When national duty calls

Two years down the line, the tables are slowly turning.

Matekane, who was the object of scorn, is slowly becoming the darling of the urban masses.

He has fixed the roads and electrified the streets.

He has provided water to rural communities.

He has defanged violent famo music gangs that were terrorising rural communities.

He has increased police visibility on the streets, helping cut down crime.

Even some of his harshest critics are slowly acknowledging that there is indeed movement, movement that may be slow, but movement all the same, in getting Lesotho working again.

But Lesotho’s politicians, as always, are bitterly divided over Matekane and his government’s development projects in a classic reminder of Lesotho’s toxic politics.

BNP spokesman, David Letela, for instance, talked himself into trouble after he openly praised Matekane’s government for fixing potholes, among other things.

His party was not amused.

Letela has since quit the BNP after he was summoned to a disciplinary hearing last week for breaching party protocol.

BNP leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe, told thepost last week that Basotho “do not need Matekane’s infrastructure projects but (need) job opportunities that can help alleviate poverty in Lesotho”.

Nthati Moorosi, Matekane’s communications chief, this week went on the charm offensive, countering the negative stories around her government’s achievements.

Despite the noise from the opposition and critics, things are beginning to take shape, she told thepost on Monday.

She says they are still a long way from fully implementing the party’s election manifesto that saw Basotho overwhelmingly vote for the RFP in 2022.

Moorosi says for the first time in years, Lesotho is expecting a bumper harvest unseen since the days of Chief Leabua Jonathan.

That is a statement and a half.

Chief Jonathan, who was Prime Minister in the early 1970s until the mid-80s, is often credited with turning Lesotho into the breadbasket of the southern Africa region. His agricultural policies saw Lesotho manage to feed itself and the region before he was toppled in a military coup in 1986.

Moorosi says that golden past is back, thanks to the Matekane-led government’s investments in agriculture.

“We have always campaigned and said every Mosotho should eat from the soil and if you look at the production now, you will see that there is huge growth in agriculture,” she says.
“The yields are really promising.”

Moorosi is the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation. She says her ministry’s role is often misunderstood with most people thinking they only focus on radio and television.

As communications minister, Moorosi’s role is to communicate the government’s programmes and drive technological innovations in Lesotho.

As part of their mandate, the ministry wants to drive the digital transformation of the country for econonic growth. For example, through the e-payment system the Ministry is working on, the first target is to perfect the processing of all old age pensions through digital payments.

The government of Lesotho has for years been processing old age pensions manually. The manual system was however susceptible to manipulation by unscrupulous civil servants who would create ghost accounts.

The Ministry of Finance has struggled to weed out these ghost pensioners for years, resulting in huge financial losses for the government.

This will soon be a thing of the past once the ministry digitizes the payment system, she says.

But the switch to digital payments has not been without challenges.

“There is a lot of resistance from all corners,” she says. If you talk to bo-nkhono back home, who are supposed to be getting their old age pensions through electronic payments, they don’t want that. They want to hold cash.”

Moorosi says convincing the old age pensioners to switch to digital “is a difficult journey, but we will do it”.

She says digital payments will help eliminate “ghost” accounts.

Moorosi says they are already working hard to sensitise rural communities on the advantages of using the electronic money transfer system.

“There have been stories of money disappearing and people being paid when they are already dead. We have also dealt with issues of mismanagement of funds. If we make paymentd electronically, it would be very difficult to pay ghosts.”

She says officials in her ministry have already been on study tours to Rwanda and Kenya to see how Lesotho can also implement its own digital transformation strategy.

Lesotho recently completed a SIM registration project for all mobile phone users. Moorosi says the system will know who has been paid when they effect payments electronically.

“The SIM registration will show us (the owner) of the number and so it’s going to eliminate (ghost payments),” she says.

She says her ministry will soon pilot a national digital identity project through the support of the Indian government.

“That is a key milestone for the envisaged digital transformation. If we can achieve that, then all of us would be on the online platform. That, combined with the e-payment system is part of the foundational ecosystem for providing public service digitally. The target is to implement digitization before the end of (Matekane’s) five-year term.”

Moorosi was recently under fire from media activists after she tabled the Cyber Security Bill in parliament. Critics say the Bill will allow the government to snoop into people’s private communications and is a threat to basic freedoms.

“I don’t know why people have that idea,” she says.

“The law is only targeting cyber-crimes; if you hold classified information that you would have acquired through illegal means then the law provides for how that crime should be treated.”

After Matekane’s RFP assumed power in October 2022 there was an expectation that the Prime Minister, using his vast experience in business, would help create jobs for thousands of Basotho youths.

The opposition says very few jobs have been created, leading to deep frustration among youths.

Moorosi speaks of the current job crisis as a “big challenge” for the RFP.

“We thought the easiest thing was to open textile firms. And when we came in we realised it was not as easy as was being said.”

“It is a frustrating exercise. There are too many dynamics that affect the opening of firms in Lesotho. It is an industry that is dependent on private investment for manufacturers. Currently, operating in Lesotho is very costly and makes us uncompetitive. Since Covid, the US market prefers to source near shore as opposed to countries that are far like Lesotho.

“We are also seeing a huge flight of the Taiwanese investors migrating to Swaziland. Shipping garmets and fabric to and from Lesotho is also getting more and more difficult and costly. Too many penalties due to waiting period at the port, which sometimes takes up to 90 days,” she says.

“ The Middle East war has also not made it easy for us as the route has been diverted and is longer to ensure safety. We now know that we need to change the strategy a bit and focus on producing our own fabric. Reasearch has started on this goal.”

The textile sector is the second biggest employer after the civil service. At its peak, it had a 35 000-strong workforce while the government employed 45 000 workers.

Scores of textile factories have however been forced to shut down in the last few years as orders from the United States and Europe dried up.

The textile closures have thrown thousands of workers onto the jobless heap, creating deep misery across Lesotho society.

Matekane had promised to revive these textile firms when he was campaigning for office, a task Moorosi says remains a challenge.

“Nonetheless, we are working really hard to open the firms. We are engaging a lot of investors and the most encouraging thing is that we have managed to secure huge orders. There is a pipeline and we want to shift production to nearby SACU countries”.

That will likely come as little solace to thousands of jobless Basotho who had begun to view Matekane as some kind of political messiah when he assumed power almost two years ago.

“Our people want jobs. Our young people are aggrieved. Some have university degrees and diplomas but they are unemployed. And the government seems to be the only body that is absorbing young people, and that is wrong,” she says.

That is why we are pushing a private-sector led economy that can create jobs, she says.

“They want jobs and we have to get this one right. Hence our negotiations with a lot of countries to open firms, to assemble tractors here and assemble cell phones. These are the kind of conversations we are having with all the investors.”

Moorosi says the government wants to empower Basotho so that they own the textile firms which are currently dominated by the Chinese and Taiwanese.

“We want them to partner with outsiders but ensure that our people are at the forefront. And we want to see women leading some of these industries.”

As technology minister, Moorosi says they are pushing to ensure a simpler and friendlier online visa application system to drive tourist traffic into Lesotho.

Despite its stunning scenery, the criticism is that Lesotho has not aggressively marketed itself to drive the tourist numbers.

Moorosi says she is aware of the huge potential in the tourism sector which could significantly boost Lesotho’s economy.

She says they are working hard to perfect the visa applications online.

She also spoke of a new innovation – virtual tourism.

“This is a digital museum where one can log in and see Lesotho virtually which should prompt you to come and visit Lesotho (in person).”

Moorosi is also the secretary general of the ruling RFP party.

Despite the noises from disgruntled supporters, the RFP remains a party in extremely good health, she says.

If a general election were to be called today, the RFP would swat every political party aside and retain power, Moorosi says.

“We would still come alright. Two months ago, or three months ago, I would be shaking. But right now, we are on point,” she says.

That is because the long hours of work they have been putting in behind the scenes are beginning to pay off. She says the ministries are now at the implementation stage and the results have been impressive.

“Things are happening,” a boisterous Moorosi says.

“You talk to the Minister of Water, they will tell you they have just done the Lowlands Water Project and that the water is coming. You talk to the Minister of Works, and he will tell you we are going to connect the whole country.

“You talk to the Minister of Water, he will tell you his Ministry have just launched the Lowlands Water Project in Leribe and soon it will in the southern side of the country. That means there will be water supply for communities. You talk to the Minister of Works, and he will tell you we are going to connect the whole country with tarred roads.

Despite being premier for almost two years now, the fact is that Matekane remains an enigma. Most people still consider him a deeply private person.
Moorosi’s appointment into Cabinet has given her a front-row seat to see the man in action.

Her proximity to the seat of power could help unpack for Basotho the man who rose from the dusty villages in the mountains of Mantsonyane to the State House in Maseru.
“He believes he can. Nothing is impossible for him,” Moroosi says.

“When you talk about how difficult things are, he says it will be done. And he does.”

Moorosi says Matekane’s strongest attribute is that he is results-oriented.

“Once he believes in something, he will do it. Sometimes he can even use his own money (to get things done).”

She says Matekane is a very resilient and focused individual.

“He tells us all the time that we came into government to serve. It’s not about us, it is about the people who elected us into office.”

Moorosi swears by the Almighty that Lesotho has never had a better Prime Minister than Matekane.

“When we got in, the civil servants were not being paid on time. And we have changed that. People are now paid on time. Bills are now paid on time. It might not be everyone who is happy with us but we are trying our best to give good services to Basotho”, she says.

Even if it sounds like an exaggeration to emphasize a point, Moorosi verily believes it to be true.

“This is a leader who is very much focused on the goal,” she says of Matekane.

She thinks it would be in Lesotho’s best interests if the RFP and Basotho give Matekane a fresh second five-year term come 2027.

But as a politician, will she take the mantle if it is thrust upon her shoulders? Does she see herself one day taking over as Lesotho’s first woman Prime Minister?
She bursts out in laughter.

“That’s a very sensitive question because regardless of how innocent my response will be somebody will say I am already aspiring to take over,” she says.

“But look, I think Lesotho is ready for a female Prime Minister. I think women in Lesotho have proved over the years that they are able, and that they are capable. Wherever they are given responsibilities to lead, they deliver very well.”

“It’s about time.”

“So, it’s a yes but in my own time.”

Moroosi says a position like that of Prime Minister has to be bestowed by the people.

“It’s a calling. It’s not something that one can just say I want to be the Prime Minister of this country. It’s about whether people want you and whether God appoints you in that position. And if it comes my way, as the people’s mandate and God’s will, I would gladly take it. I would be happy to serve at that level.”

Moorosi says she has been watching closely the recent political earthquake in South Africa where the ANC for the first time failed to win an outright majority in general elections held last month.

The ANC is now in the process of cobbling a government of national unity with its arch-enemy, the Democratic Alliance and other smaller parties.

“Coalition governments are difficult to run. I really feel sorry for them,” she says with a chuckle.

For over a decade, the South African government has been coming to Lesotho to mediate in political disputes. But this time, Moorosi says it might be Lesotho’s turn to to go and mediate in her giant neighbour given the experience the country has acquired over the years.

She hopes the South Africans will come up with a governance model that truly works.

“I know they are already having challenges (cobbling up a government). It’s very hard. But the President (Cyril Ramaphosa) is a strong person. And he is humble enough to listen.”

Moorosi says she had watched growing up how women were often violated merely because of their gender. Gender-based violence was a big concern for her as well as issues of economic empowerment for women.

Her father was a university lecturer while her mother was a small business owner selling clothes. Yet she always felt that their quality of life would have been much better if her mother was the biggest breadwinner for the family.

“I have always felt that if mothers are economically empowered their families and the nation would be empowered,” she says.

That empowerment would not happen without some form of political activism, hence her decision to get into politics. Moorosi says she felt she needed to get her hands dirty to resolve some of these pressing societal needs.

“At that point, I thought maybe I should be a Minister of Gender to see if I can make these changes. However, God always has a better plan. I am enjoying serving in the Ministry fo ICT, Science and Innovation”

Abel Chapatarongo