As if it was not enough for the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC)’s Executive Director Tsikoane Peshoane, to be embroiled in corruption charges leveled against him by a group of his junior staffers, now this week the plot has thickened into dirtier charges meted against him. Peshoane now faces sexual assault charges, this after last night’s laying of charges against him by a sextet of his junior employees.
A collaboration of NewsDay and MNN Centre for Investigative Journalism learned the six women took turns yesterday telling police tales of how Peshoane used his power as Executive Director to sexually harass them with impunity for months.
The development was confirmed by Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli, who said police have just initiated their investigations into the alleged sexual harassment charges laid against the TRC Executive Director by the women following their report to police.
The employees’ initial petition to the board laid a nuanced account of how Peshoane as the Executive Director went against the ideals and principles of accountability, transparency and human rights protection that the organization espoused.
Now, while an inquiry instituted by the board is underway, a sextet of women claiming to have been sexually harassed by Peshoane laid charges with the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS).
In their statements before the police, the six women present in graphical terms the alleged acts meted against them by their boss, whom they say used his position to leverage power over them scare them off into silence.
It would appear that their opening cases now when on the other front they are pursuing his ouster from the administration of the rights group organization, is a compacted move to ensure his complete demolition.
Their accounts are in a fashion akin to the American RnB singer Robert Kelly’s ‘Me too’ phenomenon whence scores of women began coming forth to say they were also victims of the muso’s sexual assault advances.
One might wonder why they are only all coming forth at this particular time when they had all been silent all the time.
In analyzing the issue, one needs to look into two distinctive aspects.
The one being the principle of mob action and the other being the ‘finish-him-off’ standard.
While it could be true that the others are drawing strength from the bravery of the one who came forth first to voice the alleged assault, there is also the possibility of the staffers being hell-bent on ensuring that Tsikoane is decisively dealt with having realized that their initial move yielded naught seeing as they already doubt the board’s intervention.
Whichever way the scales tilt into eventually, the truth will, as is its habit, come out bare.
