The trail Thabane has to follow
MASERU — Prime Minister Tom Thabane has said his government will deal with corruption.
From this week the Lesotho Times will be revisiting some of the suspicious deals that happened under the previous government.
This is meant to remind the new government of the some of the suspicious deals it must probe.
MASERU — If there is anything that will test Prime Minister Tom Thabane’s resolve to fight corruption it is the way he will deal with the multi-million maloti electronic passports (e-passports) and identity document (ID) contract controversially awarded last year.
The way the e-passport and ID tender was handled by the previous government was an example of how corruption had reached rampant levels in Lesotho.
It was a clear example of how some senior government officials can short-circuit procurement systems.
National interests were jettisoned as some people tinkered with the process to manipulate the tender process for personal gains.
In the end, it is Lesotho that lost out on the money it was supposed to get from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Lesotho for the ID project. But it is not too late to put things right.
The ID and e-passport tender can still be revisited with a view to right the wrongs.
In short, the contract must be cancelled and new tenders must be invited.
And this time the process must be transparent.
When a winner is announced no one should be left in doubt that the process was above board. What happened during the previous tender must never be allowed to happen again.
Thabane’s government must make sure of that.
It is not hard to see that some chicanery happened during the tender process.
What is already known is that Lesotho would lose more than M50 million that the MCA Lesotho would have contributed if it had proceeded with its involvement in the ID cards deal.
In their zeal to determine who finally got the lucrative contract worth more than M120 million and, presumably for their own personal benefit, Lesotho government bureaucrats fought hard to remove the ID part of the deal from the MCA so that all the projects would be handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Originally, the ID tender was being handled by the MCA while the Ministry of Home Affairs handled the electronic passports project.
While the MCA embarked on a public open tender process to select a bidder to produce the ID cards and at least 10 reputable international companies responded to the MCA call, the Ministry of Home Affairs performed a surreptitious selective tendering process involving only a few companies.
The ministry’s principal secretary, Retsesitsoe Khetsi, was adamant that a selective tender was the way to go.
Khetsi said a selective tender process is legal and that he was authorised to do it if circumstances required.
He also said his ministry had decided to engage only those companies that had approached it and showcased their skills in producing the e-passports.
He also cited the urgent need for e- passports for Lesotho as the main reason for bypassing requisite tender procedures.
However, his argument about urgency has since been defeated by the mere fact that a year later, not a single electronic passport has been produced in Lesotho.
The government’s procurement regulations call for public tenders for any goods or services valued at more than M35 000.
Selective tendering can be done in very limited cases, mostly in those instances in which there is only one supplier for a product or in cases of extreme emergencies.
However, the production of e-passports and related services is a service offered by hundreds of reputable international companies and the fact that it took such a long time to be awarded since the ministry began its secretive process disapprove any claim of urgency.
Authoritative sources maintain that there can never be any justification for proceeding with the e-passports and ID project without an open tender.
While the ministry had conducted its e-passports project’s bidding process in secret, the MCA’s project for the ID cards had originally been done through an open tender.
The MCA tender processes attracted at least 10 reputable international conglomerates.
However, the MCA’s whole process was mired in its own controversy and its tender was rescinded twice amid allegations of impropriety as bidders slugged it out to win the work.
At one stage, the MCA bid seemed set to be awarded to Iris of Malaysia but this was not done after another international conglomerate, Gemalto, filed an appeal alleging impropriety after it emerged that Iris had hosted Mosisili in Malaysia.
Still, all the controversy surrounding the MCA process was seen as attesting to the goodness of an open public tender process as bidders’ actions are properly scrutinised before a final award.
The MCA subsequently announced that it would no longer proceed with the ID project as part of its US$362 million funding programme for Lesotho.
That announcement came as surprise as it meant that the Lesotho government had decided to forgo the MCA’s contribution to the project.
Soon after the MCA’s withdrawal it emerged that the government had awarded the deal for both the IDs and Passports to Nikuv.
The Israeli company proceeded to host a party at a local hotel early this year to celebrate its lucrative under-cover success.
Although experts who have followed the matter closely say that it was only logical for both the e-passports and ID production to be handled by one company, they insist that this is one of those deals in which an open, public tender process was indispensable.
Thabane has the perfect opportunity to prove he will do things differently and serve the Basotho well by immediately undoing all the scams of the previous regime.
Comment by linyebe on 14 June 2012:
u sound u wantd dat bit,y dose 2 only u guys r gvn us da news unda da value of M5.one sided story.thy should as wel gt to NUL ask why students n drunk lutaru go on strike hangata?their plan lead by dj waters ws to tarnish Dr
Comment by jaguar on 14 June 2012:
u dnt deliver, u go dats democracy ryt!we hv expetations then lets wait n c
Comment by limo lomong sa makoanyane on 14 June 2012:
Definitely this must be stopped right now before further money flows, as it stands now around USD 3million has already been paid as advanced payment to Nikuv/Israel, but Ntate Prime Minister we are watching if that American elect Minister will be confirmed back to his post after scrapping the MCA USD 9million free money only to place USD 29million burden on basotho hard-earned money on open cheque awarded tender (which could have probably cost less if it was open tender) and directly benefit by having those Isralites renting his house (for residential and office)at Golf Course estates where they pay M48,000 rent per month and his daughter renting his own home at corner Tona-Kholo & Caledon Road where the daughter’s employer pays M24,000 to this him – Ntate Tom ka kopo hle ntate pholosa Lesotho le Basotho
Comment by Masingoaneng on 14 June 2012:
Hee li ngata ntho tsena tse etsahetseng, le reng ka litender tsa litsela tsa Maseru won by one company and supervised by one company eaba motho ea okametseng the processes o aha ntlo ea double story mane Thetsane West almost overnyt, a reka koloi tse peli tse turang ka ponyo-ea-leihlo……helele lona….se tseleng scorpion Ntate has already met with Mshini-wam
Comment by Oa Bochabela on 14 June 2012:
haeka staff reporter u ipuela ka thentara ea li ID feela tje? matsebe-tsebe aa a tsamaileng a hafatsakoa bo maburung koa teng u reng ka ona? chelete tsa block farming tsona? meaho e bo thahane ba ithekiselitseng eona hara toropo ea maseru moo eona u reng ka eona? bobolu bo bo thahane esaleng a bo etsa ba ho batla tjotjo ho li investara ha li batla ho tsetela kahara naha ka mo bona u ha u re letho ka bona? lipolao tse tse sehloho tseo nyeoe tsa tsona li sa tsoeleng pele tsona? bobolu ba manpower ba ho fanana li kick-back ha bana ba skolo ba rsa ba lulisoa matlong a benghali ba itseng hona afrika boroa moo bona? chelete tse isitseng batho likolong bo malaysia koa feela lihlapiso tse joalo li sa ajoa ho latela li “merit” tsa baithuti bao ba bang ba bona ba neng ba sa pasa le ho pasa? hela ntho tsena li ngata, ruri hoa makatsa hobona u ipuela ka e le ‘ngoe; thentara e fuoeng netcare ea rsa ea spetlele se sa ts’epong (seo ho utloahalang hore ekannaeaba se fetotsoe an “organ harvesting faciliti” ke netcare) eona u reng ka eona? moleleki ena le litaemane re mo tlohele? khele! ska nferola libete!
Comment by Lenwabo on 14 June 2012:
To achieve the fight against corruption I would suggest a complete overhaul of anti-corruption unit and a lot of political will on our new gvt to fight corruption coupled with a lot of training to Basotho people on the relevant skills to tackle corruption. The past gvt procured forensic investigative firms to investigate some of the corruption in the PM’s office and the Old Age Pensions looting schemes instead of training Basotho on such skills.
Comment by Lekaota on 14 June 2012:
@Lenwabo Yes ke lumellana le oena Basotho must be trained but hona joale hose hole hobe re lokela ho potlaka.
Comment by Setho se khabane on 14 June 2012:
Lea bona MCA nyana tse tsa lona…Basotho makhooa wl nt jst wake up&gv u millions,hona le hoo ba ho batlang!There are many orphans,jobless&poor people in Giant countries,there are terms&conditions regulating all d tenders/funds!I doubt evn d peace corps ba pharameng Lesotho mona!
Comment by halakashaa on 15 June 2012:
He has already nominated dubious characters for Cabinet candidates. Especially from his party. I doubt he will control corruption considering gambling habits of some of his recommended candidates. He has taken the first downfall step.
Comment by halakashaa on 15 June 2012:
Probably he is eyeing to open a Radio Station like Tona Kholo ea Ditutla.
Comment by Lefefooane on 15 June 2012:
That ID tender must be cacelled. Imagine we sponsor an ID tender with our tax money when MCA was willing to do it. We simply wanted to benefit. Khetsi must be investigated.
Comment by Selomo on 17 June 2012:
I have a proposition, that the Prime Minister of this Kingdom commissions a forensic audit or full commission of inquiry about all the alleged economic misdeeds under the LCD government from 1998. The TOR should include, alleged fraud in the award of public tenders, corruption in allocating senior public positions, unexplained accrual of asserts by those occupying public office, tax evasion, unauthorised use of public funds, and all the LEQE that has been alleged for the past decade and half. This will, once and for all provide conclusive proof of the incessant allegations against individuals in the past government. We may all be unpleasantly surprised by who would end up indicted. It will be a fabulous opportunity for vindication of good names that have been dragged in the mud for too long, not a witch hunt. Those have done wrong will be dragged to court and answer charges, and the rest of us can get on with the real business of developing this country, so help us God.
Comment by limo lomong sa makoanyane on 18 June 2012:
Joale letona lena la ma-amerika le ile metsing a lihlaba, u lo kopana le monna eane a seng a nyoloha ka banneng eo Ntate Tom a neng a re ke tlontlollo hore u khutletse mosebetsing (u tlo etsang ka ona molele oo Nt Tom hona joale? this should be your second anti-corruption trail) Hobane ha molele a kopana le letona lena la ma-amerika, joale ba sebetsana le li-tender tsa metsi a lihlaba tsa Phase II – Polihali, tsa M14billion, li ID tsa M241 million ke li-peanuts, le matlo le li-ofisi tse tlo hiroa ke balichaba ba tlo tsolohela Lesotho? Jonnnnnnaaaaaoooooeeeee!!!! ke ea meketsa beso motho enoa ha a sale a emetse batho bana ba mo khethileng lebatooeng a tsebe ho itsoelapele ka temo ea literekere tse putsoa tseo re ntseng re ipotsa hore motho o teng a ka tsoahang a na le literekere tse 12 ha bosiu bo esa? – Joale mashoto enoa oa letoala le eena u na ikeme Maseru mona a buella MKM eaba le-amerika le ntse le reka likhetho ka literekere – hee Libe monna oa ka tla re khoka NXXXXAAAAAA
Comment by Sdm Matjelo on 19 June 2012:
Lesotho needs WISE Ministers not educated ones.
Lesotho Needs Enterpreneurs not knowledgeable citizens . When egypt was in economic crisis ,Joseph as the man of Wisdom rose up to an accassion and poverty was defeated.Lets Hope that Tom Thabane will be Joseph of our Days.
Good people are good because they have come to wisdom through failure.
Some of the coalition ministers are people who have failed to do better previously ,and let us not judge them by their past performance as they can bounce back to success .
These days people seek knowledge, not wisdom. Knowledge is of the past, wisdom is of the future,Tom Thabane and his cabinet must ask God for Divine Wisdom,educated people have severally failed to take lesotho to the land flowing with milk and honey for many decades ,I must say we are sick and tired of the people who know too much and fail to apply their knowledge effectively and efficiently .we can not wait for more excuses as we are dying of hunger and poverty while we have biggest diamonds in the world,europeans are just coming here and take our resources and Go back to their countries with our God given natural resources ,and we unwisely ask God to deliver lesotho from poverty ,Which poverty ? poverty is in our mind .
Wisdom is the analysis of hard problems, putting answers and solutions together in order to come up with acceptable results.
Wisdom can be the answer to all lesotho`s problems . God did not give us the gift of complaining and murmuring and blaming those who are in power , but he gave us the gift of wisdom.
When the people complain about jobs that are scarce, the wise wake up and go to the fields and do what is required , while fools plan to steal, hijack and kill.Masimo a setse a sa lengoa ,banna ba tletse liphepheseleng le lipotong ba noa ma joala ,the government is me and you ,do put your trust on the ministers and PM ,Tsooa o iketsetse .
The wise sit down and think of solutions to pull themselves out of poverty.
Therefore, embrace wisdom, for when you employ it, you shall win all battles in life. Men and women of wisdom are solution providers. Let us engage our minds to wisdom ,so we can solve the crisis that lesotho is facing .
Wisdom teaches us to accept that life is full of challenges, that we cannot stop rain from raining , but we can work, even in the rainy conditions. If we are determined in life ,we can still make it regardless of corruption in our land ,are we waiting for all ministers and goverment official to be clean so that we can make this country glorious ?
The wise shall inherit Glory and shame will be the promotion of Fools.
Comment by limo lomong sa makoanyane on 19 June 2012:
Matjelo monna u bua taba tsa bohlokoa e hlile re nepa ha re ithuta ka liphoso tse fetileng feela liphoso tse fetileng/failures ha li sa tla tsoana le bosholu le khale, bosholu ha se phoso tse fetileng, empa le ha ho le joalo o beile oeso Ramaseli a tataise lekhoakhoa leo, a mo fe le sebete sa ho thula banna ba mo potileng ka tsa bona tsa khale, ba se tlohe ba etsa botona protection.hobane bana ba afrika boroa bona “boy” e ngoe e ke ke ea u besa oa tuka ka bobolu metsing a lihlaba moo, etsoe le hona tjena ha ho ka hlaha ntho e substantial e supang namane e ngoe, joalo ka ha e tlo hlaha haufinyane, ha habo motho e tla ba hahabo lithoteng tse ka nqane ho malihotetso