48 workers at tourism ministry fired

MASERU – THERE was gnashing of teeth at the Ministry of Tourism this week after the government booted out 48 workers it says were recruited illegally by the previous administration.

The workers have now approached the High Court seeking to reverse the government’s decision.

They filed an urgent application in the court yesterday. The workers however did not serve the application on their employer.

High Court judge, Justice Tšeliso Mokoko yesterday refused to hear the application telling the 48 that they should first serve papers to the employer.

Through their lawyer, Advocate Morake Mokone, the workers asked the court to set aside their dismissal and termination of their contract by Prime Minister Sam Matekane.

He said they had already filed a case in the civil service tribunal challenging the termination of their contracts.

Advocate Mokone pleaded with the court to declare the decision to fire his clients with immediate effect as null and void.

“There is nothing the court can do if the applicants have not followed the correct procedures before approaching the court,” Justice Mokoko said.

He said the 48 should not approach the court “behind the government’s back”.

“You should first serve the respondents with your application,” he said.

“Then the court can attend to your prayers.”

Kananelo Letela, one of the fired workers, told the court that they were all employed on a three-year contract on April 4, 2022.

And their contracts were to end in March 2025.

The court further heard that they were to work at the parks in the northern part of the country, including Liphofung and others.

Letela said in December last year, they received a memo indicating that the government intended to terminate all contracts of workers who were recruited illegally by the previous administration.

“The memo indicated that such processes must be made legally and due process of the law must be followed,” she said.

Letela said they were not aware that the memo was referring to them as they knew that they were employed legally.

She said they continued working despite being unpaid since August.

She said on December 27, they received a second memo addressed to the Principal Secretary of the Cabinet that they should be dismissed with immediate effect.

Letela said on January 9, they learned that the Principal Secretary replied and stood her ground that their employment was legal and that she could not terminate the contracts.

She said they were aware of the response made by the Principal Secretary.

She said they were surprised when they started receiving calls last week from the office of the

Human Resource informing them to collect their dismissal letters.

“I (was) the first person to receive my letter that day,” Letela recalled.

She said those working in the parks and districts were told that their letters would be delivered at their work stations.

Meanwhile, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Limpho Tau, insisted in a statement that more than 100 employees from the Ministry of Tourism had been illegally recruited.

He said the procedure to recruit the workers was flawed.

He said the ministry continued to recruit staff even after the Government Secretary had issued a memo that no new recruitments should be made until further notice.

Tau said they have discovered that some of the employees were still students when they were recruited.

He said salaries of these employees were deposited in different bank accounts and yet went to the same beneficiaries.

He said they had since informed the relevant authorities, including the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) and the police to investigate the cases.

’Malimpho Majoro