Africa-Press – Lesotho. AN indaba that was meant to discuss the 2023/24 national budget in Qacha’s Nek on Monday turned into a “shouting match” with residents accusing Ministry of Finance officials of neglect.
The officials were in town to explain the contents of the budget and how it will benefit the people when they came under attack. The meeting was for district chiefs, local government councillors, and the public.
The residents’ main gripe was what they alleged was the government’s focus on the nine other districts at the expense of Qacha’s Nek. They complained that Finance Minister Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane did not even mention any place marked for development in the district during her budget speech in parliament.
One of the complainants, Thabang Letele, from Tsoelike, said billions of maloti were allocated to other districts to build roads and bridges and even for electrical installations but nothing was allocated for Qacha’s Nek.
“We, the people of Qacha’s Nek, were only shocked after the budget was tabled in parliament that we were allocated zero percent,” Letele said.
Letele said the Finance Ministry is fully aware that residents have to sometimes cross the overflowing Senqu River to access health services in Tebellong.
Earlier last year the bridge that connects Tebellong Hospital, schools, some shops with the community collapsed. The hospital is on the other side of the Senqu River and some shops and other essential services too.
There are two hospitals in the district, Tebellong Hospital that serves mostly rural people on both sides of the river and Machabeng Hospital, which is situated in town.
Some people in the district, apart from having to cross the raging Senqu River during rainy seasons to access services, have to travel about 100 kilometres on gravel roads. Some have to travel on horseback while others on foot, often having to find sleeping accommodations on the way.
Letele’s argument was that if Qacha’s Nek was also allocated money like other districts, “we would maybe be able to build that bridge and be able to go to Tebellong Hospital”.
He also pointed out that even other bridges for small rivers were washed away during rainy days last year and “those bridges need to be rebuilt”. “So, how will those damaged bridges be maintained if the district has not been allocated even a cent?” Letele asked.
Another concerned resident, ’Maamohelang Ramotšoane, said the main issues that people always complain about are lack of roads and electricity. “So if now we have not been given money, what else will the district do about these issues,” Ramotšoane said.
“Even the main tarred road we have needs to be maintained. If there is no money for the district we will fail to maintain the road,” she said.
“We are not happy and we are not satisfied,” she said, adding that Qacha’s Nek has been neglected.
“We have to improve this district and the lives of the people living in it.
Motsamai Ramasipha, another resident, dared the Finance Ministry officials to point out in the budget any funds that were allocated for developmental projects in Qacha’s Nek.
He said it is a well-known fact that the district is grappling with lack of electricity but the government is silent on how it plans to solve the problem. Residents of Qacha’s Nek town are feeling the brunt of load shedding happening is South Africa.
The residents complain that their electronic appliances are destroyed because of regular power cuts and “the government is unresponsive to our cries of help”.
The LEC spent about M11.6 million to buy two standby generators, one for Qacha’s Nek and another for Mokhotlong district, which suffers the same. Qacha’s Nek and Mokhotlong districts get power directly from South Africa’s Eskom and so when there is load shedding across the border, they also suffer.
The rest of Lesotho gets electricity from the ’Muela Hydro-Power Station. The Qacha’s Nek residents said their electronic appliances such as fridges and televisions are getting destroyed every time there is load shedding, which happens almost every day, especially in this winter.
Ramasipha said things would be better if electricity was not from South Africa. “Now we are begging power from South Africa as if we cannot generate electricity from Lesotho,” Ramasipha said.
“We are suffering, this electricity from South Africa can disappear for a week, and that also causes other people to lose their properties due to load-shedding,” he said.
“If Qacha was also allocated money like other districts, we would not cry this much.
The finance controller in the Ministry of Finance, Maleshoane Lekomola, said Qacha’s Nek “has not been discriminated because, it has been allocated money for the construction of a bus stop”.
“Also, the road from Mpiti to Sehlabathe is being built and it is going to be completed soon,” Lekomola said.
“This means you are not forgotten,” she said.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
