BUTHA-BUTHE — Qalo villagers in Butha-Buthe have accused their councillor, Seqache Sekhochoa, of spending most of his time in local bars instead of working to develop the community.
They have called for his demotion for what they said “was serious neglect of duty and incompetence”.
The villagers say councillor Sekhochoa had to address the people’s problems and develop the community.
In separate interviews the villagers said they had no confidence that the situation will improve as long as Sekhochoa remained councillor.
Chane Pako said Sekhochoa — elected on a Lesotho Congress for Democracy ticket — had done nothing to improve the services in the community since he became councillor two years ago.
“For the past two years nothing has been done here to develop people’s lives. He spends most of his days in local ‘shebeens’,” Pako said.
“It makes me angry that a whole councillor spends a lot of time at bars while the people are suffering. There is no development to talk about in this area because our councillor is not doing anything.”
Some villagers said Sekhochoa had on several occasions missed important meetings where important projects were to be discussed.
They said he also discussed important community business in bars instead of proper meetings.
“Sekhochoa discusses serious community issues with his friends at the ‘shebeens’ and it ends there. We hear most of the news from them. That is not good at all,” Pako said.
“His friends were first to be employed when there was a gravel road repair at a nearby village recently. They were not hired like the rest of the people where a certain procedure was used.”
Sekhochoa said he had no comment on the accusation.
“I am not answering any question,” Sekhochoa said.
When the Lesotho Times visited the village last week the roads were in a dire need of repair and villagers were drawing water from a nearby river.
“We are living a risky life. We drink from the river like animals,” said ‘Mathibane Kekana
“Our councillor has done nothing about this issue. Our neighbouring villagers have clean tap water after their councillors persuaded the government to instal portable taps,” Kekana said.
Kekana and other women collect water from the river about a kilometre away.
Those further away from the river get their water from exposed ponds.
They have to wake up as early as 4am so that they can get water.
