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April 5, 2023

NEO SENOKO

2 min read

PM exultant with first 100 days in office

PM exultant with first 100 days in office

Prime Minister Ntsokoane Sam Matekane

Story highlights

    New recruitments into the civil service have also been frozen
    A total of 198 illegally hired employees in the Ministry of Trade have since been fired

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PRIME Minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane has acknowledged that while his administration has achieved most of the set targets in its first 100 days in office, some activities require more time to execute, and in some instances, even further assessment and research.

The PM made these remarks during the presentation of the government's 100-day report on Tuesday.

During the event, Cabinet ministers were also given time to outline challenges encountered in their journey towards the 100 days in office as well as their key achievements and priority projects that will be enabled by the 2023/24 budget allocations.

The points were meant to set the path for service delivery and accountability, therefore setting government direction.

During his inauguration speech in October last year, Matekane set out 20-point targets that were earmarked to be achieved in the first 100 days in office.

Among others, he promised to prepare performance contracts and those of his ministers as well as make those contracts public.

As things stand, Matekane confidently revealed on Tuesday that the said targets had been achieved. 

“It gives me great pleasure to announce that almost all of the targets have been fully met, while those in progress require more time to execute. I am happy that among other achievements, we now have a clear performance management system in place. I will be able to monitor the performance of all ministers, and the Government Secretary will in turn be able to monitor Principal Secretaries. In the near future, this system will be rolled out through the government structures, including local authorities,” Matekane said in his opening remarks on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the PM had promised to develop and implement a plan to cut unnecessary government spending on fleet management and fuel consumption in the first 100 days of office. 

This is one of the goals that has seen progress, with the new Matekane-led government releasing hundreds of civil servants from their duties under the notion that they were illegally hired by the previous coalition governments.

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Several government ministries have since been victims of the new government’s approach, with others running to the courts to challenge their dismissal.

The Ministries of Trade, Industry, Business Development, and Tourism as well as that of Home Affairs and Communications have all been victims of this approach. A total of 198 employees in the Ministry of Trade have since been fired with 75 others shown the door at the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service (LNBS).

Other ministries are likely to follow suit as Matekane’s government labels the measure as another way to contain runaway state expenditure.

New recruitments into the civil service have also been frozen.     

For other targets, however, Matekane said they needed more time and research to finalise. 

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