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April 21, 2019

3 min read

Haste to uproot corruption pit minister against law

Haste to uproot corruption pit minister against law

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A procedure of swiftness to fill up 60 vacant posts under a pilot project to prevent corruption in schools in 2016/17 raised the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’ eye brows at the special session of the committee on Wednesday. As part of finalising its report, PAC had to summon several Cabinet Ministers to respond to pending questions and former Minister of Education and Training, Dr. Mahali Phamotse also appeared before the committee. PAC Chairperson, MP Selibe Mochoboroane asked Dr. Phamotse, now Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation, to explain why she had to place some of the teachers during her tenure as Minister of Education and Training in 2016/17. Dr. Phamotse said upon her arrival in the Ministry of Education and Training, some of the teachers went to her office complaining of rife corruption within the teaching service in a form of nepotism based on religion or political favouritism. She explained: “I to ask for legal opinion on what needs to be done. I was advised to contact a study which revealed that indeed there were cases of corruption in schools, where teachers were employed on nepotism, party politics or region. Some of the teachers’ positions were left vacant waiting for those who were still studying so that upon their completion, they could fill up the vacancies.” Dr. Phamotse also said the study revealed that some teachers had to pay between M6,000 and M7,000 as bribery to some schools’ boards in order to acquire positions. She pointed out that “based on the legal advice and that of the ministry's technocrats” she consulted the cabinet and the resolution was for the teachers to be employed. She said since there was disagreement between the ministry and the schools' secretariat for the study to be undertaken, “it was however resolved that the placements be piloted in government owned schools, where about 60 teachers were employed.” However, MP Mochoboroane argued that the Education Act of 2010 clearly stipulates that teachers recruitment should be a bottom up approach where the schools' boards should be the ones conducting interviews and making recommendations to the Teaching Service Department (TSD) and up to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). He asked why the Minister failed to amend the Act to the parliament before taking any decision to avoid violating the Act and also demanded the minister to produce the cabinet decision in support of the action she took. The Minister promised to produce such a cabinet decision, saying since she has left the Ministry, she will need to consult with the ministry's officers to acquire the documents. The former Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Thabang Kholumo, now Member of Parliament for Qalo constituency said he did not have a say in any decision taken by the Minister and the cabinet as deputy ministers were not part of the cabinet. On the other hand former Catholic Schools Secretary, Teboho Tolo said after being approached by the Minister citing that there was corruption in schools and therefore would undertake a study to establish the real problem, as schools secretariat were eventually left out when it was carried out. Tolo said this was despite all the parties having agreed that in order for the study to be done properly, law enforcement agencies like the police, schools secretariat and teachers had to be directly engaged during the study which he said was not the case. He said they found the study not to be a genuine one, citing that it was biased in nature. “When called in one of the meeting where the report of the study was to be presented, we raised the question why we were left out and the answer was that it was due to lack of funds,” he revealed. Lesotho Evangelical Church of Southern Africa (LECSA) Schools Secretariat, Motsamai Motsamai argued that the basis of the study was not convincing as the Minister cited that he had received complaints from only three teachers. “We wondered if after every complaint received by the Minister law would have to be changed,” he asked. He claimed to be a former school principal who had worked with teachers across all the religions, arguing that the issue of nepotism based on religion in schools was not real. “Had the study engaged teachers who were on duty who could claim to have paid bribery or hired based on their political inclination or religion, it could have made sense. It is possible for one who has failed the interview to cry foul - if ever there were any,” he argued. Metro/Lena

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