Africa-Press – Lesotho. Dr Tšeliso Moroke, 43, is not shy to state that he wants to serve as a minister in Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s government. It is a declaration that might be deemed politically suicidal in a country where politicians often feign disinterest in higher office, only striking for the top job when the opportunity is ripe.
His critics will likely latch on to such naked ambition, attacking him as a political novice who is too full of himself. Others will see his declaration as an act of presumptuousness, an unforgivable sin in Lesotho’s cut-throat politics.
With his big ambitions to serve, it was not a surprise then that Dr Moroke was disappointed after Matekane left him out of a recent Cabinet reshuffle two weeks ago.
Maseru’s rumour mill immediately went into overdrive, alleging all sorts of things, including that Dr Moroke had even insulted the Prime Minister for snubbing him for a Cabinet position. Dr Moroke says that is nonsense.
He insists that while he went to see the Prime Minister a day before the new Cabinet was announced, this was a private discussion between him and Matekane that had nothing to do with positions in government.
What fed the rumours was a story on social media that Matekane’s Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) MPs were not happy that they had been left out after the Premier increased the number of ministers from 14 to 19 in a desperate attempt to save his government.
Dr Moroke however admits that he felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment after Matekane left him out of the expanded Cabinet. He feels with his solid academic credentials, he could have been in a better position to offer something good for his country.
Dr Moroke holds a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the North West. He told thepost this week that he wants to be a minister to have a better influence on the public service, something he cannot do as a mere MP.
He says he would particularly like to serve in the ministry responsible for land management so that he can help craft ‘sound policies in land management and environment’.
He says people should not be allowed to erect structures anywhere they want. ‘There should be clear policies where and how people build their homes,’ he says. He wants to see the environment, including wetlands, protected.
Dr Moroke says there are huge gaps in the regional and urban planning of Lesotho’s towns citing that people are still building on land that should be reserved for agriculture.
‘I have not been afforded an opportunity to showcase my skills,’ he says.
‘If I was given a ministerial seat, I would accept the offer and work speedily to deliver.
’ He says he is determined to ensure that Lesotho has well-planned villages and towns.
The model for Lesotho should be Matala Phase 1 in Maseru ‘which is well-planned’. He says all towns should be modelled along the same planning principles.
He says he is not just talking theory; he has already worked on similar projects in South Africa where he helped in the planning of new settlements and business sections especially in Gauteng.
‘This is the reason why I came back home so that I could shine,’ he says.
‘I went to school, (thanks to the taxes of Basotho), so I have to give back to this country,’ he says.
‘I wanted Matekane to deploy me where I would be able to work hard and deliver for this country,’ he says.
He says his being a mere MP has limited his chances of having a major impact on the policy direction of the country ‘so that we could put back Lesotho on a trajectory of development’.
‘I only have a single way to make myself heard, through filing a motion in parliament. I’m yet to file a motion on Special Planning and Land Use Management,’ he says.
Dr Moroke says he liked Matekane’s pledge to instigate a political revolution that would empower Basotho when he launched his RFP party last year. ‘I wanted to be part of the change,’ he says.
‘That was the first time that I wore any political party attire. I had never been in politics before. ’
Despite the turbulence in the RFP, Dr Moroke believes Matekane is still doing well with a commitment to uplift the poor and steer the country towards a path of economic development.
‘He is still on the right track,’ he says.
‘This is a new journey where we might experience a few problems. But he still has the commitment to get the job done. I still trust that he (Matekane) will be able to do the job and change this country for the better. ’
Dr Moroke is currently a member of three parliamentary committees: the Public Accounts Committee, Natural Resources and Law and Safety and Standing Orders.
He wants more bite for the PAC adding that the committee ‘should be able to trace and recover funds stolen from the public purse’. ‘People should not only be grilled; but the funds should be recovered,’ he says.
Dr Moroke was born in Ha ’Nelese in Maseru on April 20, 1980. He graduated with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the National University of Lesotho in 2004.
He later attained a Masters degree at the University of the North West from 2008 to 2009 before embarking on a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning with a special focus on urban sustainability and governance, spatial planning and land use management. He completed his PhD in 2016.
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