Seabata Mahao
The joint Basotho Movement, a youth-oriented advocacy grouping, wants the Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation Likeleli Tampane removed from office for failing to deliver as per her mandated role.
In a petition addressed to the Prime Minister Dr. Moeketsi Majoro this week, the youths blame Tampane for failing to live up to her commitment to help them in their predicaments over a period of 10 months.
“…we the youth of this country are convinced that the Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation is not proficientto hold the office, with the power vested in you as the Prime Minister, we are making an extraordinary imperative request to shuffle or dismiss honourable Likeleli Tampane.
“Prime Minister, it is more than 10 months since we tabled our grievances before her office but she failed to heed to any of them after she told us that we should always go to our Ministry as all our gripes will be solved there as long as she is still holding office. This was said by her in a meeting that was held on Thursday 12, November 2020.
“As the youth of the Mountain Kingdom we tried to engage the Ministry on various occasions but they Minister, Principal Secretary, Deputy Principal Secretary and Director Youth were very busy to avail themselves, after six months in trying to reach out to them the collective was convinced that the Minister lacks ability to hold office and we made a special request to her to leave office on June 1 2021. On the June 15 2021, we made a follow up on the same issues,†the letter reads.
“Honourable Likeleli Tampane invited us to the office on July 1 2021 after countless unserviceable attempts to get hold of her, it was in the same meeting where she promised that she will attend to our demands which as per our agreement she was to deliver in 14 working days,†the youths continue.
According to one of the leaders of the youths, Tumelo Moteuli, Tampane is both incompetent and unwilling to address the issues put forth by the youths inclusive of contributing towards curbing the surging youth unemployment crisis.
Meteuli explained that they had negotiated, 50 jobs for youth to work in preparations for Regional 5 Games (AUSC) from August. Solid evidence that the Ministry (MGYSR) is operating at 0% budget and presentation of Strategies that her Ministry has in place to address youth unemployment.
He mentioned that they were disappointed when the Minister further ended up responding with an informal noticewithout a date and reference on August 11 2021 stating among other that they might as well forget about employment.
“The Ministry said it shall not employ the youth for the Region 5 games preparations, as the duties shall be carried out by the Ministry officials. We, the youth of Lesotho find this as highest level of self-centricity portrayed by yourself and your ministry, and above all an affront to us,†Moteuli added in the petition.
The youths also decry the Ministry’s National Volunteer Corps (NVC), an initiative through which the ministry attempts to bridge the unemployment gap by providing internships for graduates, which they lambasted for failing to reach out to more than one per cent of the youth per year, a feat which they said points to it as a failed initiative.
“And also the Social compact and vocational schools. It is no hidden fact that the former has not been operating since 2016 and the latter is not operational, yet most of the property is ramshackle as you correctly mentioned in our last meeting.
“With the noted failures, our Minister has proven to us her incompetencefor this office, we therefore make a special appeal to you to shuffle or dismiss her from office within five working days. We hope you will attend to this urgent matter within the requested timeframe Honourable Prime Minister,†they concluded.
Until the time of going to print last night this publication had neither heard from the Premier’s office nor that of the minister.
