the way it is supposed to, because we are burdened by the way things are done these days,” he said.
He said fare increases were often delayed and, when eventually approved, were steep enough to hurt passengers.
He also complained about cross-border complications.
“We want things to be easy, so we can achieve what we want when we want it. Fares are increased after long delays, which causes passengers to complain because the increases end up being steep.
“We want easier border crossings, because the way we currently cross feels painful — it is as if we have no rights in other countries, while they have rights in ours. Even when we arrive in South Africa, it feels as though we don’t have valid documents allowing us to travel there.
“We want Khanya to light our way so that our problems as businessmen can be solved,” he said.
A local villager, ‘Malinake Linake, commended Mr Monokoane, saying he was the first leader to campaign in the area while also demonstrating action on the ground.
“I planted my own garden. I don’t have a husband; I do things by myself. I plant vegetables and hoe the fields in the scorching sun.
“This is the first time I have seen a leader come to this area and already be liked by the people here. We have joined many political parties without direction.
“I have a fervent hope that with your leadership, we will not go to bed with empty stomachs. We have seen your initiatives — we saw the tractors ploughing. This is action. We have to live and raise our children. How would we do that without working the land with our hands?” she said.
Another villager, ‘Makhatiso Molibeli, told Mr Monokoane that if he kept his promises — unlike other political leaders who visit constituencies, make promises and fail to deliver — he would win many constituencies in Quthing.
She said she would use her ability to speak in his favour.
“We have joined too many political parties; we have been promised many things that have not happened, even now. If you can fulfil your promises… I am a poultry businesswoman, and sometimes the market is not good.
“If you fulfil your promises, I promise you will take this constituency. Once you have promised us, please deliver, and you will win the constituency. I know how to speak on your behalf.
“I only came here because I saw the work you have already done. Please work for Basotho,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Funiwe Seturumane urged young people to venture into business and work together, saying many businesses failed because of a lack of teamwork.
“Ever since I got involved in politics in this country, this is the first time I have seen someone come to the public with real action on the ground.
“I urge the youth in Quthing to start working together. Businesses fail in Quthing because of a lack of teamwork. We have to work together,” she said.
She added that many young people’s dreams were being wasted because their energy was spent on unproductive activities such as gossip, entertainment and meaningless conversations.
“It is painful to realise that wherever the youth gather in Quthing, they talk about unproductive things. You walk away from the conversation without gaining anything meaningful. It is all about talking about other people and entertainment.
“The economy has deteriorated. We have to join hands, venture into agriculture, and come up with ideas on how to help each other and get out of poverty,” she said.
