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Feb. 21, 2019

3 min read

EDITORIAL COMMENT

EDITORIAL COMMENT

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An opportunity never to be lost It may not be the real big fish. But whenever the smaller fishes move closer to the net, it’s a sign that the big fish might be closer to the net. Be prepared and be ready. This analogy refers to Lesotho’s readiness and preparedness to be eligible to the Second Millennium Corporation Compact (MCC), a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004, to assist the world’s poorest countries like Lesotho in reducing poverty through economic growth while strengthening good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people in these countries selected to receive its assistance. On Wednesday, Lesotho signed for precursor grant towards Millennium Corporation Compact (MCC) Development Agreement to the tune of US$5.78 million (M81.5 million) towards addressing unemployment crisis. Compared to the real MCC grant, this is a pond in an ocean. However, any least developing country would have sleepless night if it were to lose this amount. So what more about losing billions? The US Ambassador to Lesotho Mrs Rebecca Gonzales has given a free advice at the signing ceremony of the M81.5 million: “We have to understand that we still have a lot of hard work to do before we actually sign a compact between Lesotho and United States. If we stray from the path, it will be even more difficult to find our way back again.” She gave this caution to the finance minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro that any potential delay or derailment from the path of national reforms, rule of law and political stability might spell misfortune. She expressed a concern regarding increasing reports of corruption and police brutality “which are unacceptable and non-negotiable as far as the scorecard for signing of second compact is concerned.” We wonder if Dr Majoro’s colleagues in cabinet and members of parliament as well as Lesotho’s politicians are listening. The concerns of Mrs Gonzales should be more of our concerns as citizens rather than Mrs Gonzales. If Mrs Gonzales, who does not live in our village or in our streets and has never been in custody at a local police station to taste the torture and brutality of our police is so concerned, what more about our ordinary citizens who cross paths with police every day? The local NGO, Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) has chronicled police brutality in Lesotho which does not seem to abate. TRC points to the ineffective system which fails to work as an oversight mechanisms. “The Lesotho Mounted Police Service Act of 1988 (Police Act) provides for a number of oversight mechanisms including a supposedly independent Police Complaints Authority. However, the Police Complaints Authority has not lived up to expectation and the current police minister recently expressed her dissatisfaction with the authority and publicly said the authorities were even considering its disbandment.” When it comes to corruption, the sitting prime minister, Dr Motsoahae Thabane, complained bitterly about corruption in Lesotho while he was in the opposition and vowed to fight it tooth and nail. What is surprising is that he is crying even more than the opposition about continuing corruption in his government today. This means one thing. We still have a lot of hard work to do, as Mrs Gonzales said.

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