Government workers must demand voice
As a citizen of Lesotho — a proud one for that matter — I am really challenged by what is happening in our neighbouring countries.
I will ask all Basotho: how many of us have ever said to ourselves, “I voted for this government. I want my voice to be heard. It is my right.”?
Lesotho’s public service is like a prison where freedom is taken from people.
I say this because I am challenged by the public servants in South Africa. They are united. They are forceful. They are one. They strive for one goal.
I like the fact that South Africans know that they are the ones who elected the government. They know that the government has to listen to their grievances, no matter what. These are the people who know that the government is theirs. Their strike! What a challenging demonstration! When they say we want “x” they don’t mean anything close to that, they mean “x”. Basotho public officers are not like that.
They are ruled by fear. They are not firm on their demands. The salary of many public officers is a disgrace. But they can’t stand to make their voices heard. They forget that this government belongs to them.
Why can’t we Basotho government workers put our demands forward and follow up on that? The fear of losing one’s job? Why can’t we stand up to show that we belong to this country and have the rightful claim to a share of this country’s wealth?
Why can’t public officers come together to show the super-powers of this country that they deserve better than what they are getting?
I challenge the public servants to remember that they are the owners of the government.
Let’s come out of the closet and stand for our rights. Let’s demand what we deserve. We have families to feed. We have children to take to school.
Let the entire nation fight for a better life for all, not just the influential people in government.
Supadad Mokone
Comment by Sebatalali on 26 August 2010:
Supadad,
What is the ulterior motive of this article? Is it to incite the people who deliver ESSENTIAL services to rebel? Are you not aware of the misery facing those South Africans who are afflicted with serious maladies like HIV and AIDS? Are you not aware that South Africa’s vibrant economy is being grippled to its knees due to the perennial strikes? Do you want our public servants to stoop that low? Ironically, you are prodding the public servants to rise up and fight but you yourself are not bold enough to own up to your real name by hiding behind “Supadad”!
Comment by Brain on 26 August 2010:
In one way or another, our country is quite stable in terms of strikes or protests, hence we are still suffering from fear.
Yes we do understand the essence of this article, we cannot do what our neighbours are doing becuase they are at this stage regretting.
Its painfull to see an HIV patients struggling, emergency services being stopped. The goverment of SA is willing and has tabled the offer to Public servants.
Lesotho doesnt have such strong unions like SA. The government cant even maintain our only referral hospital, Queen II, imagine nurses and doctors on strike, will be a dissaster if not hurricane!
Comment by Eagle on 26 August 2010:
Thanks Superdad!!!
You are the epitome of freedom of press. You know exactly who you are. One aim of media is to liberate the oppressed. I am with those think you are inciting a turmoil of any kind in this article. It is better to cope well with HIV/AiDS and other seriuos maladies unmentioned here but are easy to revoke to mind. My brother, FEAR is the main enemy of humanity. Utloa bo mofokeng le bo-sebatalali ba ntse ba t’sohile hle.
Liberate your self hle banna tlohellang ho oka seso ka makhapha tjena. Poor service delivery is not brought about strikes if your experience is rich enough. It is brought by being boxed down behind the bars of fear. Le uena superdad, tell this morons that the great Thomas Jefferson once concurred that “Mass of humanity has the right to correct their just grievances by whatever means at their disposal if those who are in authority turn their deaf ears to theirs needs”. No one is ever born with saddles on their backs and a few, booted and spurred, ready to ride them.
Wake up Call!!
In the black dungeon of fear, absent-mindedness of Sebatalali, and those who support them, rotting is what you will experience.
Comment by Eagle F on 26 August 2010:
Thanks Superdad!!!
You are the epitome of freedom of press. You know exactly who you are. One aim of media is to liberate the oppressed. I am with those think you are inciting a turmoil of any kind in this article. It is better to cope well with HIV/AiDS and other seriuos maladies unmentioned here but are easy to revoke to mind. My brother, FEAR is the main enemy of humanity. Utloa bo mofokeng le bo-sebatalali ba ntse ba t’sohile hle.
Liberate your self hle banna tlohellang ho oka seso ka makhapha tjena. Poor service delivery is not brought about strikes if your experience is rich enough. It is brought by being boxed down behind the bars of fear. Le uena superdad, tell this morons that the great Thomas Jefferson once concurred that “Mass of humanity has the right to correct their just grievances by whatever means at their disposal if those who are in authority turn their deaf ears to theirs needs”. No one is ever born with saddles on their backs and a few, booted and spurred, ready to ride them.
Wake up Call!!
In the black dungeon of fear, absent-mindedness of Sebatalali, and those who support them, rotting is what you will experience.
Comment by Sebatalali on 26 August 2010:
Eagle,
Couldn’t you do better rather than bore us stiff by repeating this trash!!
Comment by Eagle F on 27 August 2010:
OK I will
Comment by Mojela on 30 August 2010:
Sebatali why can’t u say something objective other than attacking people everyday when they are expressing thier opinions? fela ha e le hantle uena o batla e eng? e le hore ntho e ‘ngoe le ‘ngoe ha fela e sa tsoe ho uena e fosahetse? khilik he banna motho eo!!!
Comment by Mojela on 30 August 2010:
Brain u r quite right we cannot strike Lesotho mona coz there are no unions, and no freedom of expression but for how long are we going to leave this kind of life without saying our views? strike sona e hlile ha se ha ngata se lokisang lintho, empa at times e ba sona the only option, hopolang hape hore Lesotho mona ha o nka kano if thats the right term ho thoe o tsebe mohlanka oa sechaba ha hlokoe ho bona a etsa strike, what do u call that?
Comment by Masepa on 30 August 2010:
It is not by copying what a neighbours are that naha ena e ka loka. It is through a own efforts and courage feela. @ Superdad: The reflections of the scenario across the border are true but that alone does not have anything to do with our problems here. Mona re busa ke banna le basali ba pelo li mpe hoo le ho khohlela feela u ka tsoang mokola. We (Basotho) stil have a long way to and if we do not unite then we are doomed!!!!
Comment by trew on 1 September 2010:
we are not yet a democratic country where we can freely voice our concerns to our leaders- we live in an environment of fear,suppression and oppression- freedom of expression does not exist in our country- evrything is being dictated to us by our govt- behaving like de South Africans would lead to many of us loosing our jobs and living in desperation- so we would rather keep quiet than suffer de consequences of toyi-toying…
Comment by tjootjoana on 5 May 2011:
Hela ha feela re ntse re qekisa mosebetsi ka ho nyeka baokameli ha ho moo re eang. Ke utloile hothoe mokhatlo oa basebetsi ba ‘muso o teng o bitsoang LEBSA. Pele ke utoa maputulo a oona ho hlaha hore baokameli ba tsekile chelete. Re hloka baetapele ba tsebang seo re se hlokang eseng ba masene a ho ja pele ba sebetsa. Basebetsi ba ‘muso ke sono hobane ha baa rutoa litokelo tsa mosebetsi ba rutiloe ho mamela mookameli. Leha ba tso’soa ka noha e shoeleng baa baleha. Hona tjena masole ke ano a shebelletse Sechele a e loana a le mong empa ele molemong oa bona kaofela. sekole!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by stebe on 5 July 2012:
Ache kea utloa, empa ho ts’oants’oa le motho eo e reng ha a batla sekolo ebe o chesa se sentseng se le teng. a reng a haheloe ntloana e re ha e hae sa sireletsoa o ooa e pshatla o re o batla e sirelelitsoeng. Maybe ho na le mekhoa ea ho tseka litokelo, re le basotho ha re e sebelise ho lekana, empa he nna ke re re lapa re e na le seriti. Ma RSA khele!batho bao banna! ache! he le rona re etsa lintho ka mekhoa ea rona eseng ea batho bana.
Comment by 'Mathabo on 23 August 2012:
Thanks Superdad.
You know what? It breaks my heart to hear how thoroughly indocrinated our civil servants have been over the years. Over-politicization of the service is the source of all this.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that some of the comments above are so depressing; but they reflect the status civil servants have been reduced to: ZOMBIES!
But there is hope for change. It’s a new government, the possibility of bringing in the structures that did not exist before is high, so things will happen. It will be a process though, remember the present circumstances are a result of almost four decades!