LESOTHO's High Commission in London is in disarray according to the Foreign Ministry’s Principal Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Tanki Mothae's presentation before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday.
news
June 18, 2021
STAFF REPORTER
3 min read
London High Commission in disarray – Col Mothae
PS Foreign Affairs Col Tanki Mothae
Mothae told the PAC that due to this state of affairs at the Lesotho High Commission in London, the British High Commission in Lesotho even requested him to intervene in order to bring the situation under control.
He said he is currently addressing the situation in a bid to normalise matters to avoid tarnishing Lesotho's international image.
He said he has already written to the Lesotho's High Commissioner in London, Rethabile Mokaeane, asking her to show course why disciplinary actions cannot be taken against her on several issues like mismanagement of funds.
He said as the Chief Accounting Officer for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, he has been appointed to manage the ministry in order to ensure that everything goes well.
“As the Principal Secretary of the ministry, I have been appointed to oversee the daily operations of the ministry and that anything other than that is attended to,” he also said.
He said he has a constitutional obligation to discipline any officer who seems not to follow rules and regulations of the Public Service.
However, the acting Chairperson of the PAC, Nyapane Kaya felt that the decision by the ministry to institute disciplinary action against the High Commissioner in London was a direct undermining of the powers of the committee.
Mr Kaya was repressed by such a decision and instructed Col Mothae to stop any disciplinary action against Mrs Mokaeane as she has already alerted the PAC about the matter.
In her report, Mrs Mokaeane alleges that the Third Secretary at the Mission, ’Mantolo Motloheloa, was using the funds without consulting her as the head of the Mission.
“This is harassment and intimidation of the Lesotho's High Commissioner in London in a bid to silence her on the mismanagement of funds in the Mission,” Mr Kaya argued.
He said what was even more appalling about the charges against Mrs Mokaeane was that the same officers she is complaining about are now witnesses in her case.
On the other hand, a member of PAC who is also Chairperson of the parliamentary Prime Minister's Ministries and Departments, Tšeliso Kalake accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of disregarding and undermining the National Assembly.
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He said the PAC represents Parliament, by ensuring that all government ministries account to the Parliament, adding that even Cabinet Ministers are answerable to Parliament.
Although Mr Kalake instructed Col Mothae to withdraw charges against Mrs Mokaeane, the PS refused, saying it was his obligation as the Chief Accounting officer to discipline officers under him.
He said as members of the PAC as well as the Prime Minister’s ministries, they have a duty to protect the Parliament.
For her part, Mrs Mokaeane had informed the PAC via virtual conference that her efforts to try to ask Col Mothae to intervene in the matter with her subordinates were in vain.
She said she had even alerted the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offenses (DCEO), on what was taking place in the London Mission. LeNA
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