Mohloai Mpesi
Former Energy Minister Professor Nqosa Mahao has questioned the appointment of Professor Molibeli Taele as the new Director of the Lesotho Electricity Generation Company (LEGCO) arguing the latter was “unfit” for the position.
Prof Taele was appointed LEGCO director three months ago, shortly after the dismissal of the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) board of directors of which he was the chairperson.
The LEC board was dissolved due to alleged mismanagement.
In the National Assembly last week Friday, Prof Mahao questioned acting Minister of Energy, Mohlomi Moleko, about the skills, expertise, and suitability of Prof Taele’s appointment. Prof Mahao’s questions are set to be fully answered today (Thursday).
Mr Moleko has nonetheless defended the appointment, saying that Prof Taele’s expertise was needed to lead LEGCO.
However, Prof Mahao argued that during Prof Taele’s tenure as LEC board chair, the state company had gone on a downward spiral.
It had failed to pay its suppliers including the Ramarothole Solar Power Generation leading to LEGCO’s financial troubles and increased tariffs for consumers.
Prof Mahao had dismissed the LEC board in October 2024, despite their then pending court challenge to his August 2024 decision to remove them.
The former minister accused the board of approving staff bonuses while the utility was heavily in debt to its electricity suppliers in Mozambique and South Africa.
The ‘Muela Hydropower Station, which supplies 72 megawatts to LEC, has been undergoing maintenance since October 2024. It was expected that it would be up and running by 1 April 2025 but the works have since been delayed and are expected to be completed soon.
Professor Mahao questioned Mr Moleko whether he was aware that during Professor Taele’s leadership of the LEC board, the company “neglected” to settle its electricity dues for Ha Ramarothole, leading to financial liabilities.
“Is the Minister aware that it was under Professor Taele’s chairmanship of the LEC Board that the LEC failed to fulfill its electricity payment obligations for Ha Ramarothole, consequently placing LEGCO in a state of financial debt?” Prof Mahao inquired.
“Is the Minister informed that the LEC’s inability to pay for LEGCO’s electricity since 2023 has shifted the entire burden of covering LEGCO’s operational expenses onto Basotho electricity consumers, as evidenced by the rising tariffs?”
“And is the Minister aware that the LEC’s failure, under Professor Taele’s guidance, to compensate LEGCO—whose primary role is to manage the collection of tariffs for the Ramarothole electricity generation to settle the nation’s debt to China—has transferred the responsibility for this debt to the government and the taxpayers of Lesotho?”
Since Prof Mahao’s questions will only be answered today (Thursday) as per the national assembly rules, the Lesotho Times contacted Mr Moleko for comment soon after the sitting.
He said Prof Taele had been appointed as the Director of LEGCO’s board due to his expertise.
Mr Moleko said it would be unfair to blame Prof Taele for the LEC’s failures, as the company had accumulated debt over a 10 to 15 year period.
“LEC’s problems started long before Professor Taele’s appointment, due to the high cost of purchasing electricity from Eskom and EDM, which exceeded their revenues from consumer charges,” Mr Moleko said.
Mr Moleko said they would not have appointed Prof Taele if he had a corruption case pending in court. He did not have any and was thus fit to be appointed.
“LEC prioritizes paying its loans to EDM and Eskom before LEGCO, as LEGCO is a government facility. It would be unfair to say Professor Taele caused LEC’s troubles. We need his expertise to run LEGCO’s solar mini-grid projects,” Mr Moleko said.
