Reforms agenda consultations are moving to South Africa to include Basotho in the diaspora. This follows the just completed in-district people consultations in the urban and community councils in all the 10 districts by the National Dialogue Planning Committee (NDPC) and the implementing partner, Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (LCN).
news
June 6, 2019
JUSTICE MAQELEPO
2 min read
Reforms group moves to Basotho in SA
Boitumelo Koloi
Lesotho is undertaking a national dialogue and reform process to clean up the following sectors; security, parliament, judiciary, public service, media and economic reforms in an effort to achieve lasting peace. The work of NDPC is to co-ordinate and organise sector leaders' and the multi-stakeholders forum to discuss reforms, working in conjunction with LCN as the implementor. NDPC Communication Sub Committee member, Boitumelo Koloi, told Metro that next week, both the NDPC and LCN will go to meet Basotho of Lesotho in South Africa so as to incorporate their views in the national reforms' work.
Enjoy our daily newsletter from today
Access exclusive newsletters, along with previews of new media releases.
The targeted provinces are Gauteng, Free State, Kwazulu Natal, North West, Western Cape and Eastern Cape because they are understood to harbour many Basotho. Koloi said some of the groupings they will engage are those working in the mines, on farms as well as those in tertiary institutions. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assist to liaise with the country’s relevant authorities to ease their work.
NDPC, Koloi revealed, are communicating with organised Basotho groupings in those industries and locations for them to mobilise their countrymen for the consultations to be successful. He was hopeful that the exercise will run as anticipated because, unlike in Lesotho, they will conduct their business in town and community halls which he said will stabilise their work even if the weather is unfavourable.
During the in-district consultations they faced unfavourable weather challenges because the exercise was conducted in open spaces. When they returned to Lesotho, he said, they would only be left to deal with outstanding groups like factory workers, civil servants and youths in schools. That will lead to the two events in this dialogue phase. The first will be the leaders forum at which the work will be presented, paving the way for a multi-stakeholders’ forum for a way forward after which NDPC will be dissolved since its mandate would have expired.
Koloi said: "This means it is high time Basotho became aware that the process is heading to where they desire." While he could not estimate when the leaders' forum might be held due to logistical matters NDPC has no control over, a letter from NDPC written on 23 May 2019 to one of the stakeholders indicates the Leaders Forum may be conducted by late July or early August. Stakeholders include College of Chiefs, Christian Council of Lesotho, Council of Pentecostal Churches, Business Formations, Media Institute of Southern Africa - Lesotho, National University of Lesotho and political parties. Part of the letter reads: "NDPC is in the process of finalising and confirming the dates for holding the National Leaders Forum and Plenary II (dialogue) in consultation with all concerned stakeholders and partners."
Tailored for you
