By Liapeng Raliengoane
MASERU – The Retired Chief Justice Advocate Mahapela Lehohla has called for the country to adopt diversification in its economy and for the improvement of agricultural methods in the areas of stock farming.
This he said while uttering his opening remarks of a dialogue session on reforms journey facilitated by the Development for Peace Education (DPE) in Maseru last Friday.
DPE Researcher Lemohang Molibeli had disclosed that DPE had engaged the civil society, stakeholders and those who were actively involved in the National Reforms Authority (NRA) to come together to discuss progress and recommendations on the reforms journey.
The Retired Chief Justice congratulated DPE for holding such an important session upon which the future of Lesotho and the much needed welfare of its inhabitants depends, more at this stage of events and developments on the political horizon than ever before.
“The streets in our towns are ever congested and leave you with nowhere to set a foot. This is a challenge which in part could be resolved by adopting diversification in our economy and improving agricultural methods in the areas of stock farming, poultry and crop production by way of forming village groups overseeing and ensuring that these life givers are adopted and maintained,” he noted.
He also opined that the whole country will have to contend with the scourge of large scale criminality in the form of theft and armed robbery emanating from hunger and want.
He further said the hardship faced by the inhabitants of areas affected by the Highlands Water Project leaves much to be desired as for years on and now compensation has not been paid to the affected people, some of whom have departed to the next world. “This is very unfair because the money that is required for this purpose is available but the complaint one gets is that when the claim is lodged for payment to the affected person, they are required to submit a business plan. What business plan from an illiterate who has not sold 3 potatoes in his entire life!” he exclaimed.
Advocate Lehohla indicated that the economic factors are essentially the first port of call where to apply and supply cure rather than treating the result of the scourge.
NRA former Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tšiu Khatibe pointed out that NRA was given 18 months to execute its duties, from 2019 but was hindered buy Covid-19 pandemic so they started working in 2021 and the first document they worked on was the Media Policy which had since been drafted and shelfed in the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology.
Khatibe said the key focus of NRA were among others reduction of government debts and to curb corruption. The challenges they came across entail weak financial muscles to fund all that were required of them. Another challenge was of staff members who came and left offices.
Suggestions that were tabled by attendees included among others: establishment of Multi-Stakeholder Forum which is a forum of the petitions for NRA not to be facilitated by every nick and jack, that security agencies should not be influenced by Politicians who lack code of ethics in their own field of politics. Another suggestion was that the Lesotho Constitution should be overhauled and not be continuously amended.
Present at the dialogue were the former security agencies Commissioners, former Heads of tertiary institutions, former Commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), many other former Heads of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and the civil society.
