… Mutiny erupts from fed-up officers
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is imploding under the weight of what insiders describe as a reign of terror by Principal Secretary (PS) ‘Maphakamile Xingwana, whose alleged erratic, dictatorial leadership style has turned one of Lesotho’s key ministries into a battlefield of fear, dysfunction, and paralysis.
In a scathing formal complaints addressed to Government Secretary (GS) ‘Malisebo ‘Mokela, top officers within the ministry, whose names are known to this publication, have laid out a damning catalogue of grievances against Xingwana, painting a picture of a hostile work environment under siege from her erratic leadership.
According to the complaints, Xingwana’s style of governance has been marked by unilateral decisions, disregard for professional processes, and an alarming intolerance for dissent, all of which have paralysed internal operations and poisoned morale among staff.
One officer said that since assuming office, the PS has never met with the heads of technical departments. They also indicated that stakeholder workshops, central to the ministry’s community engagement and implementation, were either approved at the last minute or outright blocked, causing confusion and panic among organisers.
The complainant further mentioned that when Xingwana is not in the office, no requisitions are signed, even in emergencies, because she allegedly refuses to delegate signing authority to the acting PS.
They said officers were routinely barred from attending fully-sponsored international events, with Xingwana allegedly cancelling approvals at the last minute without justification, denying the ministry valuable exposure, training, and partnerships.
Further, the PS has reportedly tried multiple times to force project managers to misallocate donor funds, including an attempt to sponsor a Member of Parliament (MP) to attend a United Nations (UN) Climate Conference, an activity not included in the official project document. Officers resisted, fearing donor backlash.
In a stunning act of overreach, Xingwana has allegedly confiscated the project vehicle, keeping the key locked in her office, after project staff refused to release it for her personal trip to Johannesburg to collect a visa, despite being informed that project fuel funds had been exhausted.
Astonishingly, the vehicle had already been used once for the same unapproved trip, and she had been explicitly notified that there were neither funds nor approval for a second journey.
The vehicle, allocated by the Government of Lesotho as part of its co-financing obligation, has since been withheld from project use, crippling operations and raising serious concerns about personal misuse of public resources.
Newsday made multiple attempts since last week to obtain a response from PS Xingwana regarding the serious allegations against her, but to no avail. Each time she was contacted, she gave evasive excuses, claiming she was about to enter a meeting of unknown duration.
On Tuesday, she cited attendance at a Cabinet meeting. Then yesterday, she claimed to be at a meeting “attended by journalists” and went so far as to chastise Newsday’s reporter, saying: “Your problem is that you don’t attend meetings but want to call me.”
When Newsday contacted ‘Mokela yesterday for comment, she confirmed that she was aware of the issues raised but sought to downplay their severity, saying they were not “complaints” but “grievances.”
“Yes, there are grievances, and a due process is being followed to address them. As a result, I am unable to comment further,” she said.
Another senior officer complained about the treatment they received under the PS, saying it was beyond unfair. The officer detailed several shocking incidents that point to blatant discrimination and abuse of authority.
“Despite applying for a government house long before one of the Directors, the PS deliberately bypassed me and allocated the house to that Director instead. She knew I had applied first, but chose to overlook me, clearly out of personal bias,” they said.
Another officer accused the PS of exploitation and retaliation against staff who demand fair treatment.
“The Ministry’s HR team was not compensated for their work in recruiting staff for the ROLL Project, a practice that had been honoured by previous Principal Secretaries,” the officer said. “When we raised the issue and lodged a formal complaint, instead of addressing it, she issued a transfer letter as punishment.”
The officer described Xingwana in damning terms, calling her “authoritarian, exploitative, controlling, manipulative, and selfish, the kind of leader who crushes initiative and punishes professionalism.”
This, staffers say, has become a pattern: raise concerns, and you are pushed out. Demand accountability, and you are met with intimidation. The result is a ministry where fear reigns and integrity is penalised.
Newsday has learned from a credible source within the Office of the Prime Minister that Minister of Environment and Forestry, Letsema Adontši, formally requested the removal of Xingwana over a year ago, but was allegedly ignored.
The minister’s letter, dated July 2024 and addressed to both Prime Minister Sam Matekane, lays bare the dysfunction he himself faced in trying to run the ministry under Xingwana’s grip.
“I humbly requested your office to change the PS I am working with now, Mrs. ‘Maphakamile Xingwana. There are plenty of reasons to which I have come to this decision,” Adontši wrote.
He went on to describe a toxic and obstructive working relationship, stating that Xingwana denied department directors access to his office without her permission, effectively cutting him off from vital information and operations.
“This leads to me not getting any feedback or necessary information on anything that is being done in the Ministry,” the minister lamented. “Though I may not put a nail to it, the majority of staff complain about her making it hard for them to fulfil their tasks to their maximum capabilities, because she delays or at times does not authorise documents.”
Adontši further recounted a specific incident from July 2024, when he had an official assignment in Mokhotlong. Despite it being an official ministerial duty, PS Xingwana refused to approve the requested number of days for travel and accommodation, saying she would only fund one day, a move he said was neither isolated nor justified.
“I have been given two vehicles (a Prado and a Hilux 4×4), but neither is in good condition,” Adontši wrote.
“This has come to a point where the bodyguards and chauffeurs do not feel comfortable using them because they have been told that they will be held accountable for anything that will happen because of travelling in such cars.”
Instead of resolving the matter, the Minister says he was offered a battered Toyota Corolla, already in use by junior staff and unfit for executive work.
“This does not sit well with me especially because she has four vehicles in good conditions, a Prado, Lexus, Fortuner, and Hilux 4×4.”
But the dysfunction goes far beyond vehicles. Adontši explained that citizens had come to his office in distress, reporting they had not been paid, had been unfairly dismissed, or denied what was rightfully owed to them. Each time he asked Xingwana to address the complaints, she refused, allowing frustration to mount and the ministry’s public image to deteriorate.
“I also fear it will taint the government as well,” the Minister warned. “People have made threats to go public with their complaints and this will not look good for the government.”
A year later, everything Adontši feared has materialised, the internal implosion is now a scandal.
In a final plea to Prime Minister Matekane, Adontši did not mince words:
“I have realised a lot of negativities from her when we must assist the community. She is totally against everything on behalf of the community. Honourable Prime Minister, I plead with you to treat this as a matter of urgency. All these that I have stated make me look incompetent, yet she is the barrier to me fulfilling, to my maximum capability, what you entrusted in me.”
‘Mokela yesterday insisted that Minister Adontši’s letter had not been ignored, but explained that matters of this nature “take time.” She said the civil service was dealing with numerous issues and that each required due process to reach a logical conclusion.
In another appeal, this time to ‘Mokela, Adontši lamented that his ability to lead had been systematically undermined by PS Xingwana’s iron grip on communication and access.
“While my office remains open to all staff members, the PS does not allow anyone to come to my office,” Adontši wrote. “This restriction makes it difficult for me to obtain first-hand information about the workings of staff members, thus impacting my ability to effectively monitor policy implementation.”
He revealed that numerous staff members had complained to him about Xingwana’s toxic leadership style, saying it was demoralising and disruptive.
“The PS is unwilling to share necessary information with my office, including inventory lists that I have requested on numerous occasions,” he continued. “The inventory of the Ministry’s vehicles is particularly important. I am currently using vehicles that are not roadworthy, putting the lives of my drivers, bodyguards, and myself at risk.”
Citing the urgency and severity of the situation, the Minister pleaded with the GS to intervene and restore order.
“I believe that a constructive dialogue facilitated by your esteemed office can help address these challenges effectively,” he wrote. “Please treat this matter as urgent and suggest necessary interventions to restore a functional and cooperative working relationship within the ministry.”
Authored by our expert team of writers and editors, with thorough research.
