Siverts’ job on the line
MASERU — National University of Lesotho (NUL) Vice-Chancellor Professor Sharon Siverts’ is on the ropes after Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and university teachers ganged up against her.
Last Friday Thabane gave a glimpse of his take on the dispute at NUL when he told his All Basotho Convention (ABC) youth league conference that he would not allow a “white woman” to run NUL.
Thabane did not mention Siverts by name but he was clearly referring to her when he said the government would not “look for a frail white woman to run the university when we have intellectuals who can transform NUL and turn its fortunes around”.
That statement is not very different from the one he made at political rallies days before the May 26 election.
On May 20, Thabane told an ABC rally that the Democratic Congress government had neglected NUL despite that most of its senior officials had been students there.
He said his government would deal with the problems at NUL.
“Once the ABC becomes government it will humbly ask that American woman (NUL Vice-Chancellor Professor Sharon Siverts) to go as Lesotho has enough literate people who can run the university effectively,” Thabane said.
His statement at the youth conference came on the same day the Lesotho University Teachers and Researchers Union (Lutaru) demanded Siverts’ immediate resignation in a scathing open letter.
Siverts, Lutaru said, has caused “untold harm to NUL and the country’s resources and the university’s ability to fulfill its public mandate”.
“We call on you to do the honourable thing, resign now,” Lutaru said in the strongly worded letter.
“We also request those responsible for your continued stay at NUL to reconsider their support for you in the light of the harm and waste you have caused to NUL, the country, and the nation.”
The union said in the “past weeks and months different NUL formations have asked you to leave NUL”.
“You have been able to cling on to your job and to plunder the university resources because of your relations with the chairman of council and other influential individuals, all of whom have ensured that you stay here on an expensive contract that the Chairman of Council has failed, to date, to table before the Governing Body for approval, a contract that has ensured that you live a lavish lifestyle in this poor country.”
Lutaru accused Siverts of going on leave when results were being processed.
It said her absence showed that she was not interested in “the mess that engulfs supplementary examinations”.
She is also accused of “vanity, arrogance towards staff and their welfare, and total ignorance about running a university”.
“Specifically, we are aware that during industrial action by workers last year, you maliciously sabotaged an attempt by government to facilitate a compromise deal between NUL and workers.
“Part of your spiteful reasoning was that government’s intended facilitation of a settlement should not be revealed, least of all implemented, because it would go against your personal conviction that staff should be paid as little as possible, and it would make you look bad.”
Siverts, who was appointed in February last year, is also accused of hiring her friend to be the university’s IT specialist.
That specialist went on leave when the results were being processed, the union alleged.
“When you disappeared at the beginning of processing of examinations, you allowed him also to go on leave, knowing full well the centrality of the IT function to the examination results processing.”
The union said Siverts “made several other such appointments and redeployments of your ‘favourites’ whose sum effect has been increased costs to NUL without adding any value as reflected in the current crisis”.
Siverts declined to comment yesterday.
Comment by semenekane on 6 September 2012:
Bro Tom Siverts ha a tsamae hle, hake bone maputulo a hae ka moo hohang. NUL e tsamaisoa joalo ka Tuck Shop ea Lesotho-Correctional Service moo ho jelloang hanong.
NUL e hloka motho ea nang le chebelo-pele ho e nts’a qhafotsong ena eo e leng ho eona. Boholo ba lithuto tse etsoang ka moo hase lithuto tse arabelang lithloko tsa bophelo ba hajoale.
Ntho e tenang kahofitisisa ke ea motho a etsang Dipl 3 years e be ha a ea Nul o nka another 4 yrs ho fumana degree.
Comment by maincampus on 6 September 2012:
This is how a failed state takes shape. Leaders failing to think before they speak. The mediocrity in lesotho is so staggering.
Comment by Ntate Poho on 6 September 2012:
@ Semenekane. Seconded Ntate. NUL has to keep pace with other institutions of higher learning. The University fails to come up with programmes relevant to challenges of the new environments. The research team of the university (LUTARU)is dead alive. They are only active in politics of destruction. I challenge them to do market researches that will respond to the demands of the fast growing society.
Comment by UBLS on 6 September 2012:
“”"”"”"”the government would not “look for a frail white woman to run the university when we have intellectuals who can transform NUL and turn its fortunes around”"”"” WHERE WERE THEY ALL ALONG IF I MAY ASK???
Comment by Lefefooane on 6 September 2012:
Despite being a stunch supporter of ABC, I never really got convinced why NUL needs to employ such an expensive CEO. The last time I checked she was earning R140 000 p/m. Lately I am told she earns R160 000 p/m. As far as I am concerned, as a private citizen, Siverts failed in her mandate. Among other things she was to “turn around” NUL. Surely she has not done that. She was to “get rid of all or some of Lutaru guys at NUL”. Surely she has not done that as NUL still has Lutaru and NUL has moved from bad to worse under her watch. As a ceo I personally think she failed on her mandate unless one can tell me a single success story of Sharon Siverts at NUL. Tell me one success story and not excuses for failure. She has been in this country for 18 months now, the only thing I heard about her is that press conference in July last year in which she told the nation that ” NUL is in disarray”. Besides that July 2011 press conference in which she told Basotho what they knew by then she has never done anything. In that press conference she told the nation how NUL lecturers abuse alcohol, but funny thing every evening I randomly pass by lancer inn she is there drinking wine. Whoever got that fake American pseudo professor here should bear the blame. Surely Siverts is a failure. Pass by Clarens in Free state randomly ever weekend she is drinking wine there and I am like ” this NUL VC like wine man”. Either she is at Clarens or at Lancers inn. When does she get time to sit down at NUL and atleast “try” solve problems. My good lord. By the time they get rid of her she will have sucked that poor varsity millions of maloti. I even suspect she is corrupt. She is always in a company of corrupt and/or dodgy people like the ETL CEO. That ETL CEO also is corrupt and dodgy, so one wonders how come Siverts bifreinds such crooked guys like ETL CEO.
Comment by thala boliba on 6 September 2012:
Tom is really growing old and loosing it! why don’t you ask Makhooa a e a tletseng hohle moo li positioneng to leave and those positions be taken by qualified Basotho e.g mines.
Comment by Lefefooane on 6 September 2012:
In fact even the entire NUL borad should be fired. The failed on their primary role of any board of directors: TO MAKE THE CEO ACCOUNT. From a distance I am made to feel that Siverts in turn runs that board instead of the board holding her to account. She was brough here last year to “restructure and turn around NUL”. To date NUL is not restructured and is not turned around. That being the case she has failed in her mandate and there can be no reason of keeping her at that bwhooping R160 000 p/m salary. She is a complete failure. I understand she also got fired in the middle east for failure. So, nothing new here as she is used to being fired for failure.
Comment by Mo-NUL on 6 September 2012:
Semenekane le bo-mmate,…le araba joale ka masea hantle a sa tsebeng h nahana! Motho a fumana NUL e se ntse e le joalo le tlo etsa taba “fault” ea hae? E se ke eare ha le sa batle lekhooa , ebile le batla ho ts’ehetsa bobolu bona bo neng bo etsoa ke li lecturer le LUTARU joale ha a ba sitisa ebe le ntse le re “ngoe-ngoe” le sa tsebe litaba kaofela! Tsamaeang le eo botsa ma-NUL a bo lemong sa boraro ho ea pele ba tle ba u fe bopaki bo pholileng…..
Comment by silky on 6 September 2012:
Problem is when we have petty beings like bo @lefefooane on this forum, CEO ea ETL e kena joang tabeng tse? u just want to misuse this fprum for your own purpose. Butle ntate, ha re tsebe bobolu ba CEO ea ETL!
Jesus Christ! on a separate note, Silverts o hiruoe NUL! and offered a salary for Gods’ sake! its not like o iphile eona chelete eno! ea molato ke Chairman of Council to have allowed such a package.Basotho re tla qeta neng to shoot messengers? Chairman of Council to own up to the ill decisions he made for NUL and NAC. Khale re bolela. This governemtn MUST weed out people who are subotaging it.
Comment by halala on 6 September 2012:
A chee hona ke taba, b4 re ka motebela hantle mandate oa hae ke ofe? hana NUL e qalile ho ba le mathata neng, na re tia re hlapanya hore silverts ka selemo le half o bolisitse NUL. mi lovely PM PLZ THNK TWICE B4 U TAKE ACTION ON DIS. e sa kaba hona le ntho e LUTARU E BATLANG HO E PATA. I MYSELF ha ke bone ho le bohlokoa ho tharisa motho ana le 18 months a fihlile, ntle le eba mandate oa hae le o tseba. taba tsena libohlokoa hore re tlamehang ho li atamela hantle.
Comment by Seoli sa Ty on 6 September 2012:
LUTARU members ke bona libolu eseng lelani leno! dat lady must be given time to restructure NUL, tsa salary ea hae ke li-tumellano tsa hae le her employer
Comment by Sbegdene on 6 September 2012:
Acheeee banna ooeee!!!! When will Lesotho ever going to get Government with rational thinkers!!!!!
You can’t call people names like “Makhooa” “American WOMAN” etc..
Please let’s deal with the issues. Who made the decision to appoint her and based on what? What’s preventing her to carry out her mandate?
How did other local intellectuals Bo-Ntate Moletsane fare?
Comment by BKC on 6 September 2012:
I wish to reiterate that I am not the one to support hasty decions as they sometimes have negative conseuences but with Siverts she has really not just been a sucker but it is not even clear if she had what it would take to transform this university to the next academic levels!
Her appointment, I have always maintained, has been a result of the DC government to render the university community copliant to unpopular government policies.
What has even been more of a shame has been the appointment of Dr Monyamane as the head of the university council. It is common cause that Monyamane does have what is required to make the head of an administrative body anywhere. His track record at the National AIDS Commission speaks for itself!
Monyamane has always been nothing else but an opportunist looking for populist loopholes that would result in his material benefit-just check his record with the AIDS commission for this!
Monyamane is also a sucker that needsto be thrown into the historical dustbin of this countries failures!
Comment by matokotokomabifi on 6 September 2012:
Ke rata mantswe ao!a mohlomphei,a bontsha hore jwale o re “hee voetsek ho lekane”
Bt sivrts mst not go,coz whites r e 1ns with money,she mst leave!haaa tsamaeee,khele.khele thabane atla buwa jwalo ka monna wa mosotho a khathetseng ke ho iswa hodimo le tlase
Comment by Silky on 6 September 2012:
Le buile @ BKC and @ Sbegdene! judging from your name “sbegdene’, I wasnt expecting so much from you! well done folks! no one could’ve articulated issues better than you did.
Comment by Chia-Chia on 6 September 2012:
@ Mo-NUL & silky KE MOKHOA BONA LEFEFOOANE LE SEMENEKANE HA KE TSEBE HORE NA NKA BA BITSANG HA KE SO BONE BANNA BA SENANG LIHLOOHO HAKANA AND BA IKETSA EKA BA TSEBA HAHOLO.
@ BKC D.C EONA ITS YOUR TOILET WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE ….. SO WITH TOILET YOU NEED IT EVERY NOW AND THAN I CAN UNDERSTAND.
@Sbegdene BASOTHO KE LITLATLA HA U SO BONE KENTHO TSE TLETSENG MAPOKAETSI FEELA KALIHLOHONG U SO UTLOE HOSENG BA RE TJEE MOTSEARE BARE TJEE MANTSIBOEA SE BA FETOHILE KE LINQE…. FEELA TJENA.
Comment by ClassPresidentFool on 6 September 2012:
kea ipotsa na how many of u attend nul hare bua tjena, @Silky,BKC le sbegdene, bana ba batho ba lutse hae right now wondering about their future and this has been going on and off for the past year, i dont care what siverts has either done or not, fact is SHE FAILED TO DELIVER, HA TSAMAEE BO!!!
Comment by Selomo on 6 September 2012:
Banna, eletsang Mohlomphehi Tona-Kholo hantle hleng! However badly Severts may be running NUL, and regardless how urgently she may have to be removed from NUL, it cannot be right for the Head of Government to express his inciting opinion publicly like that!
NUL is legally an autonomous institution, with a lawfully constituted Council that should make decisions about the employment and firing of its staff. The Prime Minister should be advised to refrain from uttering apparently racist and sexist statements that may reflect badly on him and the country.
First Lerotholi Polytechnic was instructed by the Minister to reinstate trade courses, against any existing law or regulation, now the PM is setting the dogs on the NUL VC? Professor Moletsane, eletsa hle Motaung, kea ikokobetsa!
Comment by semenekane on 6 September 2012:
@semenekane SENYAMO! KE EA U SHOELA, U BOHLALE EBILE U KHELEKE HO FETA BATHO BOHLE BA HLAHANG FORUMONG ENA. HAPE YOU KNOW SO MUCH!! I WILL CROWN YOU………NANA!!! bogus atchaartaria!!!!
Comment by Lefefooane on 6 September 2012:
@Lefefooane SENYAMO! KE EA U SHOELA, U BOHLALE EBILE U KHELEKE HO FETA BATHO BOHLE BA HLAHANG FORUMONG ENA. HAPE YOU KNOW SO MUCH!! I WILL CROWN YOU………NANA!!! bogus atchaartaria!!!! looks like there is virus circulating in this forum!!!
Comment by Lefefooane on 6 September 2012:
In any case whatsoever I even think that Sharon Siverts (68) is too old and senile for a CEO job. How on earth can any upright human being employ such an old grandmother and hope she can turn around anything. I can imagine my grandmother (Nkhono Mankokheleng) being given a job to turn around some ailing high school. At that age (68) Siverts can not be expected to operate normally. Now, given the rate she takes wine, sure enough, it does not surprise me she never succeeded doing even a single item on her mandate. She even failed to fire drunkards at NUL. The closest she came to that was to hold a press conference reminding the nation of the woes of NUL. Beyond that press conference she has never done anything, absolutely nothing.
Actually we need not even be wasting time discussing that R160 000 NUL CEO who never delivered even a single item on her mandate. Not even a single one. I wait for any one to tell me a single thing, just one, that Sharon Siverts acheived at NUL. I wait.
Comment by Molakolako on 6 September 2012:
Semenekane le Bro Tom oa hao le hloka a serious consellin..university is nt whr u saw othas ona le matla, a momatela hloohong mona kea bona Tom eno oa hao..NUL used 2 b in a top 5 in Africa bt now nt evn top 100 Nul mk it bane bale kae intellctuals tseo tsa hao whn siverts ws hired lecture tsa roma li rat freedom 2 much ba batla ho lula maseru basa attnd liclass tebela siverts otlo bone i hv bn a student at NUL bane ba etseng ntate Mothibe ur lectures
Comment by Bobete on 6 September 2012:
The way I understand this is like; Siverts was hired to transform NUL, so this is her mandate. But from what we have learned since she took over is endless chaos. Tse etsahetseng ka NUL tsamaisong ea hae likholo li ea makatsa. So I think she is incompetent or incapable to deliver on her mandate and 18 months is a long time for us to judge her based on the results, but there are none except persist rifts betwn her and Lutaru. Incompetency is one aspect that results in an employee being fired.
Comment by semenekane on 6 September 2012:
@ Mo-NuL
Siverts o hiretsoe ho tla etsang na?. Ha a hireloa ho tla etsa liphethoho NUL? Ke li feng liphethoho tseo a li entseng mohlomphehi, kapa uena u thabela ha a ntse a leqetsa M160,000 ka khoeli naheng e lapang ee?
Ha feela Siverts a ne a tlile ka liphethoho tse bonahalang, ne ke sa tlo le khang le eena. Khang ea ka ke hore na so far o entse eng e bonahalang?.
Nkholise monnaheso, u se ke oa bua feela tjena.
Comment by Reformist on 6 September 2012:
Siverts must go, but things wont be better unless the entire council is reshuffled.That council is full of corrupt people who care nothing about NUL. I also believe that the management needs to be reshuffle also, what NUL needs is a complete make-over.
Comment by semenekane on 6 September 2012:
@ Molakolako
Ho ts’oana leha u sa re letho hohang. Re joetse hore Siverts o tlisitse liphethoho lifeng?. Bro Tom o sebetsa ho latela hore na rona batho ba mokhethileng re batla hore a etse joang?
Tlohella lipolotiki tsa NUL, u buoe ka litaba tse hlakileng ntate
Comment by Molakolako on 6 September 2012:
last tym i chcked lona Nul moo ke lona ba hanang ha change u rthr go 4 strike le loanela eng now if u dnt resist changes???
Comment by Nketjoane on 6 September 2012:
I googled Sharon siverts profile and got the following:
RAS AL KHAIMAH // The American University of RAK has made nearly three-quarters of its administrative staff redundant in the past month. The senior management dismissals began on May 27 with the university’s president, Sharon Siverts, and ended last week. Other faculty and administrative staff have been told to take pay cuts or accept termination in what the university has termed a restructuring effort.
Source: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/rak-university-dismisses-senior-staff
Comment by Memorandum on 6 September 2012:
Problem is, from the word go the government allowed Siverts to run NUL like her own sugar plantation hence treating workers like mere daily paid labourers that she could fire at will. The only people that matter to her are the few “house niggers” around her who revere her because of the financial and other benefits they get from her. NUL will take years to undo the mess that this VC and her team have caused. Next time do your homework thoroughly before you appoint an expatriate VC. Do not just rely on someone’s CV. Most of them are bloated.
Comment by Nketjoane on 6 September 2012:
RAS AL KHAIMAH // Three-quarters of the senior management from the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (Aurak) were dismissed because they were overpaid and “all doing the same jobs”, its new president has said. The university has started a radical overhaul following the dismissals, which included the university’s president. The new president, Dr Shaukat Mirza, said the university had been weighed down by too many highly paid staff with no clear definition of roles and purpose.
source:http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/american-university-of-rak-staff-was-overpaid-and-underworked
Comment by Nketjoane on 6 September 2012:
“……Ras al Khaimah can become an educational hub.” Dr Mirza, who took over from Sharon Siverts after her dismissal in May, hopes to bolster the university’s strength through partnerships with local industry.
source: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/american-university-of-rak-staff-was-overpaid-and-underworked
Comment by Lefefooane on 6 September 2012:
By any standards I strongly believe sharon siverts should be at an old age home. Ka lilemo tsa 68 maqheku oohle a makhooa a lahleloa mahaeng a maqheku. To me the under performance of Sharon does not come as a surprise. Age alone is not on her side. She is extremely old to yield any results.
Feela hantle le lona ba NUL lea makatsa, leqhekoana le lilemo le 68 le ne le le isa kae? How come NUL ended up attracting and eventually employing a 68 year old ceo? Not only this oldy should be responsible for the downfall of NUL, I strongly beleive even whoever brought her here should be held to account. In any case why did Siverts apply for the job yet she knew very well that she was too old. NUL never stops to ammuse me at times. But I hope Bro Tom solves the problems and brings all those who caused the problemes to book. Firing Siverts alone without holding NUL board to account will not be enough. Even the NUL board of Councillors should be held accountable. Even that their spokesman Monyamane should explain how come they brought that pensioner to NUL.
Comment by Lefefooane on 6 September 2012:
@Nketjoane, it is interesting to note that Siverts was also fired from Ras al khaimah. How come she is always fired wherever she works. It seems Siverts is used to being fired hence there should be nothing new here. Taba ea ho lelekoa o bonahala a e tloatse. Motho o ka rata ho tseba na o ne a lelekeloa eng.
Comment by lksdalfdkslkssk on 6 September 2012:
Racist Prime Minister
Comment by Tau on 6 September 2012:
thabane is racist and sexist!
Comment by Thapelo on 6 September 2012:
Many Basotho are just as racist and xenophobic. How often do they get on the case of Lesotho Times journalists who don’t steal from anyone but simply do an outstanding job of giving us news and taking newsmaking to another level? Come on Basotho, stop focusing on where people come from but on the good job they do.
If Siverts is useless, indeed there is no point in continuing to pay her the crazy amount at our nation’s expense. It is a fact now that NUL is in a far worst state that when she took over. So what is she here for? Those who think she must be given time need to do more research, they are disadvantaged by ignorance. They are no
different from MOAFRIKA.
Comment by tlotlisang on 6 September 2012:
This is the man who reads the holy book, the bible every where he goes. I wonder what is it that he is proving. Christians do not talk like that about other people, if you are really a christian Mr. PM. After all, this is the man who said that all things he was saying while campaigning for the general elections were not true, that he just wanted to win elections. So I am not expecting much from him. He rushed to president Zuma even before he could form the cabinet. The nation is still yet to know what is it that rushed him before he could settle thins here at home. If you knew him before elections, you would never dream of him going to Zim and praising Mugabe.Now here he is! insulting white woman.
Comment by Thapelo on 6 September 2012:
Tom was wrong to refer to Siverts’ skin colour / race. it is a bad precedent and will just keep fuelling unwanted issues like racism and xenophobia. Black people also work in predominantly white nations and can you imagine a black employee being subjected to the same comments and treatment in a foreign country?
Tom should just address issues and the VC’s performance and leave out the race issue. it is irrelevant because anyone can work anywhere in the world irrespective of their race.
Comment by Multi Billionaire on 6 September 2012:
sheron siverts has to get out of NUL as soon as possible so that Basotho can to see their own way forward. A bold white woman with no mercy has to leave this country. It is enough.
Comment by ts'one ea thaba on 6 September 2012:
I’m surprised dt he is more dan old bt she is d one hu forced other lectures 2 an early retirement che NUL!!!
Comment by Ape on 6 September 2012:
Tom was completely wrong. Ask yourself this: will NUL be able to attract word class scholars after this bigotry statement by the PM? I dont think so.
Comment by Themba on 6 September 2012:
Mr. Caswell Tlali, please look for new and relevent stories to write about. this article is just meant to steer up trouble where its not due. let the stability that reins at NUL proceed without you making a campaigning speech a policy. The Hon. Prime Minister has let the Ministry in charge to handle issues. and right now Sirvets is being Let to run things. its September now, it is not May. Look for current issues and let us discuss those. please!!!
Comment by Thabaputsoa on 6 September 2012:
It’s unfortunate that PM found it proper to talk about a sensitive issue like this at a politcal gathering. That’s how I have always known him anyway, talking without weighing the repercussions of his statements. Whether they sack Siverts now or anytime soon, NUL’s problems won’t go away. That institution needs somebody, preferably an international scholar/university administrator who can turn it around, if it is to become a relevant in the 21st century. Unfortunately, international scholars dont come cheap.
My prediction is that even whoever will follow will be sacked in a similar manner as has been the case for almost 20 years with the previous VCs.
Main problem of Basotho everybody knows something and nobody want to learn.
Ha ba so ngoapane ke hona ba tlang!
Comment by Lilala on 6 September 2012:
LUTARU ena ea lona entse ele hokae ho tloha pele VC e hiroa?Bane ba entse malapeng mono sekolong sa sechaba.kh’uoe!
Comment by Puzzled Gay on 6 September 2012:
So Department of Physics & Electronics has such hypocrites, who think their PhD’s should lease them unto any opportunities:
So immature, so childish, yet so greedy enough to occupy positions they know nothing about. WHAT THE OPPORTUNISTS!
Now they disguise into leave days with hopes to come back into DOPE when ‘the dust will have settled!
Do you know how many lives this satanic mission cost? SIS! You simply lack humanity – and indeed all that surrounds you two says it all. Ksoowa!
You pretend to be so energetic whereas you are such opportunists.
Uena Rahlooho:
There are even younger intellectuals than you (a hiding GAY flop) who do better in IT. Think of marrying first!
Uena Mosotho-oa-batho:
There are far better leaders than what you think you can do. Infact, you are the last idiot to think of assuming a leadership role. Very immature, very pathetic!
As for that mommish DSA, he better stops fooling around (in Ladybrand and all over) before he thinks anyone can take him seriously!
Then there is this barbaric boy who just poops without thinking. “You don’t even deserve to be at NUL in the 1st place. Do take beer, Period!”
I really don’t care how this ghost will leave our country, nor when. But its been sad to see how unpatriotic & opportunists we are. This is sad to witness with intellectuals.
One day this Devil’s advocate will leave. No one will attack you puppets BUT you’ll live with a disgraceful stigma of betraying your own country for money!
Prof. NR got a respectable post cos he deserves it. He never gossiped along corridors. And he’ll probably come show you how to work & lead people with dignity!
Comment by nul stuff on 6 September 2012:
I just think the best wy to judge is to make flashback.Jesus ore se shebe ts’iea e ka leihlong la ngoaneno empa uena una le sekoqo ka ho la hao.lutaru eke e itekole pele e hloka hore b bang ba tsamae.
Comment by observer on 6 September 2012:
whether or not Prof Siverts is right or wrong, it was very unprofessional of Tom to make such utterances about Prof Siverts. Same applies to when he said he will instruct the public broadcaster not to give DC or Mosisili airtym on radio or tv. The same applies to what he said about a mosotho man of Ethiopian descent’s quest to be granted citezenship. A man in his position should know better and he shouldnt make such wild statements like that lest he portray himself to be a totalitarian dictator
Comment by Abuti on 6 September 2012:
I unfortunately cannot verify the accuracy of the facts of the article as presented, but let’s assume for a moment that the facts are 100% accurate. With that as background, it would be highly disturbing if our leader would say things like government would not “look for a frail white woman to run the university….” What a racist and sexist remark, if it was indeed uttered !! I haven’t been following the events at NUL closely enough and i’m not for a moment suggesting that our leader is wrong in suggesting that there are enough Basotho intellectuals to lead NUL more effectively, but all credibility flies out of the window if such remarks are made. Everyone on this forum who suggests that the woman in question must leave her post, may well have valid points, but we can’t afford to use racist or sexist remarks in our reasoning, more so if we are leaders.
If the VC of NUL is not performing, by all means she must go. Not because she is “frail” or because she is “white” or because she is a “she”
Comment by Puzzled Gay on 7 September 2012:
PM talks as a Politician, which is his mandate.
He’s surely NOT technical. So, trying to be civilized by expressing ‘racism, gender-based’ fears is irrelevant here (in his context).
NUL has truly been turned upside down. The current chaos in Supp Exams say it all.
We thank you, the brave LUTARU members. The monster is surely going down with all that surrounded her.
Comment by Wa maticha on 7 September 2012:
Li lecture tsa NUL li hulanya maoto hore @ the end of the day li fumane “white woman” a tebetsoe.all they want is freedom le bobolu.joale sharon u ba tima eona.Tomas think like a man Boy
Comment by semenekane on 7 September 2012:
Bro Tom u moleleke feela. Re khathetse ke lintho tsena tsa ho latela li-principles tsena tseo li sa re thuseng ka letho feela litaba li sa tsamae hantle. Ho ts’oana le taba ena ea LTV\Radio Lesotho. Motho a ke ke a ferekanya sechaba e be re thotse feela.
Hase batho bohle ba tlang ho khotsofalla liqeto tseo u li etsang. Li-PS tsena tsa Ma- Pitsa le tsona u li tebele 1 by 1. Re tenehile ke batho bana.
Comment by Maru-mats'o on 7 September 2012:
For a country that is heavily dependent on donor assistance like Lesotho, ntate Tom’s remarks about the Vice Chancellor were racist and undiplomatic in the extreme, expressed in a wrong forum. In today’s young people lingo, ‘Bro Tom oa jampisa’. America has had an abiding relationship with Lesotho even in hard times when Lesotho was a pariah state during the repressive years of the BNP government. Think for a moment about the various forms of assistance and support that the US government continues to give Lesotho such as the Peace Corps Volunteer Programme, MCC, USAID, AGOA, PEPFAR and the annual small grants given by the US Embassy to poorer communities to mention a few. I’m not saying where a US citizen employed in Lesotho underperforms or mismanages an institution should not be called in to account, but I’m against cheap, populist talk. Well-considered words and servant leadership is what defines a good leader in the 21st century. By making these reckless statements PM overstepped the mark and prejudiced the legitimate processes/actions that may be taken against the VC. The University Council, which is a legally constituted structure to govern NUL, is there to handle this matter according to the established rules, not the wanton words that come from the PM. That’s abuse of state/positional power. Bro Tom wise up this is the 21st century. You have to exercise smart leadership. Mob justice is never right. Lesotho is a constitutional and democratic country that won the accolades of good governance and democratic rule, which qualified it for MCA grant, which unfortunately ntate Tom and his allies wanted to stop.
Whether Siverts goes or not, NUL’s colossal problems won’t go away. To turn it into a good, world-class university requires huge sacrifices to be made in the form of subsidy that the state gives, time and tolerance from the stakeholders. In the main, NUL’s problems revolve around lack of adequate budget to run it properly. As long as the budget is not substantially increased, two- or three-fold, this institution will forever wallow in a sea of problems, always crisis-ridden. Additional problems facing NUL include lack of a serious academic/research culture that defines a university, being stuck in the old ivory-tower mentality of self-importance of doing business and being too politicised for a university. NUL staff are too deeply involved in petty Lesotho politics rather than the politics/discourses of academia. There is a need for a fundamental shift in how this institution is managed and academics do business; a business unusual approach. Otherwise, cheap talk from people who know little about leadership won’t help. Bro Tom deploy the appointed government officials to go back to the drawing board with NUL management and other stakeholders instead of making politically correct statements that will appease a certain section of the people party to the problem. Sacking Siverts is like treating the symptoms and not the disease!
Comment by Maru-mats'o on 7 September 2012:
Joe Biden, the Vice President of the most powerful country in the world (USA) is 70 and was today described as the best Vice-President by President Obama, and yet Ntate Tom takes a swipe at Prof Siverts who is younger than Biden. Even at 70 Joe Biden is still younger than our PM. What does age have to do it with it? Avoid sexist and racist remarks Mr PM. Barrack Obama and Joe Biden (black and white) work perfectly in leading the US. Why bring Siverts’s race and gender into the debate?
Comment by semenekane on 7 September 2012:
Batho ba ikeme ka mashome a senang metso. Hey! Hey! Tom is racist, hey! Hey! Tom was wrong to refer to White woman and so on. Siverts ke Lekhooa hase Mosotho joale?
NUL std of education is very poor. That is well known fact. Siverts o tlisitse liphethoho li feng so far?. Hana o se a ena le nako e kae a sebetsa NUL?. O entse eng?. Ha a sa sebetse ho latela litebello tsa mohiri oa hae ho etsoeng ka ena?. A tlohelloe feela hobane ke Lekhooa le tsoang USA?. Hona likamano tsa Lesotho le USA li amana joang le khiro ea individual person?.
NUL re ka itukisetsa eona hle Basotho hona ho boloka Siverts ea ntseng a leqetsa lichelete tsa sechaba 4 sweet nothing. No way. Batho ba khaotse ho tlameletsa Bro Tom ka lintho tse sa utloahaleng. Le ne le re a etse joang ha rona batho ba mokhethileng re mofa litaelo tsa ho nka likhato moo litaba li sa tsamaeng hantle? Le batla a ipitike? Go hang Ma-Pitsa ting
Comment by Nketjoane on 7 September 2012:
Another googled article about Siverts tenure at University of Botswana:
THE University of Botswana (UB) is awaiting the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor with baited breath amid fears that incumbent Professor Sharon Siverts, whose contract comes to an end this month, may be retained.
Chances are that Prof. Siverts could be re-appointed following reports that she has also applied for the post, which was advertised last October.
Source:http://allafrica.com/stories/200301100565.html
Comment by Lefefooane on 7 September 2012:
@Tlotlisang, if you attended the ABC rallies before elections, you would by now know that Bro Tom has consistently questioned the appointment of that granny at NUL. Why I like Tom is solely because he is the only consistent politician that I know off. His position has always been clear that he does not think the 68 year old grandmother at NUL is doing a good job. Ironically the 68 year oldy has not improved hence there is no need for Bro Tom to change his position on the 68 year old.
Comment by Lefefooane on 7 September 2012:
@Thabaputsoa, the last time I checked NUL had the so-called international in the name of some Nigerian professor. He too bankrupted NUL. We read stories about his lavish in newspapers. So, the mentatility of hoping that Lesotho problems will be solved by so-called internationals is the very mentality that landed NUL on a 68 year old grand mother. All the same if not worse. So unless and until Basotho problems are solved by Basotho people in a Sesotho way, I bet there is no where we will go as a nation. I insist that Sharon Siverts is just too old to make any meaningful change at NUL.
Comment by Lefefooane on 7 September 2012:
@Maru-mats’o, that Barack Obama claimed his assistant Joe Bidden to be the best is neither here nor there. This is the same as ntate mccd claiming his deputy Monyane Moleleki is the best. It is normal in politics for a leader to sing praises of his deputies. So for you to bring that Obama claim here is very misplaced.
Comment by Nketjoane on 7 September 2012:
The picture I have been trying to paint about nul vc is that she never impressed wherever she worked. Hence it does not come as a surprise the she is also not impressing at nul. If you read the article about university of Botswana you get shcked that there were “fears that she would be retained”. On the same article you get it that she did reapply for the position and never got the job. Now she later got a job in Dubai(my earlier posts). In that Ras al Khaimah it states explicitly that she got fired/dismissed. Now for those who think that whoever is baying for siverts blood is stupid they better read my submissions. I have also pasted internet websites where I got the articles. One conclusion therefore about Sharon Siverts is that she is an underachiever who surrounds herself with her cronies who would never challenge her.
Comment by MOANANONG on 7 September 2012:
Well! Ke ena moetapele oa naha and so we shall wait and see with crossed fingers…Siverts was on the right track – Ntate Tom is a politician AND he knows clearly where his interest is. Politicians will always be politicians…particularly in Africa. The majority of them will never make good administrators…Sir Seretse Khama and Ntate Mandela will always be two of a kind as celebrated African leaders
A great pity indeed…
Comment by Longtime friend of Lesotho on 7 September 2012:
As an ally of Lesotho of many years and a frequent international guest on behalf of international partners deeply committed to the well-being of Lesotho, I wish to make a few comments:
- University presidents have one of the toughest jobs around. There are many constituencies to keep happy and limited resources. When money is scarce, no human being looks good in this role.
- As noted by numerous others above, the problems at NUL were many years in the making and they are deeply entrenched across multiple systems. Key actors at every level of the system are under-performing and defiant about change. It will take years and large resources to turn this ship around.
- I have no ability to judge the performance of this individual. What I’ve learned from deep experience in education elsewhere is that unless you are close to the many battles that must be waged to address a floundering university, you can’t really judge competence from a distance.
- When anyone is seriously underperforming in a key role, that person should go. But there are wise and professional ways to do that, through the structures of university governance; not in public forums, least of all in the youth wing of a political party, in tones suggesting overt racism.
I have worked for years to support the strengthening of this country at many levels and had high hopes the coalition may usher in a new day of political leadership here. I am taken aback and keenly disappointed by these comments by the PM, whose skills in certain other areas have impressed. A private, personal apology to the Vice-Chancellor is in order. For the public and the many partners who wish to see Lesotho excel, let amends be made by doing what ought to have been done in the first place: by gathering a task force containing reps of all the key groups whose cooperation will be necessary, and mandating them to come up with a blueprint to turn around NUL.
Comment by Masumo on 7 September 2012:
@Lefefooane haeba Siverts o tsofetse at 68 Tom eena o joang hobane o 73? Hoa makatsa ebe uena u khethile Tom ebe PM ea naha. Haeba Siverts ha sa tseba ho inahana Tom ha ke kholoe o sana le boko ba ho nahana joale ba mokhethileng joaloka uena tjena kea ipotsa bona ba lebelletseng haeba Siverts ha sa tseba ho nahana lona le lebelletseng ho tsoa ho Tom.
Comment by Oa batho on 7 September 2012:
I beg of you dear PM please let your judgement be not clouded by political frustrations and hatred.Im a big supporter oa ABC im sorry i don’t support your move this time around, try look at the issue of Siverts with great objectivity please. Siverts might be wrong in some issues but not all while LUTARU on the other hand has its weakneses too.Siverts needs support from us and Lutaru ,surely she cannot implement her mandate well with LUTARU obstacling the way.Lutaru has failed to address the nepotism issue that has been prevailing within the university for years and they have never done anything regarding the many irrelevant courses offered by the University,ka nete ntate Thabane Lutaru ha e ke e hlahlobuoe ke ka lebaka la eng masters e leng bothata ka Nul,clearly matichere ano are not qualified enough
Comment by Ethics on 7 September 2012:
@tlotlisang & Masumo LE BUILE BAMPA BA ITHIBA LITSEBE
Comment by Ethics on 7 September 2012:
@tlotlisang, Oa batho & Masumo LE BUILE BAMPA BA ITHIBA LITSEBE
Comment by Ethics on 7 September 2012:
@Longtime friend of Lesotho HMMM!!!!!!!1
Comment by Ethics on 7 September 2012:
@MOANANONG HMMM!!!!!!!1
Comment by Ethics on 7 September 2012:
@maticha HMMM!!!!!!!1
Comment by Sekutu on 7 September 2012:
Kea kholoa kajeno re boemong bo lekaang hobane maobane ho ne ho thoe NT.Mosisili o oa rohakana, ho rohakan ho hobe empa ho khetholla batho ka bochaba ba bona ke utloa bo ntsosa hobane batho ba batso ba tletse hohle lefatseng ebe ha re ka joetsoa hore ha re sebetse hobane re le batho ba batso re tla utloa ho le joang, o ntsa mokhoa oa hae joale mongaka
Comment by Bobete on 7 September 2012:
She is 68 years? You cant teach an old dog new tricks, it has got its own. I always hear ppl saying Lutaru/lecturers resist change, after this knowledge I am inclined to believe that the person who doesnt understand today’s world is the VC.
Comment by Seruoe on 7 September 2012:
Iam really dissapointed by our dear PM, how can he make such raisist remarks about a person, was there no other way of addressing the youth league on the matter other than attacking the person of Shiverts, aaaaaaaaaaa,our PM IS BAD NEWS
Comment by Molakolako on 7 September 2012:
Chee kea bona Semenekane le wena u r racist evn le tom eno oa hao lea tswana motho o motsho o rata bobulu le freedom kip up siverts i salute u o ba tswere hantle lecture tseno tsa freedom…mathata a roma ase a ngoana tom hake hane o tsofetse bt wen it comes to roma o ngoana boy…qala change mmusong mona pele den retla bona aftrwrds
Comment by Silky on 7 September 2012:
u see, we dont want lengthy articles, we want action! terminate contracts and appointments if thats whats required.
Comment by Lefefooane on 7 September 2012:
@Masumo, yes you are correct Tom is 73. He may even be older than that. Maybe 100 years. So what? My grandfather or grandmother is closer to me than an equally aged alien. ke nahana ho koalo le ho mehlobo eohle lefatseng. Sesotho se re “sepa leholo ke la molata la monga motse ke kotokoane”. That explains exactly why I love Tom at 100 years more than I love an underperforming racist grandmother grandmother Siverts at 68.
At 68, o tlameha e be o se a fulela haufi le lehae la hahabo. To me it does not make sense why a 68 year old grandmother is busy loitering to such an extent that she lends in Lesotho.
Comment by Nketjoane on 7 September 2012:
Siverts, who was appointed in February last year, is also accused of hiring her friend to be the university’s IT specialist.
Sounds interesting. This is a very interesting revelation. It would be more interesting to know if the friend was qualified to such a position. If the appointment is alleged to be based on friendship then there is a high chance that the friend did not qualify otherwise there would have been no need to emphasize the friendship part. Lona ba NUL tell us the names of that friend and his qualifications or just the name the we will google to see for ourselves. I like google. Just tell me the name. This Siverts sounds interesting every minute I read about her.
Comment by Umfolozi on 7 September 2012:
Politicians vs Academics! Actually, who should appoint the VC? What is the task of Senate? The step a PM wants to take solve NUL probles is ultra-sensitive. The PM might be doing this because of external pressure, thus trying to achieve political scores.
If the VC has violated/contravened her job discription, why don’t you samon her / ask her to step aside for proper investigations? Does this means that Senate failed to bring the VC before the DC?
I assure you that the successor of Siverts is going to be a politician. And should she/he going to uplift NUL? Check world rankings universities, where is NUL?
Comment by Umfolozi on 7 September 2012:
Politicians vs Academics! Actually, who should appoint the VC? What is the task of Senate? The step a PM wants to take solve NUL problem is ultra-sensitive. The PM might be doing this because of external pressure, thus trying to achieve political scores.
If the VC has violated/contravened her job discription, why don’t you samon her / ask her to step aside for proper investigations? Does this means that Senate failed to bring the VC before the DC?
I assure you that the successor of Siverts is going to be a politician. And should she/he going to uplift NUL? Check world rankings universities, where is NUL?
Comment by Lekholokoe on 7 September 2012:
Hela uena moshanyana Poho na okile oa kena sekolo tje ke hore ha o bula molongoana ono oa hao hotsoa ntho e bolileng feela sis oa nyonts’a le form E toe la le GCE ea sesotho feela ebang o fihlile Form E, @ semakane at most Universities moshanyana toe ha ona le a college diploma otla nka nako eo degree eo batlang ho e etsa e enkang if its 4 years otla etsa 4 years hobane ke diploma tsa college so hali relevent letsa varsity uena tseketseke hape bolela hore ke thuto efeng eseng maemong a litlhoko tsa hona joale and kena sekolo o tlohele ho poota mona uena ntja ea mokoto enang le matsetse.
My point is if this Siverts woman is underperforming she must be fired and concrete prove must be provided for her dismissal and please LUTARA stop making that university a political battle field for your own interests because your are down grading that institution and in future we will be left with 1 shame of the so-called university (LIMKOMKWING) or whatever they call it and who gave it the university status because other universities do not recognise it shame, so instead of pointing fingers and dictating who should be fired find the solution to NUL problems for the sake of its students please and stop your childish acts and act mature on this matter because it needs urgent solutions
Comment by Abuti on 7 September 2012:
@semenekane, you must learn some basic manners and refrain from name-calling, then there is a remote chance that you’ll start making some sense.
The VC must go based on her non-performance alone, not on anything else, finish & klaar
Comment by Setho se khabane on 8 September 2012:
Lutaru is resistant to change,Sheron is good theoretically but poor on i£mplememntation!The whole Nul mgtmnt&lectures need to be reshuffled!Lutaru ke eona e buoang ka naha e futsanehileng,ba batla chelete tse mehlolo hakalw?
Comment by loose cannon on 8 September 2012:
NUL problems existed long before Siverts and if I’m correct we once had a mosotho VC. Judging from afar, the whole issue is filled with self-interests so much that we can hardly see the real thing, if there is any. Way I see it, everybody wants they share in this “assorted colors” government. For a very long time, NUL has been drawn into a vortex of insanity(insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results).
No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it.
Comment by Malinkoana on 8 September 2012:
You see the problem with NUL issues is dat every TOM, Dick and Harry always think they know “it” well enough to submit any kind of comment let alone being part of its governing body…Surpringly even those who have never been to skul and those who know they will never set their foot even in a mere college or vocational school….um pissed off by the attacks that are always directed towards LUTARU as if we arent talking about academics here. For a change cant we have one good intellectual who can do a study regarding the role and efiiciency of Lutaru ragrding the affairs of NUl then get the results publicised or published. Why shud all the blame be pinned on them all the time despite the views they always air all over. As a student um just wondering how many of NUL students could have complained openly about persistent changes that have been made on the dates for supp exams..regardless of how much suffering and inconvenience this caused us and our parents. Stop acting like Mr and Mrs Know it alls…All you know is onlysing for nmds allowances. You are talking about lecturers not publishing but be honest and tell those who arent at NUL that some of you are actually using publications and srticles made by the same Lutaru members…As for the like of Semenekane, i suggest you go on fact finding missions before you can say anything about varsity….you are really embarassing youself, what kind of a university should be accepting 3yr diploma graduants just like that…and at year 4 for that matter…come to your senses for heavens sake or go back to creche.
Comment by Lesotho Seer on 8 September 2012:
The arguments here generally seem not to be focused. Solving the problems of your university should be done in a sober and intellectually honest manner. In the modern world and especially in academia, issues that have apartheid-like connotations, to do with colour, age, sex, national origin, etc. will not give you the right answers or get you anywhere far. Indeed, you will end up with skewed conclusions, and right back to the same or even worse problems, as if you did nothing in the first place.
Advice: Get a panel of local and international academics with solid and unblemished higher education management records to study the problems of NUL, and then advice your government on the best way forward. That is if you really want your university to be globally competitive. Think globally to compete globally; focus on the local problems but with a global outlook! Otherwise, no one, repeat, no one will come to your rescue on this issue.
Comment by Kat on 8 September 2012:
Our poor glorified highest high school in the country.
Comment by Seila tsatsi on 8 September 2012:
Ache ke le mametse naesong
Comment by 'Mankete on 9 September 2012:
Na Monna-moholo o nna tlameha ho etsa polelo e bonts’ang khethollo e joalo ea lebala? Khelek’! Bohle ba keneng selibeng sena sa thuto re tseba phatlalatsa, ha se patuoe, mesuoe le mesuoetsana ena e khabane e bileng ho thoeng ke bafuputsi ha ho mekutu e utloahalang ea bona ntlheng ea ho fuputsa ntle le hore ba mafapheng a mang, e.g. Law, ba na le likhoebo tse ka thoko ho mosebetsi e le barupeli/bafuputsi tse kannete katleho ea tsona e lulang e hlonngoe pele ho ea ho ruta bana ba sechaba. Linako tsa lihlopha li fetolakoa nyene bosiu le mots’eare ke barutehi bana, bafuputsi bana, mesuoe le mesuoetsana ena e isitsoeng mosebetsing oa boruti ke tsietsi e se lerato la ho nts’etsa pele tsebo le ho ntlafatsa sechaba ka ho fetisetsa tsebo ea bona baneng ba sechaba!
Mosuoetsana-hlooho oa sena sekolo, ha kaalo ka ha a sa fihlela lipolelo le lits’episo tseo a ileng a li etsa ho fihlela ha joale, kapa ho so be le letho le utloahalang ka tsona, kamehla munn’a mosotho ke ipotsa hore na ke ka lebaka la eng ha mesuoe le mesuoetsana ea sekolo se seholo sa sechaba e lula e qhela menyepetsi tlasa bosupisi bofe kapa bofe bo lekang ho etsa phetoho tloaelong tsa bona tse sa bonahaleng ho fetisetsa ts’ebeletso ea thuto baneng ba sechaba, mohlala, Dr. Chokobane, Mr. Semethe, le ‘Me’ o teng oa mangolo a mekhoephakhoephahali a nkhakang ka lebitso ke mo tseba eo re noang le eena ka mose ho ‘mila mona. Ke batho ba kang bao, ba emang ka pele meleng ea pina neng le neng ba supa ichu-ichu kamehla ha ea etellang sekolo pele a leka ho etsa phetoho e tla ba molemo ho baithuti ka ha e le bona khubu ea sekolo.
Ntate Shale ea ileng a etella pele mokhatlo oana oa mesuoe le bafuputsi ba sekolo se seholo sa sechaba, LUTARU, ke oa sebopeho se nqholotsang ka mehla. Ke moithuti oa mehleng oa sekolo se seholo sa sechaba, NUL, Wits, le sekolo se hloahloa ka ho fetisisa mafapheng a itseng lefats’e ka bophara, Havard. Ke motho a ‘na komela pina, a bile a supa tsela ho LUTARU. Ke motho eo ka hare ho naha ena eo re e ratang eabo rona ho ruteha hoo ho hokaalo hoa hae ho sa re tsoeleng molemo e le mofuputsi, joalo ka ba bang ba bangata ba fuputsang. Ka mohlala, Nt. Shale oa morutehi le mofuputsi, na o ile a ka a fana ka leseli sechabeng hore na phoso e kae ka molao oa motheho ha bang ba tsekisoa ha ba “ts’ela” ka hare ho paramente ho sa natsoe mantsoe ao a ba khethi, bang ba sa tsekisoe? Ke ka lebaka le feng ha tab’e e sa lokisoe hoba ho totobetse hore e tla lula e le lesobana la nale moo kamele e tla lula e tsoa le teng kamehla eohle? Ke eng se jeleng puso ea BCP le LCD? Ena ea LCD e shoele e ‘ne e se il’a ka behoa thipa molaleng ke ho tsoala ABC le eona tlasa maemo a molaong a ntseng a le molaong joale ho fihlela khale, ha ntlo kholo ea rona ea ketsa-molao e shebana le ho fetola folakha ho na le ho tsosolosa litsi tse ileng tsa ka tsa fokotsa tlala ka hare ho naha joalo ka banka ea temo, le sekolo sa eona temo se tetebetseng ho feta ho tetebela. Ba bile kae bafuputsi ho supisa sechaba tsela mafapheng aa? Mehlala e meng e sa le hore na ke ka lebaka la eng ha naha ea rona le baahi ba eona, re fuputsoa, re bile re fupulitsoe, ‘me re tsejoa betere ke bafuputsi ba naha tse ling joalo ka ha ba rona ba tseba pina, e.g. ‘Geology’, le mekhoa ea sechaba sa basotho, ke tse ling tsa lihlooho tse ka sutjoang moo bafuputsi ba sechaba ba ‘ne ba ile pineng, kapa ba tsomana le mekhoa ea ho ruta lihlopha tse fokolang ka moo ho ka khonahalang, kapa ba shebane le likhoebo tsa bona ‘me ba apesa barutehi ba phethahetseng ka lilemo tsa thuto ho feta tsebo, kapa tsena tsohle ba li etsa kaofela hong!
Comment by Lefa on 9 September 2012:
Dr. Moeketsi Mpholo, such a brilliant Physicist is now Head of IT services simply because they are friends with Siverts. Sis! Mpholo you are such a young man & I’m surprised that you can sell ur self this cheap. sis!
MR. Karabo Thloeli, a Law Student at NUL and also NUL legal representative against the very people who teach him… That’s Siverts at her best.
Mr. Sebehela Selepe. Head of Bursary His salary probably more than the Pro-Vice Chancellors. The position of the bursar is now vacant but Siverts is not going to advertise it because Selepe will loose his lucrative salary.
Dr. Tlali, A good Physics teacher who is currently: 1. Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor
2. Dean of Faculty of Science
3. Acting Director of Planning
4. Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics
That’s Siverts for you.
Dr. Monyamane: I have nothing 2 say …. He’s lost it.
University Council: The most useless body ever….. they simply follow what Siverts & Monyamane want.
Siverts has never gone out to look for money that can help NUL instead she keeps stealing money from the University coffers to help herself and also enrich those loyal to her.
One day will be one day. Siverts will go
Econet Telecom Lesotho —- Make sure the things u do with Siverts won’t come back to bite u
Comment by Lefa on 9 September 2012:
Honestly why did NUL Council or whoever appoints VC, decided to employ the old lady!
Comment by masepa ka kopin on 9 September 2012:
NUL had always been corrupt b4 siverts..so stop blamming your dirty laundry on her,believe tom has lost it..lectures of roma don’t give shit about basotho’s future..all they want is to maximise profit thru high salary earnings and supplements cash..also Tom stop being a racist bru and put real facts not emotions on the table and unjustified allegations to that woman!!
Comment by Lefa on 10 September 2012:
@Masepa ka kopin; no wonder u have such a funny name. Yes NUL has had problems b4; correct. But have we had NUL where more than 50 people rendered their resignations? No! If u had a child @NUL u would feel the pinch. Quality lecturers have gone! A lot of Basotho were trained @NUL and they run Lesotho and businesses mostly in Lesotho & RSA.
Go fact finding and stop judging NUL staff. The women is incapable thats all. I work at NUL & I know this for a FACT. GO find out
Comment by Puzzled Gay on 10 September 2012:
@09:55hrs tdy I saw a black Mec (A 0344) with a silver BMW (…FS) on a sideway (HillsView busstop), while a white lady and a light gentleman sat stiffly in the Mec, pointing & talking vigorously.
I believe they are potential investors or some people to take our country to greater heights. They just seemed a bit uncomfortable at such a shabby spot.
Well, maybe its a matter of urgency!
Comment by sting on 10 September 2012:
thomase thabane! the RACIST.
Comment by Jomaleta on 10 September 2012:
If the government is not happy with her ,she must go for green fields because she is earning cents in lesotho.R160 000 p/m ke licente ho latela education ea hae .kenyang oa lona atla khola R50 000.00 oa mosotho ,feela le ntse le re salary ebe restructured.
This wonderful woman ba mojelasetsa..Hirang ea cheap le tsebe ho fumana education e cheap.
The PM must allow the minister and deputy of education to decide on this matter ,this matter is not a political one but is a strategic issue ..ha se taba ea ABC ,it must be debated in the parliament if the educational ministers are unable to solve it.ABC is not a government as they never won elections ..mosotoana and Apesi must be given enough time to deal with the matter ,ha eba ke nete taba ena e discussoa liconferenceng tsa abc that lack of professionalism and ministers of ed are undermined.
Comment by Senonnori on 10 September 2012:
Ke basotho bafe bao bas tom a buang ka bona hore they are capable of running NUL cos Moletsane was there and was given a kick in the ass by LUTARU then followed Mothibe and Sejanamane may be LUTARU shud run NUL.
Comment by Moithuti on 10 September 2012:
The primiminister of Lesotho has dissapointed on so many levels. He speaks to impressionable young people, some of whom idolise him, he misses an opportunity to educate but makes statements that produce the likes of bo Lefefooane. He now show no respect for the old and keeps reffering to the VC in a vey deregotary way as an “old lady”
Ntate Tom would your point have been missed if you reffered to the VC as a VC not a white woman?
Such derogatory racists ( Mugabe style) and sexist comments will make sure you loose my vote.
Ntate u telletse basali. We as women in this century have to deal with so much prejudice in our daily work. When you make such stetments we know that there is NO HOPE for us.
Ke soabile ruri and I really wish Lesotho times would publish some of these comments.
Comment by semenekane on 11 September 2012:
@ Lekholokoe
Ur commends have no logic and it doesn’t make sense @ all. I highly suspect tt u have a lucid interval my brother. I urge u to c ur psychiatrist as soon as possible
Comment by LEKAOTA on 11 September 2012:
“”CHAKELA RETURNS HOME IN STYLE””
“””We are not going to be having any famo wars anymore”””
HA KE KHAHLOE!!!!!!!!
Comment by Telang on 11 September 2012:
@Semenekane, polotiki e koetse kelello ena ea tuu, u canot think straight.
Comment by ROTHE - HA LETSIE on 11 September 2012:
it is good to notice that human life is dynamic, and be able to be realistic during this stonewall generation, so to speak. To be Rationalist or Empericist provide conducive way of looking at the issues. There are people who just merely speak out of their immotions or ituitions without looking at the matter as such. During campaigning, i strongly claimed that Ntate Motsoahae is demagogue – he talks like the person who did not do anything in the academic field, that is, a vacuous vessel. He uses this racial language because he is still holding those abitrary stereotypes of his Centuries, and forgets that this is 21st Century.
How can he compare Siverts with these perfidious and debauch black Basotho people. And what do they really these Basotho whom he is praising so high. Any way let us see what will they do with the Institutional Education. However, we have to know that our Prime Minister is a demagogue. it is difficult for him to exercise his faculty of knowing. This is negrotude expression that the PM can tell the white such deviant words. Which gualification is he holding Thom Thabana? if he was there, what would he do as Black Mosotho man? I wonder!!!
Comment by LEKAOTA on 12 September 2012:
@ROTHE – HA LETSIE BA NANG LE LITSEBE TSA HO UTLOA HA BA UTLOE HO SA LITHOLO FEELA!!
Comment by Lefefooane on 12 September 2012:
FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE TERM-A demagogue or rabble-rouser is a political leader who appeals to the emotions, prejudices, and ignorance of the poorer and less-educated classes in order to gain power. Demagogues usually oppose deliberation and advocate immediate, violent action to address a national crisis; they accuse moderate and thoughtful opponents of weakness.They exploit a fundamental weakness in democracy: because ultimate power is held by the people, nothing stops the people from giving that power to someone who appeals to the lowest common denominator of a large segment of the population.
Comment by retha on 12 September 2012:
http://www.sundayexpress.co.ls
Comment by mohlalefi on 12 September 2012:
Na ke nnete Thabane o re ha batle Mosalimoholo oa lekhooa ho tsamaisa University. O Nyatsa lebala kapa lilemo tsa Sharon?Basotho ha re batho ba khethollo ea lebala.lea ‘makatsa ba hesong.