Africa-Press – Lesotho. PRINCIPAL Chiefs are struggling to accommodate hundreds of families fleeing their homes because of famo gang wars. There are no ready statistics of families internally displaced because of gangster-ism but the chiefs say the numbers are rising every year and they need urgent help from the government.
The chiefs revealed this at their indaba with Minister of Home Affairs, Motlalentoa Letsosa, on Monday. Letsosa told the chiefs that they have a plan to help the displaced families.
Letsosa said they received support from the African Union to settle the internally displaced people. The main cause of displacement is famo gang wars which often lead to indiscriminate killings.
The feuds often turn into tit-for-tat killings that ensnare families into a web and orgy of violence. The other cause is the illegal mining in South Africa which is largely controlled by famo gangs.
Disputes that start in the illegal mines usually spill over into Lesotho when the gangsters return home. The Principal Chief of ‘Mamathe Chief Sempe Gabasheane Masupha said the government should urgently help the displaced families before the problem worsens.
He said they feel compelled to build working relationships with South Africa since these famo gang groups flee to South Africa after committing crimes.
And they come back with full force with reinforcement of other more gang groups to cause more harm. Chief Masupha said the rampant poverty in the country also triggers the violence which forces people to flee their countries.
He said delivery of services only benefits a certain group of people while others are left out in the cold. He said the councillors who are the main link between the government and the people are not getting enough resources to do their job.
“There will come a time where people will eat each other,’’ he said. The Principal Chief of Quthing Seeiso Nkuebe said the government should have programmes that benefit every Mosotho.
He said corruption should be stopped so that the funds could be fairly distributed. Tšepiso Molise, the principal secretary in the Senate office said political instability is one of the major causes for people to flee from other countries.
And it does not only cause the people to flee but even the investors cannot invest in such countries therefore there would be no jobs. “Political instability has caused bitterness amongst people,’’ Molise said.
He said people engage in this kind of violence mainly to find a means of living. He said “robbery happens because robbers need money and food”. He said the Ministry of Home Affair could not win this battle alone and the government has to implement systems which will help them to survive.
Molise said internal displacement is mainly driven by the people who are trying to earn a living. “Government should find means of creating jobs,’’ he said
Letsosa said the police tried to solve famo gang wars but it never ended and “instead it spilled to South Africa where Basotho are seen killing people there”.
He said his ministry has discovered that the violence in illegal mines is escalating. This, the minister said, is also associated with the famo violence.
Letsosa said these two issues are the core causes of the violence that has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced many families. The minister said previous efforts to end the violence have failed.
He said chiefs who have tried to intervene have been caught in the crossfire after being accused of taking sides. The violence simmered down for some time after the military got involved but it wasn’t long before the murders spiked again.
The minister said churches have tried to broker peace between the gangs but still the violence is not abating. Letsosa said they have embarked on an initiative to establish the laws with support of the African Union where they will interact with the chiefs and community to get to the bottom of this violence.
He said they are intending to start projects which will help the communities to live in peace and tranquillity. He said there is a need for a sustainable solution to this problem.
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