Lesotho - NSS agent loses reinstatement bid

MASERU – A state security agent who was fired from his job for insubordination has failed in his bid to force Parliament to order his reinstatement.
Montoeli Ramaipato was sent packing by the National Security Service (NSS) director general Pheello Ralenkoane after he refused to be transferred from Roma to Semonkong last year.
Parliament heard that while discussions were going on to transfer Ramaipato to Semonkong, the agent disappeared without permission from his job for a month.

His superiors were insisting he should go to Semonkong where he had been assigned.
What also appeared to have irked the NSS boss was that Ramaipato had since joined the Alliance of Democrats (AD) where he was the party's youth league spokesman.
When it was time for MPs to vote on the matter, Ramaipato received a paltry three votes from AD spokesman Thuso Litjobo, treasurer 'Manthabiseng Phohleli and the Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) leader Tefo Mapesela.

Five more votes from AD members who were voting virtually were declared invalid by Speaker of Parliament, Sephiri Motanyane.
Only 66 MPs participated in the debate out of 120.
The chairman of the Prime Minister's Ministries and Departments cluster, Lehloka Hlalele, told parliament that his investigation of Ramaipato's case stemmed from the Ombudsman's report.

After his dismissal last year Ramaipato asked the Ombudsman to investigate the lawfulness of his expulsion. The Ombudsman ruled in his favour and recommended that he should be reinstated.
The NSS refused hence the Ombudsman took the matter to parliament for deliberation, only for his decision to be overturned and the NSS's decision upheld.
Hlalele said a special report was sent to parliament on January 1 and then handed over to his committee to work it out.

“Our committee held interviews with all the parties being Montoeli Ramaipato, the NSS, and the Ombudsman's investigators,” Hlalele said.
He said the problem started when Ramaipato was transferred from the Roma NSS office to Semonkong with immediate effect.
“He felt that the transfer was unlawful and he decided not to go to Semonkong,” Hlalele said.
Hlalele said Ramaipato's attempts to communicate with the NSS office were futile.
“He decided to sit at home and not go to work, the NSS then wrote a dismissal letter after a month,” he said.

He added that the Ombudsman's report shows that Ramaipato“was dismissed unlawfully as he was dismissed by an officer without the power to do so”.
He said the Ombudsman recommended that the NSS should establish clear policies regarding transfers, grievances and dismissals.
“He also stated that the transfer was made by a district security officer when the law says it should be done by the director-general,” Hlalele said.

He added that the Ombudsman also recommended that Ramaipato should return to work within three months but that never happened.
Hlalele said his committee had realised that he was now a politician.
He recommended that Ramaipato be paid his money and leave the NSS.
After Hlalele tabled his committee's findings to the House, Mapesela stood and said security agencies' bosses abuse their power by flexing their muscles on their juniors.
Even before he could finish speaking the Likhetlane MP, Lekhetho Mosito, who does not see eye-to-eye with Mapesela, stood up and interrupted him.

“I am embarrassed that this member is talking like this, he is a member of this committee too, he should have said his opinions in the committee not here,” Mosito said.
Mapesela, equally angry, responded:“Wait a moment, who invited me to that committee? You take people for granted, I'm not a member.”
Mapesela also said Mosito should stop saying he is a member of the committee.
“You underestimate people,” he said.

He lashed at the security agencies' bosses for not leading their subordinates well.
“I put it on record that the director of NSS was contesting for the last general elections. Why can't they reinstate the man?” he said.
He also said in 2015 some agents were expelled but the courts later ruled that they should be reinstated“but the NSS failed to return them to work”.
He said the NSS has a habit of recruiting based on political affiliation.
He said other security agencies in the country do the same.
“Ramaipato did well by refusing to be transferred to Semonkong, it was done by just a person,” he said.

Phohleli said it is now a norm that those in authority maltreat their juniors.
“What are they doing starving that Mosotho boy?” Phohleli said.
“He has the right to work for his family, the NSS should be condemned,” she said.
She said Ramaipato should return to work and be given all his benefits as he is a Mosotho like others.

Litjobo said the Ombudsman has recommended that Ramaipato be given his benefits and also be returned to work and it should be done.
He said the NSS had ruined Ramaipato's future.
“He is still young. How can the NSS do this to the boy?”
Tourism Minister Motlohi Maliehe said Ramaipato was wrong for not respecting his bosses.
“He decided to stay at home, he failed to report to Roma station too,” Maliehe said.
He said Ramaipato“rectified a mistake by another mistake” and he could not be right at all.

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