Big welcome for refugees

MASERU – Dr Richard Kabuya arrived in Lesotho eleven years ago after fleeing war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). When he arrived, he volunteered at Tebellong Hospital in Qacha’s Nek for two months, where he was called by the Ministry of Health in 2010. He later served at the now defunct Queen Elizabeth II Hospital for two months, got transferred to Mohale’s Hoek Hospital, again transferred to Machabeng Hospital in Qacha’s Nek. In 2012, Dr Kabuya was then transferred to the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service (LFDS) stationed at Moshoeshoe II. Here, Dr Kabuya managed 12 clinics in the hard-to-reach areas of the country. “Doctors are like soldiers,” Dr Kabuya said as he explained his professional journey. In 2015, he was relocated to Botšabelo clinic at Senkatana where he is currently stationed. Last week, Dr Kabuya was among three other doctors who were granted citizenship by the government of Lesotho. The other recipients were Dr Azubuike Benjamin Nwako, Dr Shungu-Shungu Guy and Salim Suburu. Dr Shungu-Shungu Guy was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has been in Lesotho since 2007. He started work at Scott Hospital in Morija. He has also worked with JPHIEGO and is currently running a private clinic called Sinai at Ha-Thamae. Dr Nwako, a Nigerian national, came to Lesotho in 2010 and started working at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital. He also had a stint at the Lesotho School of Medicine where he was a lecturer, visited Lesotho Boston Health Alliance (LeBoHa) for lectures at post-graduate level in Hlotse. Dr Nwako is also a consulting paediatrician and senior technical adviser to the Ministry of Health. He is an HIV and public health specialist as well as an advanced virologist currently conducting research on Covid-19. Dr Salim “Solly” Mohammed Surur is from Uganda and has been living in Lesotho since 1975. Circumstances surrounding his move to Lesotho are historical, courtesy of President Idi Amin Dada. The political unrest at the time not only pushed locals away from their own home but also other asylum seekers. On arrival, Dr Surur was part of those that established the Ugandan Embassy here in Lesotho. He left the embassy in 1979 to venture into private businesses. In Mafeteng, he started off his privately-owned businesses and is currently at it in Qoaling-Maseru. Dr Surur is also involved in a charity organisation, the Lesotho Islamic Centre that focuses on support of the community. The charity programmes are meant to support the less fortunate with day-to-day basics, while holding programmes to sustain the needy. The Minister of Home Affairs granted the four asylum seekers with Lesotho citizenship through naturalization. The event happened during celebrations to mark World Refugee Day. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the new citizens, the Home Affairs Minister Motlalentoa Letsosa said “together we heal, learn and shine”. Letsosa said Lesotho will remain with the open arms policy to asylum seekers worldwide, fulfilling its international commitment regardless of their influx. There are 82 million asylum seekers and refugees worldwide. Letsosa said welcoming the refugees in our country helps both of us to heal, learn from each other and shine. Letsosa said the Basotho nation and Lesotho as a country was been built by immigrants coming from around the world in search of a better life. “Lesotho does not discriminate against immigrants but rather supports them in all ways possible, allowing them to work, not restricting them to camps yet allowing them to engage in income generating activities as well as sending their children to school,” Letsosa said. The Stadium Area MP, Mokherane Tsatsanyane, urged the refugees in his constituency where they have been allocated a village “to remain hopeful in life”. “I recall when I was in exile with the former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane,” Tsatsanyane said. He wished well those who would like to one day go back to their countries and welcomed those that wanted to make Lesotho their permanent home. Tsatsanyane said he had a plan to send about 10 individuals to tertiary school, eight refugees together with two locals from underprivileged families. Letsosa said the government is in the process of amending the National Identity Card Act 2011 that is currently before parliament, in an attempt to protect asylum seekers and refugees. In this regard, ID cards will be formally issued to refugees. “Refugees are never regarded as a burden but rather an intellectual advantage,” Letsosa said. He said the fact that three of the four new citizens are qualified medical doctors is a blessing for Basotho at this time of brain-drain when many Basotho leave the country for greener pastures. He urged government ministries “to pick a leaf and allow refugees to work in their departments, where they can give off skills that can potentially develop the country at large”. Margret Katimbo