Staff at Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) have threatened to disrupt routine health services if management fails to account for and repay missing pension contributions by the end of August.
Newsday has seen a draft petition dated July 22, 2026, in which employees accused hospital management of deducting provident fund contributions from their salaries but failing to remit the money to the fund administrator, LNIG Hollard.
The workers were preparing to deliver the petition to the hospital’s Medical Director before management convened an urgent staff meeting on Thursday afternoon to address the growing concerns.
Employees who attended the meeting told Newsday that representatives of LNIG Hollard assured staff that their pension savings remained secure, although it was acknowledged that the hospital had failed to remit contributions for two months.
“LNIG Hollard will come to the hospital again next week for one-on-one interviews,” workers who attended the meeting said.
The pension controversy follows revelations made during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing on July 22, where hospital officials appeared before MPs. Staff claim that Finance Manager Tšele Sehlabo admitted that pension contributions had been used to pay hospital suppliers instead of being transferred to employees’ retirement accounts.
Under their employment contracts, workers contribute between five and 10 percent of their salaries to the provident fund, while the hospital is required to make a matching contribution of five percent.
In the petition, employees described the alleged use of pension deductions for other purposes as a serious violation of trust.
“This represents a serious breach of trust,” the workers wrote. “Using our hard-earned retirement savings to cover hospital debts jeopardises our future financial security.”
The staff have set out a series of demands and deadlines for management.
They want a full written explanation regarding the missing contributions to be provided to all affected employees by August 1, 2026. They are also demanding that all outstanding pension contributions, together with any lost interest or investment returns, be paid into their accounts by August 31, 2026.
Some employees have further requested the option of having their accumulated pension funds paid directly into their personal bank accounts, saying they no longer have confidence in the current arrangement.
The workers are also seeking written guarantees that future pension contributions will be remitted on time.
Should management fail to meet these demands, staff warned they would take industrial action.
According to the petition, emergency and life-saving services would continue, but routine healthcare services would be suspended. The workers further warned that QMMH could stop accepting patient referrals from other health facilities across the country until the matter is resolved.
“We have remained committed to providing quality healthcare services to the people of Lesotho, often under challenging circumstances,” the petition states. “We urge hospital leadership and the Ministry of Health to resolve this matter urgently.”
QMMH management, through Deputy Managing Director for Human Capital Thenjiwe Dlangamandla, convened a staff meeting on Thursday afternoon.
In a notice circulated to employees, supervisors were instructed to ensure that no workstation was left unattended during the meeting, which began at 2:30pm and extended beyond 5:00pm.
Summary
- Newsday has seen a draft petition dated July 22, 2026, in which employees accused hospital management of deducting provident fund contributions from their salaries but failing to remit the money to the fund administrator, LNIG Hollard.
- The workers were preparing to deliver the petition to the hospital’s Medical Director before management convened an urgent staff meeting on Thursday afternoon to address the growing concerns.
- Under their employment contracts, workers contribute between five and 10 percent of their salaries to the provident fund, while the hospital is required to make a matching contribution of five percent.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
