Mzansi Afrika

Tackling bribery in Lesotho

Lesotho has built a world-standard network of dams, the biggest of which is the Katse dam. Construction companies all over the world wanted to be the ones to undertake the project, and many were prepared to go to great lengths to win. Even to the extent of bribing Lesotho officials. One Mosotho official who understood the scheme early on was Masupha Sole. He's now in prison serving a 15-year term.

Throughout the whole ordeal, the integrity of the Lesotho government shone through, and caught Impregilo, Lahmeyer International, Acres International and others unawares. They were charged with bribery. The two latter companies paid R10 m and R15 m respectively. Impregilo's case is ongoing, as it tries to appeal Lesotho's right to try it for bribery. "Sole’s conviction and the strong and independent stance taken by the court against a senior government official is a good showing of a commitment to the rule of law and of tackling corruption by the Lesotho Government [Source].

Mixed musings from Southern Africa

There’s never a dull moment in South African politics. It’s January and we already have our first political scandal of the year. Every political scandal gets a name - most of them ending in “gate”. Last year we had Travelgate (MP’s scamming the parliamentary travel voucher scheme), Oilgate (ruling party political funding foulplay linked to the oil industry) and Zumagate (the axing of deputy president Jacob Zuma over corruption allegations). Our latest shennanigans however, makes bold departure from the “gate” terminology, it’s been dubbed the “gravy plane”. Our new deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, it transpires, took a December holiday that wasn’t strictly kosher. She took her family on a jaunt to the United Arab Emirates (possibly via Mombassa) using a luxury military jet at the taxpayers expense. She was accompanied by the wife of a cabinet minister, and it’s alleged that the three adults involved had more than sightseeing in mind, and were rather more interested in furthering their private business interests.

Commentary joins the debate over whether the trip was legal or not: “I’ll concede that Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s state-funded shopping expedition probably was legal (if only because nobody bothered to cover it up), and I’ll even concede the principle that high-ranking government officials are entitled to use state-sponsored transport for personal use, due to security concerns and so on. But the real problem here is the amount. R700,000 is insanely high. How did she manage to spend this much on a week-long holiday? Was she perhaps chauffeured around the United Arab Emirates in a gold-plated Rolls Royce Phantom? Ultimately, even if the whole thing was absolutely, 100% legal, it still reflects poorly on the content of her character. “Right and wrong” is not the same thing as “legal and illegal”, and this was definitely wrong, irrespective of what the lawyers say about it.”

Scandal aside, the political atmosphere is becoming hot and steamy as we count down to local government elections on March 1st. The main election issues are the high levels of corruption in local government and the lack of service delivery for the poor, relating to housing, water & sanitation, and the provision of electricity. These two factors have given rise to a series of violent grassroots protests in the poor informal settlements of the country. Last year there were around eighty such protest actions, and we’ve already had two so far this year. African Houseit takes a look at a study on the housing crisis in the Western Cape: “The housing backlog has increased proportional to the growth of the population in the province and has reached a crisis point where it is about to spiral out of control. This study argues that the exacerbation of the crisis in housing is as a result of the overall shift towards market-oriented policies, which shapes the approach of housing authorities. ”

Politics.za writes about tensions within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) relating to their election candidate lists: “The ANC is finding that drawing up electoral lists is harder than expected. [President] Thabo Mbeki has stated that he intends to use these local elections to rid council of corruption and ‘populists’ but he’s going to find that hard to do when local ANC branches submit lists full of the people he is trying to get rid of. I don’t think that the national ANC structure can override to much of the choices of the local ANC wards without straining tensions in the ANC even further.”

Well, it’s not all seriousness and politics in South Africa, Red Star Coven is of the opinion our country has finally managed to deliver the great South African movie: “went to see “Tsotsi” in Glasgow the other night. What an amazing, powerful film. For those who know nothing about it, maybe saying it’s South Africa’s answer to “Trainspotting” or “City of God” will give you a picture. It’s about a township gangster in Soweto who hijacks a car, finds a baby in the back seat and decides to look after it.” Cherryflava shows off a set of gorgeous photo’s from a recent trip to Zanzibar, and Lusharazzi tells us why we should avoid going to Cape Town’s annual high society J&B Met horse racing event.

Finally, moving beyond South Africa’s borders to our north western neighbour, the Botswana blog Mr. Twice, has this to say: “Botswana needs to change and needs the change soon otherwise we’ll end up in the same mess as other african countries who used to have plenty but are now starving. …. i would like to say that there are two fundamental things which do not exist and their lack thereof is already eroding our economy and society like cancer. These two things are 1. Meritocracy and 2. Accountability.”

Cross posted to Global Voices

Lesotho-SA Relations

The situation of South Africa's enclave, Lesotho, is a difficult one to handle, and was even more so before 1994. South Africa, almost geographically necessarily, whatever that means, played and has continued to play a visible role in the affairs of Lesotho. In relation with the two neighbours from the time just before Lesotho's independence in 1966 until 1990, South African History says:

1964, 30 May The leader of the Basutoland National Party, Chief Leabua Jonathan, indicates that Basutoland is so economically dependent on South Africa that the imposition of economic sanctions is not feasible.

1965, 08 May Chief Leabua Jonathan, leader of the Basutoland National Party which is to form the Protectorate's first government, tells political refugees that they are welcome to stay provided they do not use Basutoland as a base for operations against South Africa.

1966, xx xxx Phyllis Naidoo banned. Arrested for ten days for breaking banning order. She leaves for Lesotho where she becomes a victim of a parcel bomb.

1966, 01 Feb All South African refugees are to report to the Basutoland police for documentation or face deportation to South Africa. A closer check is to be kept on political asylum figures.

1966, 28 Dec The Lesotho government announces it will deport eight South Africans, whom it describes as a danger to peace.

1967, 10 Jan B.J. Vorster and Chief Jonathan of Lesotho meet in Cape Town. A joint statement emphasizes their belief in peaceful co-existence. Economic aid and technical assistance are also proposed.

1967, 18 Jan The Lesotho government invites all South African political refugees to make formal application to leave the country, to indicate proposed dates of departure and countries of choice. Transit rights through South Africa will be arranged.

1967, 03 Mar An official announcement by the government of Lesotho indicates that preparations for anti-South African political refugees to be flown from Lesotho across South Africa to other African states to the north have reached an advanced stage.

1967, 13 Mar South Africa signs treaty with Lesotho on the amendment of the insured parcel agreement of 27 June 1963 and 01 July 1963.

1967, 03 May An official announcement by the government of Lesotho indicates that preparations for anti-South African political refugees to be flown from Lesotho across South Africa to other African states to the north have reached an advanced stage.

1967, 27 Sep South Africa signs treaty with Lesotho on air services.

1968, 4 Feb The Prime Minister of Lesotho, Chief Jonathan, is reported to be prepared to co-operate with the South African government.

1969, 12 Feb The South Africa Act Amendment Bill, repealing the provisions of the South Africa Act of 1909 for the possible incorporation into South Africa of Rhodesia and the former High Commission Territories (Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland), is passed with the approval of the Opposition at its second reading.

1969, 11 Dec South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland sign a new customs agreement in Pretoria, to come into operation on 01 March 1970.

1970, 30 Jan The Prime Minister announces that the government is watching the situation in Lesotho following the elections and that necessary measures
have been taken to ensure the safety of South Africans there.

1970, 11 Dec South Africa signs a customs agreement with Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.

1971, 04 Oct Chief Leabua Jonathan, Prime Minister of Lesotho, warns that violent confrontation between blacks and whites will be an inevitable consequence of apartheid. Mr Vorster responds with restraint, in the interest of friendship.

1972, 04 May The Foreign Minister announces that South Africa and Lesotho have decided to establish reciprocal consular representation.

1973, 24 Aug South Africa signs treaty with Lesotho relating to the establishment of an office for a Lesotho government labour representative in South Africa.

1974, 8 Apr The Prime Ministers of Lesotho and South Africa meet to clear up certain misunderstandings and reaffirm their belief and determination that both countries base their relations on the principle of good neighbourliness.

1974, 08 Oct The Minister of Bantu Administration and Development states that, in 1973, 475,387 foreign Africans were working in South Africa. Of these 36,480 were from Botswana, 148,856 from Lesotho. 139,714 from Malawi, 129,198 from Mozambique, 3,249 from Rhodesia, 10,032 from Swaziland and the remainder from other African territories.

1974, 05 Dec A comprehensive monetary agreement is signed between South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

1975, 27 Oct South Africa signs an amendment to a customs union agreement of 11 September 1969 with Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.

1976, 24 Nov School pupils and students from Soweto who have fled to Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho to escape continuous Security Police searches for ringleaders of unrest, have rejected the governments amnesty offer which expired on 22 November 1976. An estimated 700 have fled since June, more than 500 of them to Botswana, whose government has requested international assistance in the matter.

1977, 12 Feb The Prime Minister of Lesotho, Leabua Jonathan, claims the whole of the Orange Free State, Matatiele in Natal, the Herschel district in the Transkei and the Southern Sotho homeland of Qwa Qwa for Lesotho - areas, he says, fraudulently taken from it during the Basotho wars.

1977, 13 Nov The Anglican Bishop of Lesotho, the Rev. Desmond Tutu announces that he is giving up his current post to become Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) which is taking an increasingly radical position
against apartheid.

1978, 06 Jan Donald Woods, banned editor of the Daily Dispatch (East London) reaches Britain with his family, having fled South Africa via Lesotho and Botswana. The pro-government Afrikaans press launches a virulent campaign against him: the British and American press in contrast give wide and sympathetic coverage
to the story of his escape.

1979, 08 Jan Signs agreement with Lesotho on issuing of notes and coin.

1979, 12 Dec Signs agreement with Lesotho on the issue and use of a road camp site on Cobham State Forest.

1980, 06 May Black PEBCO activist Thozamile Botha breaks his banning order and escapes to Lesotho.

1980, 20 Aug The Prime Minister meets Lesotho's Chief Leabua Jonathan in an attempt to improve relations between the two countries.

1981, 28 Jan Signs loan agreement with Lesotho.

1981, 06 Apr The Heads of State of Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland meet in Mbabane, to discuss South African military incursions and subversive activities against black Southern African states.

1981, 11 Jun Lesotho and South Africa decide to establish a consultative committee to resolve misunderstandings arising from the movement of people across their common border.

1982, xx xxx South African army raids Maseru, Lesotho, killing 42 people.

1982, 23 Nov Swaziland and Lesotho take steps to clear themselves of suspicion of allowing insurgents of the ANC to use their territory as springboards for attacks on South Africa.

1982, 09 Dec South African forces raid houses in Maseru, killing thirty members of the ANC and seven women and children caught in the crossfire. A chain of sabotage incidents within South Africa are blamed on the ANC command structure in Lesotho. The incursion is widely condemned

1983, xx xxx By the end of 1983, neighbouring states appeared reluctant to provoke South Africa by openly showing active support for the ANC ?? but they did not turn their backs completely on the ANC either.

1983, 26 Mar The Lesotho government accuses South Africa of launching raids into Lesotho. South Africa denies this.

1983, 11 Apr Chief Leabua Jonathan, Prime Minister of Lesotho, tells the National Assembly that Lesotho is faced with a war with South Africa.

1983, 26 May Traffic flow slows at the border posts between South Africa and Lesotho is reported following bomb explosions in Pretoria and Bloemfontein, for which the ANC office in Lesotho first claims, and later denies, responsibility.

1983, 03 Jun Foreign Minister, Pik Botha, meets Lesotho's Minister of Foreign Affairs. They agree on the need to curb cross-border guerrilla activity and to place their relations on a more amicable footing.

1983, 28 July South Africa and Lesotho exchange prisoners across the Caledon River, heralding a new rapprochement and a lifting of strict border control measures.

1983, 15 Aug The Lesotho Foreign Ministry appeals for international help to stop South Africa applying an economic squeeze designed to force Lesotho to expel up to 3,000 political refugees.

1983, 08 Sep The Lesotho government announces that an undisclosed number of South African refugees have decided voluntarily to withdraw from Lesotho. On 10 September it airlifts the first batch of twenty-two ANC members to Mozambique and Tanzania. Another 200 will follow later.

1983, 11 Sep The Lesotho Foreign Ministry protests to South Africa, following further clashes with guerrillas in the Leribe district, and an eight-hour attack against Maryland Roman Catholic mission near the border.

1984, 30 Jul South Africa has held up supplies of British weapons to Lesotho and the UK has complained several times about the delays, officials said today.

1984, 14 Aug Lesotho rejects South Africas proposal for a draft security treaty.

1985, xx xxx Another raid on Lesotho is followed by a coup. Jonathan Leabua's administration falls.

1986, 25 Jan Sixty ANC refugees are airlifted out of Lesotho to counter South Africa's threat of a blockade against that country.

1986, 26 Mar South Africa and Lesotho issue a joint statement that their respective territories are not to be used for acts of terrorism against each other.

1986, 18 Apr South Africa signs bilateral monetary agreement with Lesotho.

1986, 24 Oct South Africa signs treaty on Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Exchange of notes with Lesotho regarding the privileges and immunities accorded to the members of the Joint Permanent Technical Commission.

1987, 30 Apr South Africa signs an agreement with Lesotho in regard to the establishment of trade missions.

1989, 01 Apr South Africa signs monetary agreement with Lesotho.

The list is longer and includes other entries, related to other countries and other periods. I have listed here a sample concerning Lesotho-RSA relations for the time Leabua Jonathan was Prime Minister of Lesotho. This post appeared first on the now discontinued blog "On Lesotho." That blog is slowly being laid to rest, and the few posts on it that may be relevant to the spirit of "Msanzi Afrika" will appear here as they are wiped from "On Lesotho."

Lesotho is first again... huh?

Yes... Lesotho has done it again... it is the first country to ever offer free and universal AIDS/HIV testing to its citizenry. King Moshoeshoe I would have been proud. Never mind that the move is a tad late, it is more than welcome and it is a brilliant initiative. People have been dying long enough. It was high time something drastic was undertaken. If you're wondering about what it is Lesotho has done again, it is being first, or being the only one, or the highest, smallest, poorest, proudest, ad lib, in the world.

One of the smartest things about the intended program is getting to the populace through village chiefs and traditional leaders: Under the scheme, local leaders will be consulted on how best to offer HIV tests to everyone [Source]. Projects that are introduced into the heart of Lesotho (or of Africa?) by foreigners do not take well and therefore do not last long. It sounds like the project manager involved did his or her homework well and carefully thought out how best to really get the tests to the people. I can only be enchanted.

In 2000, Lesotho's population was estimated at a little below 2.2 million. See the figures for 2000 here, those for 2002 here, and those for 2004 here. This year the population stands at 1,867,035, from 2000's 2,182,700. It is high time something significant was done, and this program looks like it's gonna be it.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

The Commonwealth is made up of the following 53 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Britain, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia. Don't let the name fool you, the wealth isn't common at all.

The Commonwealth met in Malta over the weekend and discussed trade, especially the fact that Europe needs to stop subsidising its farmers to give farmers from poorer nations a chance to compete.

The Commonwealth summit ended in Malta Sunday with members urging the European Union to reduce farm subsidies to make the world markets more accessible to the developing countries. Trade dominated the talks of the 53 heads of government attending the three-day Commonwealth summit in the Maltese capital Valletta. The issue was of particular importance, coming just weeks before crucial World Trade negotiations in Hong Kong. [Source]

Well and good. Fair farming practices and competitive trade are essential issues that do need to be sorted out. Handled right, such issues are probably what will pull poorer countries out of the spiral of poverty in which they find themselves. Poor countries do not need handouts, however much they may want them. I keep hearing that old adage, the one about teaching someone how to fish instead of giving them a fish.

The attendees also discussed climate change, migration issues and terrorism. Well and good, again. The problem is that human rights, democracy and political fairness are being danced upon by many of the poor countries in question. Bob immediately comes to mind. Commonwealth leaders, however, "set aside concerns about democracy in Uganda after the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye, and decided they will hold their next summit in Uganda in 2007" [Source] anyway. Some time ago they did (actually Britain did) get Bob to yank his country from the organisation -- but was that enough? And if it was, why do other members keep going scot-free? What makes the Commonwealth so afraid that it prefers to spend money talking about benign issues like competitive trade, instead of capital matters like freedom and human rights, both of which are essential before any beneficial trade can go on?

If we're to have associations, if we're to belong to clubs, if we're to spend money getting together, then the agenda must be comprised of the true ills plaguing those represented by participants. That seems clear enough but is seldom the case, whether with the Commonwealth or with other abbreviations.