DC MPs take Metsing to task
MASERU — Democratic Congress MPs Ponts’o Sekatle and Lineo Molise-Mabusela yesterday gave Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing a tough time in parliament demanding that he assures Basotho that civil servants affiliated to the former ruling party will not be sacked.
So insistent were the former local government minister and former home affairs assitant minister with their line of questioning that Speaker of Parliament, Sephiri Motanyane, had to chip in to defend Metsing.
Motanyane told them off, saying their questions were out of line as they were hypothetical adding that parliamentary standing orders had a code of questions to be asked in parliament.
The spectacle began after Metsing had delivered a humble address of the speech delivered by King Letsie III last month when the eighth Parliament convened for the first time after the May 26 election.
In his conclusion, Metsing suggested that his becoming leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) had ushered in a new era of peace and harmony in Lesotho.
To this Molise-Mabusela demanded to know the kind of peace Metsing was referring to if cabinet ministers of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), Basotho National Party (BNP) and the LCD were sending some civil servants home “because they are not comfortable working with them”.
“May I humbly ask what kind of peace you’re saying you’ve bought for Basotho if some ministers are telling some people to stay at home because they are uncomfortable working with them?” Molise-Mabusela asked.
“What kind of peace are you referring to when people are no longer at liberty to choose their supervisors for poverty-alleviation projects (lifato-fato)?”
Metsing then told Molise-Mabusela through Motanyane, that he had on several occasions already made clear that the coalition government was firm on its stance that “we will not be compromising people’s jobs”.
“I made that clear even more recently when I was in TY that no Mosotho national is going to lose their job. We have not formulated a policy to fire people,” Metsing said.
Sekatle then stood up to speak, asking Metsing as to how he could assure Basotho as the local government minister that no people would be told to hit the highroad.
“After more than 20 years of the BNP rule and seven years of military rule, the BCP assumed power in 1993 and no structures of the civil service were tampered with,” Sekatle said.
“No one was told to hit the highroad. How can you as the local government minister today assure us that there won’t be any changes in the local councils? What should we expect?”
Metsing told her that when a new government assumes power “it will have its own policies and vision”.
“But the one thing we can’t do is fire people simply because we want to fill those spaces with others. If you find a civil servant elsewhere tomorrow, do not be shocked. It’s just work,” Metsing said.
“Ours is to win elections in 2017 and that we will achieve based on our service delivery performance. What is of utmost importance to us is to deliver services to our people.”
To this Sekatle asked what should be expected because Metsing’s implication that she should not be shocked if she found some people redeployed “is pregnant with something big”.
It was at this juncture that Motanyane interjected to shield Metsing from more questions from Sekatle adding that the DPM “should not have answered that”.
“You shouldn’t have asked that question because it is hypothetical. There are questions that should not be asked in this House as per our standing orders,” Motanyane said.
However, Metsing told Sekatle the coalition government’s responsibility was “to protect the vulnerable”.
“I’ve made it clear that our stance is to protect the weak and ensure that civil servants do not feel their jobs are on the line. Please be advisers instead of always opposing,” Metsing said.
Comment by Ua 6Pondo. on 12 September 2012:
Tltltltl! Look who is talking!
Comment by Sanko on 13 September 2012:
Litsoetse tse bothang pela Tsoelike li mochesong oa selemo!
Comment by Sanki on 13 September 2012:
Tl tl tl. Lol. Empa lineo khale a tebela ba bang. Ach lineo eena!
Comment by Lilala on 13 September 2012:
Ba ntsetsa bohloko ba lipelo tsa bona ho DPM ka khopolo ea hore bana le lintlha ha bake ba oele hole koana nako ea bona khale e felile base ba ts’oana le ntja e tsofetseng eseng bohola fela.
Comment by rise above hate on 13 September 2012:
heehee, “…no mosotho national is going to lose their job…” “we will not be complishing people’s jobs” jo! what a suprising statement bana baa ba batho ba ntseng ba lahlehelwa ke mesebetsi ya bona oreng ka bona?? baa ba ntseng ba behellwa ka theko ho mosebetsi bona ho etsahale’ng ka bona. ka melato eseng ya bona! lifato-fato tsee tsona tseo ho utlwahalang gore ho hirwa ba mekha e itseng fela na ke hona ha ho sebetsuwa hantle ka nnete lea swabisa bo Metsing ake le itshele likellello leseke la bua jwalokaha eka le tswa ka moqomong tjena.
Comment by LEKHOARA on 13 September 2012:
of course Honourable Speaker, these potoana women should stop asking hypothetical questions in Parliament, Ke mang a tebelletsoeng lipolotiki in the public service?
Comment by Bobete on 13 September 2012:
Khele: ho monate ho bua motho o itebatsa tsa maobane. E mong o na bitsoa “tough woman” ka lebaka la tsela eo a neng a ts’oara batho ka eona mosebetsing. o leka ho sireletsa batho ba behiloeng ke eena li local councils le ba bang. Haele ausi eena ho ja a batla a permanent job coz next time she wont be so lucky as to get into parliament the way she behaves.
Hoja la lula fats’e la ithuta hore na ho busoa ke ntho e joang not to pretend as if you are still at the helm of govt. Every govt has got its own policies and you cant dictate those policies when you are not part of the decision/policy makers. Sit down freshers and learn how it is to be on the other side of the demarcation line.
Comment by Matamong on 13 September 2012:
Joale tjena le ferekane lineo le matumelo. Aku luleng fats’e hle le shebelle ha basotho ba busoa ke batho bao ba ba tsotellang e seng lona le neng le hloka mohau ho batho haese ho shebana le maratano a lona ka hara paramente. Likae likatana tsa mapolesa lineo tsela tseo o neng o li behelle ka thoko ho mosebetsi Leribe hobane li ts’ehetsa LCD? He! moetsi o ea lebala. Bona o ne o sa nahane hore ke batho ba tlameha ho sebetsa leha ba le khahlanong le puso ea hau le mahaletere. Le le chabetse hee letsatsi khale re bohola khoeli le re ts’eha. Ke ha le qalile ho tsipa mobu hale se lele ka mokhoa oo?
Comment by Itihe pele ke u liha on 13 September 2012:
Lea hlanya joale! Hakere batho bao ke bohanyetsi? Joale le re ba lule feela ka paramenteng kamoo ba sa bue joalokaha bao ba pusong ba ne ba etsa ‘musong o fetileng? Ha ke bone letho le phoso ka Ponts’o le Lineo, ba etsa se neng se etsoa ke ba bang. Malaselapi ana a lona a ila ‘na hlokisa ‘muso o fetileng botsitso. Ha ba utloe le bona. Ho joalo paramenteng! Le ne ntse le tsila-tsila le lieha ho bula paramente tje hoba le ts’aba bohanyetsi? Ho bona Lineo ngoana’ka, ehlile ha ho le thata ke betsa ka uena. ‘Na ha ke bone phapang ‘musong o fetileng le ona. Ke polotiki e tjena, tit 4 tat.
Comment by didduy on 13 September 2012:
ho bona mastume ka paramenteng ha se ka kerekeng haholo ea roma le ha ra likereke moo ho tla mameloa moruti kapo mobishop.ha ho haptjoa likhomo ha ho tseisanoe.mme Lineo le wena mm Pontso le loane hore ho khaohe moo ho khoehlang
Comment by Dr Qhau on 13 September 2012:
Freshers sit down and learn!
Comment by ABC/LCD/BNP on 13 September 2012:
@Itihe pele ke u liha ache batho baa makatsa ba lebeletseng ka bohanyetsi/kapa ba utoising ka bohanyetsi????????/
Comment by Itihe pele ke u liha on 13 September 2012:
Uena didduy u no ntso tla hantle ka kereke, joale u se u sele hau bua ka ea roma, u se ka ithuta ho kenyeletsa kereke ea roma linthong tsa bosaoana, ua utloa? A ku bapale ka e ngoe, likereke li ngata ngoanaka a ku khethe e ngoe.
Comment by Bram on 13 September 2012:
Metsing u lule u ikokobelitse ntate, likuena li joalo ha molomo oa ketlele o ba furalletse. Just try to be more firm in the next sessions, u r the DPM.
Politics can be made dirty game by the scorned (now picture a woman scorned), just live up to the pace.
Comment by mojota on 13 September 2012:
Ho bona pont`so. Nthoena e ba reng ke metsin ha ea ruteha le ho ruteha ke se rathana feela tjena!
Comment by Wa Matlameng on 13 September 2012:
@Mojota u photholehile kannete, haele bo MATSARATSIPE bao ba basehlana ba tlohele ho ferekanela ho SEPONONO hle!! Let them watch na ho sebetswa jwang le batho eseng NYAKAFATANE yane eo baneng ba e etsa. NXAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Comment by Mokotla on 13 September 2012:
sheba mojota oa satane,haeba Metsing mahlong a hao ke serathana,keep it to yourself and don’t post it here hoba ke moetapele oa rona.Re tseba ho bitsa batho ka mabitso a mabe ho feta leo o ‘mitsang ka lona,Pasop boetie,pasop! Shape up now or ship out! o rutehetse kae uena haeka o fopotlehile tje?
Comment by semomotela on 13 September 2012:
Ha e shoa ea raha…bo Lineo le bo Pontso ba bitter, and ka attitute eena eo ba leng ho eona ba keke ba hlola ba busa lesotho. Re tsoile Egepeta pusong e khopo ea Mohlomphehi P. Mosisili leba mopotileng.
Comment by wu wantz 2 knw on 13 September 2012:
bo mokotla ntse le nyela ebile lea makatsa athe le lebeletse ba2 ba rate seo le se ratang!
Comment by mapheo on 14 September 2012:
i fink ds gov e tlohele ho tebela DC ppl coz kinda ba revenger,re batla ho tsoela pela esen ho utoisana bohloko..
Comment by Manane on 14 September 2012:
Lets clarify one thing. There are civil cervants and political appointees. Civil servants are protected from political changes but political appointees are appointed on the basis of political agenda of the government of the day.
These are – PSs, DAs, Commissioners, Ambassodors etc. Generally it means everybody who can be lawfylly be employed in government on a position that was not openly advertised
Comment by Qacha on 14 September 2012:
MANANE you are 100 % correct. Political appointees are not civil/public servants at all, DAs for example, presently people in rural areas do not see the difference between the present gov. and the old regime. That is why DC are bold enough to declare that they are still ruling. Wake up Bra Tom and your coalition.
Comment by Silky on 14 September 2012:
THE CAN OF WORMS
In Developed Countries, we are told people who were allowed to stand for elections had to be people of a certain stature in society, i.e. a certain amount of wealth. Decisions congress made were not purely based on “financial impact”, because if need be they could foot that gap! in their personal capacity. Now, here we are, born in a country where politicians are “have nots”, the result is that the only question they know is “how much will it cost?”…… now, we’re stuck with DC Principal Secretaries, Ambassadors, Directors etc cos it would apparently be costly to release them, and this is affecting how as society we view and value the current Govt. PAY THESE PEOPLE AND RELEASE THEM!!! If the Prime Minister’s Office manages to pay rent at around M160,000 per month for about 51 offices at Maseru Sun, for an entity that was closed in December 2011,why cant the political appointees be paid?
This poverty-based type of rationalization compromises governance. Recover all those supposedly embezzled funds if any and pay all political appointees, then bid them farewell!! Otherwise they will be agents of misdemeanours within Govt. Secondly, in decision making, give weight to other aspects other than “money”!!
Comment by Sentebale on 14 September 2012:
@mojota u nya nyo uena, u fopotlehile Ntate Metsing ke Moetapele oa batho ba moratang joaloka ha le uena u ra mocicidi oa mothepu, u buoe litaba u tlohele ho personalizer batho, ashawo tseo tsa lona tse peli tsona u tla bua neng ka tsona khelek u satane u sa tsofaleng!
Comment by sting on 14 September 2012:
helele lone!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by NARE EA POHO on 17 September 2012:
@Mojota & Didduy leke le imamele le nahana lea tseba athe bothoto bo ikakhetse. Tlhompho pele empa hoa makatsa kholu etsoa mokopung, Ntate Metsing ho wena ke srathana? jwale Matumelo le Lineo ke Maroma wa bona le ee lere lea bua athe lea pota, ha baka bala nyoko ee u e ngotseng bao shebe jwang? u tlameha u le mokhuts’oane ka seemo ho latela taba. tlohela ho kenya Kereke nthong tsa lipapali especially ea (ROMA).
Comment by haochaocheche on 17 September 2012:
ke tsibile hore ka ho DC ke bomang ba tlo ngoatha mobu pele. hahahahaaaaa…..!!!,Tsehlana banna diamakatsa ruri…!!.
Comment by Mokoko oa Lihlaba on 17 September 2012:
Kea kholoa bo lineo joale bane ba noele whisky ha ba potela Ntate Metsing ka taba tsena.Ba frutrated ho re ba ke ke ba hlola ba busa Lesotho mona.Hee a re tena matekatse ana a fumane mesebetsi ka lirope.Ha ba ke ba tlohele muso o ba buse.
Comment by rise above hate on 17 September 2012:
ke matekatse a fumaneng mosebetsi ka lirope hao bolela hoba jwale wena hao ka kgona ho kena ho tsona jwale o bohloko. sis nxaaaa!
Comment by Mokoko oa Lihlaba on 18 September 2012:
Uena rise above hate,Ehlile ha ke a phoheloa ha kere ke matekatse ,ebile le uena o tseba mesebetsi ea pontso le lineo.Tloha mona le nyele ,le ne lere e kaba matekatse ting a masholu le tla busa hofihlala ,tlohahang mona le tlohelle Ntate Mestsing ,Le Ntate Tomas ,Ntate Maseribane ba le buse.Hona joale lesotho le hloka liphallelo ka baka la lona.M1.4billion e le jeleng.Satane,le futsanehise naha ena ka bobolu bona ba potoana ,O nahana rele basotho re ka khalla likuena tseo tse jeoang hohle moo.Nxaaaaa lisatane tsa masholu.Li suppliers ha lipataloe mona ka baka la lona hothoe ha hona chelete.Ke utloa o ntenna uena.