…as cover expands to 1246 police officers and 5176 dependants
Seithati Motšoeneng
THE Liberty funeral scheme for members of the Lesotho Police Staff Association (LEPOSA) has paid out M2.9 million in claims since its partnership with Liberty Life began two years ago.
The scheme, which currently covers 1246 police officers and 5176 dependants, is now shifting its focus towards sustainability, financial literacy and ensuring that members receive dignified support during bereavement.
Speaking at the official launch of the formalised partnership this week, LEPOSA president Teboho Modia described the development as a long-overdue intervention for police officers and their families.
“It is my great honour and pleasure in the launch of the formalisation of the scheme between LEPOSA and Liberty,” Mr Modia said.
He said the agreement had taken time because of assessments conducted to ensure that the scheme was properly structured.
“This activity should have happened a long time ago, but we had to go through assessments. We have thought bigger in the agreement for our members,” he said.
Mr Modia called for the scheme to be managed with “loyalty for the benefit of all”, while urging LEPOSA and Liberty to resolve challenges through dialogue.
“Where problems arise, we sit down and iron out issues for the benefit of all,” he said.
Liberty managing director, Makhakhe Maliehe, said the insurer had deliberately delayed the full rollout of the scheme since 2024 to ensure that it was properly structured and financially sustainable.
He said Liberty wanted to “clean the scheme into something credible and to avoid paying out unnecessarily”.
Mr Maliehe said the partnership was not only about funeral insurance but also about improving members’ financial literacy, particularly given the number of deductions on government employees’ payslips.
“Looking at the payslips of government employees, there is a long list of insurances which are costly though unnecessary. Through this scheme we want to relieve them from the funeral policies that are costly,” he said.
He said Liberty had so far paid M2.9 million in claims, in addition to more than M400,000 in administration fees to support the management of the scheme and correction of members’ data.
However, Mr Maliehe warned that abuse of the scheme could undermine its sustainability.
“The leadership should ensure to root out bed-hopping, which is something many have turned into a cash cow. If that persists, it could lead to the collapse of the scheme,” he said.
He urged members to take greater responsibility for protecting the scheme and improving their financial wellbeing.
“There is nothing more dangerous than not having money as that takes away the integrity of many as they end up in debts that leave them without identity documents,” he said.
He added that financial difficulties had contributed to people leaving employment and families breaking down.
“We ask that you take good care of the scheme to build it to be a sustainable insurance scheme,” Mr Maliehe said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sera Makharilele, said LEPOSA was an integral part of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), describing the partnership with Liberty as a welcome development.
“We have seen far worse where many have had to borrow money just to bury their loved ones, but that will change as we have Liberty,” he said.
However, DCP Makharilele urged the scheme to place greater emphasis on dignity rather than simply providing cash payouts.
“The scheme should not be a benefit but a way to provide a dignified funeral,” he said, recalling a funeral he attended where a deceased police officer had substantial benefits but was given what he described as a disappointing funeral.
He called on Liberty to consider replacing cash payouts with funeral-related services.
“Insurance is not about benefits but dignity and responsibilities. For an officer to be whole, they need to be responsible for their families and loved ones,” he said.
DCP Makharilele also raised concerns over multiple insurance deductions from police officers’ salaries and called for counselling and financial guidance for beneficiaries following bereavement.
“It is high time that we start offering counselling services for beneficiaries to educate them about money and its usage. Money sometimes blinds you and some people misappropriate it,” he said.
He further called for broader welfare protection for police officers, particularly through medical insurance.
“I am not impressed by the service payouts for officers when they have died. We need medical insurance to save their lives instead of letting people just die because of illnesses,” he said.
