Amid threats, councillors soldier on

’MATHATO SEBOKA

MASERU – A group of ward councillors who have been up in arms over their paltry salaries have been threatened, again. The group first received threats earlier this year ahead of their press conference make grievances public.

The councillors alleged that ahead of their press conference where they aimed to air their plight, they were threatened that if they went ahead with the presser they could be kicked out of office.

Motebang Matona, disgruntled councillors’ coordinator said they were threatened at the district meetings ahead of the presser they were organising. “The Chief of Ha Motemekoane, who is the deputy chairperson, who is also part of the district council said that councillors present in the meeting should withdraw from the press conference they were intending to make or it could cause them to lose their jobs or attract bitter consequences,” Matona told this paper at the time.

That was a direct threat to them, according to Matona who further noted that despite the threats they went ahead with the plan to voice their concerns publicly.

“Those words came as a threat to us but because we know that a job is not an inheritance, we went on with our press conference. We felt that we are fighting for what is right.”

The councillors further said government does not take them serious.

“They (government) take us as nobodies and won’t listen to our grievances,” he said.

 The councillors have received renewed threats, including death threats this time, for asserting their grievances.

Matona, in a recent interview said that they have been receiving new threats, coerced to distance themselves from the committee or they would be killed.

“The committee is receiving death threats to withdraw from fighting for the dissatisfied councillors. The people who threatening us say we should withdraw since they believe we are fighting the government,” Matona said.

He went on to say that was the reason they had a last minute’s press conference, to avoid being interdicted. He highlighted that last time they called a press conference for which they had hired a school hall, they were threatened and they had to change the venue abruptly. 

Matona also alleged that there is a “group of people who tried to bring the division between the councillors.”

“Chairpersons from different councils in Lesotho had come to the conference to publicly declare that indeed we are a committee they sent to state and fight for their grievances,” he said.

He went on to show that they did this because there was a group of people who were using other councillors and influencing them to act as if they “do not know this committee.”

“Some people would call in on radio stations saying we are just a group of people fighting the government and that we are not chosen by the councils to fight for them. That is why the chairpersons had to come forth to clarify that indeed we are a committee send by the councillors,” Matona added.

“Councillors also want decentralisation, they need all the responsibilities that a councillor has to perform in his community to be handed over back to them,” he stated.

Matona went on to say that “when they have their power back, they want their salaries to be negotiated and it should be the salary that meets the councillors’ needs.”

This committee of disgruntled councillors hosted the meeting last Wednesday and it was attended by chairpersons from all the districts councils.

The Public Relations Officer of the disgruntled councillors, Paul Phalatsi, said during the meeting that the aim of the conference was for the committee to declare to the public that indeed they were send by councillors to voice out their grievances.

“It was claimed that we were not chosen by the councillors so they had come to attest that indeed we are a committee working on the issues affecting the councillors,” Phalatsi said.

He went on to show that they demand decentralisation so that they can do their jobs as councillors without interference.

Previously the councillors showed that their pay of M4 500 is paltry and demanded an increase that would see them take home at least M20 000 per month.

In their endeavour, the councillors penned a letter to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship Principal Secretary, ’Mamphaka Mabesa, on August 5 last year tabulating their grievances and requested salary increase.

The also wrote to local government Minister Lebona Lephema. Both to no avail.

“We are still waiting for the reply from the parliament, we have written to the Law and Public Safety Cluster and they promised to call us after they have called the involved ministries for questioning,” Phalatsi stated.