Africa-Press – Lesotho. Is Lesotho’s gradually descending into a failed state? This was the question we grappled with on Monday morning while having coffee and muffins at Ouh la la.
We had a heated debate about Lesotho with some people arguing Lesotho had become a failed state and we must pack our bags and surrender to South Africa.
Regrettably, there was a common understanding that we are gradually descending into a failed state. Nevertheless we didn’t agree with the solution of becoming part of South Africa.
I want to talk about this issue this week and it is left for readers to judge whether Lesotho is a failed state or not. I must admit we are in a bad shape. I blame the political elite (leadership) in this country for our present plight. In all seriousness we should not be where we are today.
If Moshoeshoe the founder of Basotho Nation, Morena Letsie, Dr Leabua and Dr Mokhehle were to rise from the dead, they would be shocked that we have been caught in a vicious circle and there is no progress.
We could have done better considering how well-endowed we are in terms of resources and manpower. Ezekiel delivered a prophecy that spoke against the leadership of Israel. They had abandoned their own people.
“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?
“You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.
You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.
”
The same prophesy can be used against the leadership of Lesotho. They have completely abandoned Basotho. Public trust in politics is very low of late.
Most people are angry, not apathetic, and what makes them angriest is politicians who break their promises, which should be no surprise. In living memory there has been no greater deception than in the rift between this government’s pre-election words and post-election deeds.
According to a Cambridge Dictionary, a failed state is a country whose government is considered to have failed at some of its basic responsibilities, for example keeping the legal system working correctly, and providing public services (electricity, water, education, hospitals, etc.
).
Common characteristics of a failing state include a government that is so weak and ineffective that it has an inability to raise taxes or other support, and has little practical control over much of its territory and hence there is a non-provision of public services.
When this happens, widespread corruption and criminality, the intervention of non-state actors, the appearance of refugees and the involuntary movement of populations, and sharp economic decline occurs.
It is true the government of Lesotho is very weak and our ability to raise revenues has declined. The government is unable to provide public services.
Let’s have a look at corruption, another symptom of failed states. Many say the government of Lesotho is very corrupt. In fact development partners deny us aid these days because of this buzz word.
However we should never allow ourselves to be fooled by anybody: actually, its by design that Lesotho finds herself in this kleptocracy. It exists to feed those politicians who kowtow to outside interests.
It is a mechanism into which money is poured and then siphoned off. Is this the new normal? Or has this been a detour into the freak zone, with a Prime Minister accidentally elected, acting as the First
Gentleman while the First Lady acts like the Prime Minister.
We’ve tried and tried these past two years to figure that out, and there are many layers of meaning here, but we haven’t had a clear test of anything.
Is the failure of the political and economic system in Lesotho the fault of a people who cannot govern themselves? No, it’s the fault of outside interests and their local collaborators, who together continue to hold the reins of power in our country.
Having said all these negative things about my country I still have hope that things can be changed and the solution does not rest in us becoming part of South Africa.
We may look like failures, we may be corrupt, our revenues may be declining and as a result are unable to deliver services. The fact that we have failed so many times does not mean we cannot turn around our country.
Thomas Edison had 11 000 failed experiments before he invented the electric light bulb. He tried more than 200 substances in attempting to find a filament for it.
Someone said to him, “You have failed more than 200 times. Why don’t you give up?”
He replied, “Not at all. Now I know that I have discovered more than 200 things that won’t work, I will soon find one that will.
”
When he died he had 1 052 patents in his name. It can be done, it has been done before and that is why I believe Lesotho can be turned around.
Walt Disney went to 312 banks and was made bankrupt seven times before he secured backing for his cartoon animations. It can be done, it has been done before – Lesotho can be turned around.
Our solution lays in never giving up like Winston Churchill said, “Never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up. ” It can be done, it has been done before.
Lesotho can be turned around. This country is embarking on reforms in what I have called in the context of this article a turnaround process. Turnaround simply means radical changes to bring about significant improvements.
Words such as “transformation”; or “180 degrees shift”; can also be used in the same vein. We need turnaround strategies that will bring changes in every area of the government. We seriously need to push systems, technology and people to their limits, beyond their comfort zone.
This will help us put the focus on clear and objective performance management, without which it is easy to get lost in so many things that you feel you are moving in the right direction, but you actually miss the ultimate goal. It can be done, it has been done before. Lesotho can be turned around.
