MASERU – A few days after the Troika of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 ministers of Sports meeting resolved to postpone the Maseru Region 5 Games to December 2021, Lesotho Sports minister and Troika chairperson, Likeleli Tampane declared the games cancelled.

The AUSC Region 5 sport ministers postponed the games on July 31 during a virtual meeting, but Tampane on Wednesday dissolved the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and terminated its 26 staffers’ contracts stating that they can no longer work as the games have been cancelled.Region 5 LOC chairperson Fusi Notoane confirmed to Metro that the minister indeed dissolved the LOC and terminated the staffers’ contracts.

“We were verbally informed about this on Monday and received an official announcement on Wednesday,” he said. Notoane further said he notified the AUSC committee of the decision and was not sure whether or not the minister had warned the troika of ministers of sports about the LOC’s dissolution and cancellation of the games.

According to the letter written to the 26 LOC staff members the same day, the contracts were terminated with immediate effect due to the cancellation of AUSC Region 5 games. “Following the cancellation of the Region 5 games by the sports minister, your contract is hereby terminated with immediate effect,” the letter reads. Notoane however said the minister does not have the power to cancel the games, but she has the power to withdraw the hosting rights of such games.

“The minister does not have the power to cancel the games because the games belong to Region 5 not Lesotho, Lesotho only has the power to withdraw its hosting rights in order to allow the Region 5 committee to give another country such hosting rights,” Notoane said.He said there are consequences that go with withdrawing the hosting rights, adding that Lesotho should be ready to bear such penalties.