Central Bank gives back to Qiloane council

Lemohang Rakotsoane

THABA-BOSIU

THE Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) last week handed over new offices to the Qiloane council in Thaba-Bosiu as a thank-you gesture for donating a piece of land that now houses the bank’s Disaster Recovery Centre.

The bank has also electrified houses for villagers in Lihaseng in Thaba-Bosiu.

Teboho Malataliana, the CBL’s Head of General Services, said the Disaster Discovery Centre is “a place where the bank will work when there are circumstances not allowing operations in Maseru”.

Malataliana said the bank is grateful to Thaba-Bosiu Principal Chief Khoabane Theko who facilitated the arrangement.

“He introduced us to the council and the village at large and luckily they accepted our plea and they were willing to accommodate us in their midst,” Malataliana said.

Malataliana said “we built the Qiloane council offices and provided electrification assistance for the Lihaseng village” in return for their land.

The Governor of CBL, Retšelisitsoe Maatlanyane, said the compensation cost the bank about M2 million.

“We are now permanent residents of Thaba-Bosiu and we are honoured to have been granted a place in such a historic place,” Matlanyane said.

“Today we are here to celebrate the results of the warm relations between CBL and the people of Thaba-Bosiu,” she said.

She added that the bank felt it compulsory to give back to the people “who have sacrificed their beautiful land, a land that was a trusted pasturage for their animals”.

She indicated that this relationship will continue to bear fruit as “even when we start with construction we will need workers and jobs will be created that locals will benefit from”.

She pleaded with the residents of Thaba-Bosiu to ensure that the council office is maintained and is used for the benefit of the residents and not individuals.

The Minister of Local Government Pontšo Sekatle said the ministry is grateful to CBL for meeting them half-way and saving them M2 million.

“It is our task to build community councils, however, our budget does not allow us to build for everyone at the same time, regardless of the assistance we get from donors,” Sekatle said.

She added that it is the local government ministry’s wish to see services being decentralised and taken to the people.

“Ours is not only to build councils but also to ensure that services are taken to the people, so far several ministries are interested in partaking and making community councils one stop shop facilities,” she said.

“The Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs are already on board and others will be joining soon,” she said.

She pleaded with community councils to do their work whole-heartedly and to ensure that they do not build houses on fertile soil.

“We have been blessed with soil to grow crops and eat so please stop giving people fertile land so that they can build houses. It is only if we work together and plan our towns well that we as a country can also have beautiful towns that are properly planned,” Sekatle said.

Molikeng Mosuoe, Chairman of Qiloane council, said the CBL has eased their work as previously they moved from one place to another because of lack of offices.

“Today our people will no longer be inconvenienced. They will know exactly where to find us when they need services,” Mosuoe said.

“We are also proud to see that some ministries are keen to bring services to the people. It is not easy to seek services when they are out of our reach,” he said.

“Today even the poor are able to light their homes and for that we are grateful. Let us serve these people without any failure,” Mosuoe said.