Comedians fight for payment

MASERU – FOUR comedians who were engaged to spread Covid-19 messages during the March 2020 lockdown have accused the government of failing to settle the M250 000 bill they submitted for their work.

The comedians were engaged to produce a series of episodes to raise awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic.
The comedians are Bofihla ’Neko, known widely as Lilaphalapha, Thuso Dlamini (Shorts), Litaba Kotelo (’Makhubelu), and Keneuoe Mateee (Sir Mateee).

They were first engaged by the National Emergency Command Centre (NECC) and continued under the National Covid-19 Secretariat (Nacosec) with the blessing of the Ministry of Health.

They were engaged in March 2020, and had to do 10 Covid-19 awareness episodes and after the last episode they were promised that they would get their payment as the endorsement letter reflected.

’Neko said their first episode was aired on April 14, 2020 and they completed all the intended episodes.

“As a group we agreed that the other amount from the M250 000 should be deducted and be given away to the people as a helping hand because we were raised to know that unity is equal to a thousand golden coins,” ’Neko said.

Kotelo said they spoke to their lawyer on the matter but were advised that it will delay the process and they should try other means.

“We engaged all people in the communication cluster of the National Command Centre and all they did was to brainwash us with very convincing promises,” Kotelo said.

“The Prime Minister also knows about this issue,” he said.

“We went as far as the PS of Cabinet and the then Honourable Minister of Communication, Science and Technology, Thesele ’Maseribane but we got no answer.”

He said even after all the efforts they took, “no one gave us answers or even hope that we will ever get our money”.
Matee said they will continue to work with the government in other projects because the failure of their cooperation with one ministry does not mean the government failed them.

“We cannot stop doing what we love because the Command Centre does not want to do what is right,” Matee said.

“We will fight for our money till our last breath,” he said.

The four comedians say they are willing to do everything to make sure they get their what is owed to them.
The Ministry of Health did not respond to our questions until we went to print last night.

Zahidah Lekhooa