THE rule, according to Napoleon Hill, goes: “The world doesn’t pay you for what you know, but for what you do or induce others to do with what you know.”This then implies, according to Hill, that one’s worth is not measured by how much they know, but by their ability to do something profitable or their capability to induce others to do something profitable with the knowledge they have. This is that very economic rule that deems it fair for the aged to go home and rest with their long acquired knowledge and experience contrary to the thirty-year-olds who haven’t acquired as much, but are able to do something and to induce others to do something with the little they have. In other words, a combination of knowledge and the ability and capability of applying it bears somebody’s worth. But honestly, is this the case in Lesotho? It seems in this country, of late, we have university lecturers and researchers who with the knowledge and education they have, are able to down tools, capable to induce others to do the same (whether intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly) and capable to induce education-deficient people to stop acquiring some knowledge in relatively conducive environments. What a great loss this is on such a huge investment as a university! Well, in case one may be a bit lost, these people are exercising this ability and capability of theirs because a huge chunk of what they want is nothing but money. The question is: given these and other abilities and capabilities that these people have so far shown, are they really worth what they want or they just want to gratify their ill-spending habits that are lately being closely checked by inflation and other diligent economic cops? Some of them fit well in Robert Kiyosaki’s expression that money gets away so fast from some folks it’s like they have taken money laxatives; and they think more money will curb the speedy flow. One, and most probably all of them, may argue that if one has to exert maximum effort amidst the working conditions at the National University of Lesotho (NUL), for instance, then one has to be paid more. This will then make it clear that, although the arguer may have the highest classroom education degree, he or she may be ignorant of the fact that anybody and anything that buckles under pressure or heat is weak indeed. I would therefore recommend a huge dose of real and priceless out-of-classroom education to such a fellow. When it comes to Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), this issue leaves one with a mouth open with mystification. “What is this?” a deeply concerned Mosotho may ask. All staff members go to work in all-black attire.
All Basotho know what the colour black symbolises – countrywide and in the neighbouring Free State Province of South Africa, which is largely inhabited by Basotho. Many lecturers at this university are first degree holders, some of them with very little teaching experience, while others lecture courses they did not major in. No wonder they have gone on strike! It is likely one way of relief from darkness and depression for them.
Mind you, Maseru can be really hot sometimes and this should not be taken as a bluff. Black symbolises death and darkness, and one’s blood simply boils in his or her veins in black in a hot day. Black depresses. On the other hand, one wonders how many indications the NUL management in particular, and other managerial stakeholders in the running of the university wanted to see for them to realise that something like this was imminent.
Is their prudence that shallow? It is quite hard to believe it for one who observes and appreciates authority. Since its inception, how many demands, complaints and strikes has the Lesotho University Teachers and Researchers’ Union (Lutaru) dished the NUL management? Is there any hope that it will stop “its service” to the NUL management? Now all attention is on money and learners continue to be denied their dues — perhaps up to December 31 as the Minister of Education directed. Maybe this is a wake-up call to the law makers to somehow protect our already struggling education system against deliberate attempts to destroy it. I really think this is imperative, unless learners are just a ladder to paycheques as voters are to politicians.
But, even the ladder has to be well taken care of if the user is humane and well-mannered enough. I strongly believe that nobody deserves what they feel they have to fight for. Somebody must earn what they deserve provided the employer has the means and is not a swindler. On top of it all, an employee must mind his or her financial business no matter how horrible the employer is.
