…challenges anyone with evidence to present it so he can fire them
Mohloai Mpesi
PRIME Minister, Sam Matekane, has dared anyone with tangible evidence of corruption against his ministers to come forward so that he can immediately fire them and get them prosecuted.
Speaking at a press conference this week, Mr Matekane dismissed allegations of corruption within his cabinet as “baseless rumours”. He insisted that had credible evidence been presented to him, he would not have hesitated to take action.
The press briefing, held at State House, was led by Mr Matekane, accompanied by Minister of Trade, Industry and Business Development Mokhethi Shelile, and Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition Thabo Mofosi. It was convened to unveil the government’s strategic plan to tackle youth unemployment. Nearly the entire cabinet and their Principal Secretaries (PSs) were in attendance.
“I hear people saying that my ministers are rotten. I want evidence so that I can have them arrested,” Mr Matekane said.
“Give me something tangible. I cannot work with thieves. I don’t want to taint my name by being affiliated with them. Give me evidence and see if they will still be in their offices the next day!”
Mr Matekane’s confidence in his cabinet’s integrity stands in stark contrast to the growing number of corruption allegations hanging over his administration.
Among the most high-profile is the controversial M184 million refurbishment of Moshoeshoe I International Airport, where Minister of Public Works and Transport, Matjato Moteane, was implicated. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which investigated the project, found that Mr Moteane’s company, Khatleli Tomane Architects, had been “irregularly” subcontracted.
Mr Moteane denied wrongdoing, stating that he resigned from the company when he assumed his ministerial role after the 2022 general elections.
The PAC’s report, which recommended that Mr Moteane be dismissed and that PS Tšepang Koele, her deputy Katiso Ntoane, and the Director of Building Design Services (BDS) Motheba Letsoela, be suspended pending further investigations, was ultimately rejected by Members of Parliament on the government side. They argued it violated Standing Order 81.1 and had it nullified before it could be tabled in the National Assembly.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Business Development, Mokhethi Shelile, was also accused by PAC of directing the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) to bend its policies to award a M2 million loan to Luqy’s Manufacturing. He was further accused of instructing LNDC to lend M10 million to Duty Free Sourcing Incorporated. The two companies have failed to repay their debts and owe the state a combined M12 million.
In addition, Mr Mofosi has previously faced allegations of corruption in connection with irregularities in the procurement and distribution of fertilisers and agricultural inputs.
However, Mr Matekane remained adamant that his ministers were not corrupt. He reiterated that anyone with tangible evidence implicating any of them should come forward, promising to take immediate action.
“There have been allegations of corruption, including issues relating to the airport and LEC. The airport matter stirred a lot of controversy. I instructed the DCEO to investigate, and to this day, their investigations are still ongoing. Once they deliver their findings, we will act,” Mr Matekane said.
“If you come to me claiming someone is corrupt without solid evidence, I cannot act. I met with the PAC, and we agreed that the only proper way forward is to allow the DCEO, police, and all other relevant institutions to continue with their investigations.
“But when you inherit a government, you inherit both the good and the bad. That’s the situation we find ourselves in.”
He added: “I hear people saying my ministers are rotten. I want evidence. Something I can take to the police. Show me proof, and I guarantee you they won’t be in their offices the next day. I cannot work with thieves, and I will not let my name be dragged through the mud by being associated with them. Give me evidence!”
Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, describing corruption as a “cancer” that must be fought collectively.
“Corruption is a cancer in our country, and it seems to have become normal. Unfortunately, even the way we talk about it sometimes makes it sound acceptable. But it is a terrible thing that costs all of us.
“Whether it is your relative or not, protecting corrupt individuals affects everyone. We must all work to end it. It is not just the responsibility of the Prime Minister or the government, it is the duty of every Mosotho.
“The Prime Minister speaks very strongly against corruption, and we must all follow his lead. We cannot allow corruption to thrive in our government or our country,” Dr Matlanyane said.
