The long-drawn diplomatic spat between Lesotho’s envoys in the British Embassy could be drawing to end as the brawling parties are about to be pulled asunder. This after one of them received her marching orders from their boxing ring as the London mission had come to be for the duo intent on verbal sparring at any given chance.
The High Commissioner of Lesotho to London, Rethabile ‘Mahlompho Mokaeane has been fired from her diplomatic post effective from next month, Newsday has learnt.
This is due to the letter inked on Wednesday this week by the new Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Thabo Motoko.
The letter addressed to the diplomat headlined “Recall from High Commission London to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Lesotho†comes after lengthy squabbles that erupted at the London embassy between Mokaeane and her Third Secretary, Phomolo ‘Mantolo Motloheloa over mismanagement of the Embassy operational funds.
The brawling by the two has been going on since they met at the mission and one can tell from their exchanges that their spat is about not what they profess whenever they get a chance to make representations to a third party.
Their inane altercations have stretched from rumours of gossip to fixing each other at the expense of country and delivery of service to its people.
Theirs is epitome of the level we as a country have plummeted to in terms of standards and how we portray self especially in the eyes of the world. We have become a country not in the least moved about how we are perceived by the world hence it has become fashionable these days to overlook diplomatic acumen in favour of political cronyism in selecting persons we adorn the esteemed title of diplomat or envoy.
Our diplomats are anything but diplomatic, how pathetic!
Not long ago was the country on its knees as South Africa cleaned its house and churned out a number of rogue, alcoholised political fanatics posing as this country’s diplomats thither. This after they became tired of pretending to be diplomats but soon exuded their sheebin-queen tendencies.
We believe it is time that government went back to the drawing room to review how it does what it does on diplomatic avenues. There used to be a time wherein no one would be allowed to go anywhere to represent this great nation under the guise of being diplomat unless they were schooled in diplomacy. Back then we knew that not anyone could work in the country missions abroad. We knew it was a revered assignment only a few patriotic self-restraining beings could be entrusted with. These are the people whom, even after their return at end of their mission assignment could be counted on to never shame country or community.
Let us go back to sending diplomats on mission assignments not rewarding political zealots whose only skill is dancing to political music and spewing expletives with such honourable work because it can and will never work.