Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Minister of Sports, Likeleli Tampane, has blasted National Covid-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) spokesperson Baroane Phenethi for making disparaging and “arrogant” comments on sports in an interview with a local weekly newspaper last week.
Tampane said ministry officials have studied Phenethi’s comments and will be taking action. Phenethi has been under fire this week after he was quoted by a Sunday paper saying only a few people earn their living through sport and that the nation’s safety cannot be risked because of them.
Phenethi was commenting on the possible return of sports which have been shut down since January when the country experienced a rise in Covid-19 cases.
The numbers have since decreased but most sporting activities remain closed. Speaking on radio on Tuesday, Tampane said Phenethi’s comments were ignorant, insulting and an embarrassment to the ministry she is leading.
Tampane said her ministry now wants to know if Phenethi’s views are shared by NACOSEC’s or are just his. Phenethi is also quoted saying there is “no order in sport” and everyone does as they please.
He goes on to use the word ‘lequloana’ – a small bunch of people – to describe those in sport. His comments have not gone well with sports fanatics and leaders in the sector have called Phenethi out.
Predictably, Phenethi is said to be disowning his comments and is now saying he was quoted out of context by the Sunday paper. Even so, Tampane is furious.
“There are people who earn their living from sports, it is a profession,” the minister said.
“This has hurt people and we have looked at the comments in the paper and we will be taking action. We want the person to come out and explain to Basotho what he meant, apparently it’s not the first time he has said something hurtful,” she added.
“It’s ignorant, embarrassing and insulting to this ministry and, in particular, the people working here. A civilian is not bigger than the entire nation, we are going to meet with NACOSEC,” Tampane said.
The Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) believes NACOSEC has purposefully placed difficult terms for sports to return, in comparison to other industries. For example, the entertainment industry has been allowed to carry on with parties and bashes like nothing happened.
What seems to have caused the most outrage is Phenethi suggesting there is no order in sports when bars have held birthday bashes and remained open the whole night selling alcohol to partygoers, many of whom have partied with no masks.
Some are asking Phenethi where the order he is talking about is in those scenarios. Football has been on hold since early January and continues to be.
Although the Prime Minister, Dr Moeketsi Majoro, announced that sports can return last month, the conditions set for contact sports to restart by NACOSEC are stringent. LEFA has written to NACOSEC to ask for a meeting to discuss the conditions set for football’s return and Phenethi’s comments.
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