Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) command has written a scathing letter to 11 of the 16 soldiers who sued the army boss last week. While the case has been filed in court, the LDF has fired back at the soldiers ordering them to state why they should not be suspended from service pending finalisation of their matter by the Board of Inquiry (BOI).
This, the army, said would give the BOI an opportunity to enquire into the circumstances surrounding the joint action by the applicants demanding compensation pertaining to alleged incidents of torture and unlawful arrest six years ago.
Army spokesman Captain Sakeng Lekola said the LDF command wants the BIO “to ascertain the possibility that by instituting an action jointly against the Commander of LDF (they) apparently (acted) without exhausting internal redress”.
“This appears to undermine core military values of adherence to the military chain of command,” Captain Lekola said. He said there are some internal mechanisms provided by the army to redress grievances.
In the show cause letter, it is said the army command said the soldiers together with their fellow litigants “met under what could be mutinous circumstances whereby they colluded to undermine the lawful Command of the LDF”.
“Here the concern being a meeting, conference or any such assembly of persons subject to the LDF laws may be construed as mutiny, more so where such a combination of LDF members appears to undermine the command and control and cohesion of the organisation,” the letter reads in part.
“Be informed that the envisaged suspension is intended to be on an allowance equivalent to your salary,” the letter said.
It further said the soldiers are expected to furnish their written response within seven working days upon receipt of the letter failing which the Commander will have no option but to effect their envisaged suspension.
This affects only the soldiers who are still at work. These are the soldiers who skipped the country together with former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane during the political upheavals that rocked the country in 2015.
The army officers, through Nthontho Attorneys, approached the court demanding compensation. Meanwhile, Commander Lieutenant General Mojalefa Letsoela spoke tough about soldiers who want turn the army into a trade union.
He was speaking at the Ratlomose Barracks yesterday during the Army Day celebrations. The ceremony was held at Ratjomose barracks cemetery where most army personnel are buried.
Lt Gen Letsoela said he wants to report to the Defence Minister that some people want to turn the army into a union. “We will never be a union, it will never happen, they better leave so that we are left with only those who will know that they are soldiers,” Lt Gen Letsoela said.
“The idea that there are some who turn into likhokanyana phiri (informal associations) and collaborate within us does not work, not at all,” he said.
He added that Basotho want peace and freedom, stability and democracy in Lesotho. “You, the army, have a role to perform and you have to do what you are told to do,” he said.
“The army is not a profit-making enterprise, our profit is measured by protecting the nation.
He also said those who want to turn the army into a union “better go so that we are left with two soldiers, if they will understand what the army is”.
Lt Gen Letsoela said they are confident that “a soldier will always be a soldier even after death” adding that “that is why we accompany them with a national flag”.
“There is no way we can escape death,” he said. He urged the command to be vigilant as any mistakes committed will come back to them.
Lt Gen Letsoela said some people claim the army is abusing them but “we are doing our job and we know what to do and when. We do not need to be told what to do”.
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