While it might look and seem a little too incredible that the Minister responsible for the very upkeep and wellbeing of the civil service Keketso Sello, scorned at the nation’s main workforce when they sought answers about their increment, it is actually true.
As much as you think that the do was a show of blatant and unfathomable double standards, it is actually true that Minister Sello told the National Assembly that there shall be no increment to government workers’ wages, he actually did it.
Sello told the National Assembly that the crippled national economy does not permit any salary increment until the next three years after the government has completed negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to aid with reparation of structures and economic challenges.
“It is worth noting that much of Government salaries are largely funded from the SACU revenue and the current status is that the collection is low below the actual personal emoluments on a quarterly basis and this poses a threat to national reserves,†he said when addressing the National Assembly.
“In the advent of declining SACU revenue, Lesotho realised a further relatively small revenue base between 2019 and 2021 forced by the effects of the pandemic and very large deficits which are not sustainable. The discussions are going on between the Government of Lesotho and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help redress the structural and fundamental economic challenges that the country faces as well as restoring the microeconomic stability. The program will run for three years after which salary review will then commence, this will be subject to the outcome of the structural adjustment program,†he said.
It is however, under the same economic climate that the very Members of Parliament had their pays adjusted by a whopping M 5000, an amount which is just a fraction of their already hefty paychecks, which is however, very cumbersome to even imagine by most of the country’s working class.
Worth noting is also the fact that the current time within which they are being denied a raise, is the time when the drivers of the economy and traders in basic provisions-water, electricity, fuel and food will hike their prices all the other factors not-considered.
As a matter of fact, public transport operators are moving for a 100% price hike citing a number of factors affecting their business.
As if that is not contrast enough, Macky Sall, the Senegalese president, is said to have handsomely rewarded members of that nation’s team for bringing home the African soccer championship glory having won the African Cup of Nations.
Down south in a precious God-loving nation-Kingdom of Lesotho, sports minister said a couple of weeks ago that she would not rally behind the national soccer team if players from her hometown do not make the cut for the call-up.
And while there were arguments around what had actually been what the minister meant then, what is fact is that the national team will not be getting funded to play in the qualifiers for the same AFCON, over and above the fact that the team will be forced to play its home games on foreign soil. You be the judge!!
