The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, has dismissed claims that she was responsible for the removal of the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health.
“I am currently in a meeting and unable to speak at length, but all these things that are being mentioned are not true,” Matlanyane said.The Office of the Government Spokesperson announced the termination of ’Maneo Moliehi Ntene’s employment contract as Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Health.
In a public notice issued on Thursday, the government stated that Deputy Principal Secretary ‘Matšoanelo Monyobi will serve as Acting Principal Secretary until a substantive appointment is made. The statement thanked Ntene for her service but provided no reasons for her dismissal.
Despite the official notice’s neutral tone, internal sources within the Ministry of Health allege that Ntene’s departure resulted from a fallout with the Minister of Finance.
Sources claim the tension arose from disputes over procurement decisions.
One allegation centres on a tender for the construction of a new cancer hospital, where a company reportedly linked to the Minister of Finance failed to secure the contract after being disqualified for lacking technical capacity, a decision sources say Ntene supported.
Another point of contention involved pressure on the Ministry of Health to proceed with the construction of clinics at Qalabane in Mafeteng District and Qabane in Mohale’s Hoek District, even though the projects initially lacked a clear budget allocation. Ntene is said to have resisted on grounds of fiscal responsibility.
In an interview with Uncensored News, Ntene confirmed she had been questioned about progress on the Qabane and Qalabane clinics.
“On the 26th, I received a call from the PS (Finance) asking me how far I was with the Qabane and Qalabane clinics,” she said.
When asked why she connected the matter to her dismissal, Ntene said she suspects it is because the clinics are located in Mafeteng, specifically in Qalabane, which falls within the constituency of the Minister of Finance.
“We were given the budgets for those clinics in the 2025/2026 financial year without a proper plan. We delayed starting them because studies still had to be conducted to determine feasibility. We were unable to proceed at the time. It was only this year that we managed to start the procurement process,” she explained.
Ntene said she was attending a family meeting when this publication contacted her for comment.
In June 2025, the Ministry of Health invited qualified consulting firms or consortia to submit technical and financial proposals for feasibility studies on four rural health facilities: the construction of a new health centre at Senqunyane in Berea District, a new health centre at Ketane in Mohale’s Hoek District, the upgrading of an existing health post to a health centre at Qabane in Mohale’s Hoek District, and the upgrading of an existing health post to a filter clinic at Qalabane in Mafeteng District.
The ministry stated that the feasibility studies were intended to inform infrastructure investments supporting Lesotho’s national health development goals, improve access to primary health care, and contribute to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
When presenting the mid-term budget statement to Parliament for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, Dr Matlanyane said health sector investments were progressing well.
“Government is advancing the construction of Qalabane Filter Clinic and Qabane Health Centre. The tender process is complete, and site handover is expected in December 2025, marking the start of physical implementation,” she said.
Insiders further suggest that the Minister’s alleged inability to influence tender processes at the Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) contributed to Ntene being viewed as an obstacle.
Summary
- One allegation centres on a tender for the construction of a new cancer hospital, where a company reportedly linked to the Minister of Finance failed to secure the contract after being disqualified for lacking technical capacity, a decision sources say Ntene supported.
- Another point of contention involved pressure on the Ministry of Health to proceed with the construction of clinics at Qalabane in Mafeteng District and Qabane in Mohale’s Hoek District, even though the projects initially lacked a clear budget allocation.
- the construction of a new health centre at Senqunyane in Berea District, a new health centre at Ketane in Mohale’s Hoek District, the upgrading of an existing health post to a health centre at Qabane in Mohale’s Hoek District, and the upgrading of an existing health post to a filter clinic at Qalabane in Mafeteng District.
Ntsoaki Motaung is an award-winning health journalist from Lesotho, specializing in community health stories with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as HIV. She has contributed to platforms like “Be in the KNOW,” highlighting issues such as the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV prevention efforts in Lesotho.
In addition to her journalism, Ntsoaki serves as the Country Coordinator for the Regional Media Action Plan Support Network (REMAPSEN). She is also a 2023 CPHIA Journalism Fellow.
