Tempers Flare In Parliament

(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU – TENSIONS flared on Monday after a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member, Thabiso Lekitla, accused the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) board chairman, Thabo Khasipe, of misleading parliament.

Lekitla told Khasipe that he had excused himself from an earlier meeting saying he was going to consult a doctor when he in fact was going for a job interview at the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC).

The LNDC is currently interviewing candidates for the position of chief executive officer.

Lekitla accused Khasipe of deliberately misleading the committee, questioning whether he was genuinely ill when he abruptly left the committee session saying he was going to see a doctor.

Lekitla insisted that he had heard that Khasipe was attending an interview at the LNDC, a fact he said the LEC board chairman did not disclose to the PAC.

“Were you going to see a doctor, or did you go to the LNDC for an interview?” Lekitla pressed.

Khasipe declined to confirm or deny whether he had attended the LNDC interview, requesting protection from the committee on grounds of the question's personal nature.

“I will request protection on that question,” Khasipe said.

“Responding may open the door to many more inquiries that are not relevant to this session,” he argued.

“I don't understand how these personal questions relate to the matter at hand,” he added, prompting an angry rebuttal from Lekitla.

“You were summoned here. This is not a courtesy invitation,” Lekitla retorted.

“Your travel from Namibia was paid for by the Lesotho Electricity Company. You cannot claim you were sick and then go write an interview,” he said.

“I put it to you that you were not sick.”

The situation became more contentious when Lekitla insisted that Khasipe should answer every question from the committee, highlighting“the serious nature of the inquiry”.

However, committee member Machesetsa Mofomobe intervened on a point of order, stating that“there is nothing wrong with someone leaving to see a doctor”.

“But if any member has alternative knowledge, it is only fair that they put it on the record,” Mofomobe said.

Lekitla also questioned Khasipe's capacity to effectively lead the LEC board while living in Namibia, where he serves as the executive secretary for the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).

The session for the day focused on questionable procurement practices, including the acquisition of stock materials without formal contracts.

The session however took an unexpected turn when Lekitla abruptly interrupted the proceedings with a series of pointed and personal questions directed at Khasipe.

Lekitla demanded that Khasipe disclose how much he receives in sitting allowances.

“How much is your sitting allowance after taxation?”

The question appeared to unsettle Khasipe, who responded hesitantly, stating that sitting allowances are determined by a ministerial decision made in 2020 and handled administratively.

“I do not recall the exact amount deposited into my account,” he said.

Nkheli Liphoto

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