Staff Reporter
More than a month after declaring a national food insecurity disaster, Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane is under fire for what has been described as a lack of tangible action to address the worsening crisis.
The Christian Advocates and Ambassadors Association (CAAA) on Wednesday expressed their frustration, accusing the government of failing to provide meaningful relief to the thousands of Basotho facing hunger.
“Nothing practical has been done to address this situation either by providing means of securing food for the needy, foodstuffs, and/or subsidising the cost of food,” the association’s lawyers wrote in a letter to the Attorney General.
The association’s scathing letter follows growing concerns over the government’s response to the escalating food crisis, which has been exacerbated by the worst El Niño-induced drought in a century.
Despite Matekane’s July 12 declaration of a national disaster, critics argue that the government’s response has been woefully inadequate.
Last month, Newsday reported that Matekane was under intense pressure to settle a constitutional challenge out of court, as the CAAA demanded urgent government action to address the food crisis.
“We humbly pray that we make a consent order in the public interest and public health,” the association stated at the time.
The CAAA had proposed several measures to alleviate the crisis, including the introduction of financially sponsored community development and poverty alleviation projects, the distribution of food parcels, and subsidising the cost of food for the needy.
These proposals, according to the association, were intended to provide immediate relief while also addressing the long-term socio-economic challenges that have left many Basotho vulnerable to food insecurity.
However, the association is now angered by what it perceives as the government’s disregard for its offer.
“The government has simply formally acknowledged receipt of our settlement letter without more ado,” the CAAA’s letter, dated August 14, read.
“We reiterate that the right of access to food and/or means of securing food, i.e., money, is an inseparable part and parcel of the right to a healthy life protected in our Constitution.”
The letter continued: “The problem posed by food insecurity and hunger to the lives of the people cannot be resolved by the adage ‘tsuonyana robala tse ling li robetse’. Nor can it be remedied by the passage of time and forgetfulness.”
The association emphasised the urgent need for the government to take positive action, including the implementation of legislation, policies, plans, programs, and projects aimed at alleviating food insecurity.
“Actions include, among others, providing food to the needy and/or subsidising the cost of food. Projects include, inter alia, creating community projects and piece jobs to provide the people with pecuniary means of securing food,” the CAAA stated.
The association further expressed its concern that the government may not consider providing food to the needy as a priority.
“We humbly make a follow-up to our offer of settlement and pray you respond within three days of your receipt of this correspondence. Failing which we shall have no alternative but to reasonably infer that the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho has failed and/or refused to accept our offer.”
The letter concluded with a warning: “We shall then prosecute our case pending in the High Court of Lesotho (Constitutional Division) to finality.”
Matekane’s declaration of a state of disaster on July 12 acknowledged the severity of the food insecurity crisis, estimating that M1.2 billion would be needed to address the situation.
The government has since allocated M200 million to aid in relief efforts, but the CAAA and other critics argue that this is insufficient.
Compounding the controversy, Matekane had argued in a court affidavit that the government has no constitutional duty to provide food for its people. “It is denied that there is a right to food. I further deny that the right to life is inclusive of emotional, intellectual, or spiritual needs,” Matekane stated in his affidavit.
He further denied that the lack of food poses a threat to life, stating, “Life is not dependent only on food as there are other contributory factors.” Matekane’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from the CAAA and other civil society groups, who argue that the government is shirking its responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
