- Accuse her of nepotism
- decry negligence over unpaid staff
Lerato Matheka
The Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) Youth League has called for the immediate dismissal of Principal Secretary (PS) of Home Affairs, ‘Mamphaka Mabesa, citing failures in addressing unpaid staff salaries and accusations of nepotism.
In an explosive letter addressed to the RFP executive committee on September 16, the youth league detailed complaints against Mabesa, highlighting her failure to fulfill a promise to resolve salary arrears for Home Affairs staff.
The letter also accused her of favouritism in recruitment and neglect in responding to communications regarding urgent ministry challenges.
“Staff have not been paid for months despite her promises, and she continues to ignore our attempts to engage. This crisis has severely impacted the ministry’s service delivery and tarnished the image of our party,” the letter read.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been under scrutiny for its failure to provide essential services, leaving many Basotho without critical identification documents. Vulnerable groups, including the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities, have been forced to endure lengthy queues outside Ministry offices.
Limited quotas at district offices—serving 40 to 60 people daily—have resulted in many citizens being unable to access basic services such as ID and passport issuance.
For many Basotho, the National ID is not merely a card; it is a lifeline, granting access to essential services like healthcare, banking, and social welfare. However, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police failures have left countless citizens without this critical document, transforming what should be a straightforward process into a monumental struggle.
The letter, which was ruled out as fake on Facebook by the Secretary General of the Youth League, was reportedly submitted to the party’s Secretary General’s office but was rejected.
“Those kids do not have emotional intelligence; they treat matters with emotions. The letter was delivered but they were reprimanded on how they handled the issue. They know procedure,” a source from within the RFP executive committee told Newsday citing the recipient ensured it never reached its destination.
They added, “There is a stipulated way of lodging complaints, and how they went about it is not it. Also their leader is also a member of the executive committee; they have an open communication line.”
An anonymous employee from the ministry spoke about the challenges caused by delayed salary payments.
“Some of us have received partial payments, but many are still waiting for their full salaries. We’ve had to turn people away from the office as we can no longer work under these conditions without being paid.”
The employee also mentioned concerns over job security, stating that many staff members, who hold politically-appointed positions, fear retaliation if they speak out.
“This situation is unbearable. It’s not just about the money; it’s about being treated with respect and dignity. We find ourselves taking out our frustration on the poor underserving Basotho because we know, our retaliation will be known through public outcry,” they added.
Human rights activist, advocate Lepeli Moeketsi condemned the poor conditions at Home Affairs.
“Every person has the right to legal identity, and it is the state’s responsibility to ensure easy access to identification documents. The current situation undermines this right, particularly for vulnerable groups who are forced to endure harsh conditions while waiting for services,” he said.
He further stressed that without proper identification documents, many Basotho are denied access to essential services, employment, and education, compounding the country’s social and economic problems.
The Lesotho Public Employees Union (formerly LEPPSA) also expressed frustration over the inability to intervene effectively due to the political nature of the appointments.
Secretary-General Motebang Leboela said: “These employees were hired through political appointments, bypassing the Public Service Procedures. As a union, we represent public servants, but the lack of transparency regarding their terms of employment makes it difficult for us to intervene. Nonetheless, their issues are evident, and we’ve been working on a strategy to engage with them because only when they are united can their grievances be solved speedily.”
RFP’s spokesperson Mokhethi Shelile, when contacted, stated that the executive committee had not yet received the letter from the youth league.
“I saw the letter on social media, but we have not received it officially, and have not met to discuss the matter,” he said.
Attempts to reach PS Mabesa for comment were unsuccessful, as her phone went unanswered for a week before this article went to print.
