Reject MPs’ salary demands

Lesotho’s MPs are said to be pushing a 100 percent salary increase that will take their monthly salaries to a staggering M75 000 per month. The story, which is being denied in some quarters, has triggered a national furore. That is not surprising because the new proposed fi gure comes at a time when most Basotho can barely breathe, buffeted by mighty winds of economic crisis and uncertainty. We know that the government could only manage to award a measly fi ve percent raise for civil servants when the budget was passed in February. As a result of the Covid-19 inspired economic downturn in business, most private companies have been forced to lay off staff and signifi cantly cut salaries in a bid to stay afl oat. Experts warn that the effects of the pandemic might linger on for the next two years, with devastating consequences for the bottom poor. Lesotho’s economy was already anemic even before Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown from March 30 to early May only exacerbated what was already a precarious situation. We can only shudder to think what lays ahead for our small economy over the next couple of months as companies begin to shed jobs. It would therefore seem to be a clear demonstration of lack of sensitivity on the part of the government to award lavish salary adjustments to MPs at this present time. With an election just two years away, that would be suicidal for the governing parties in the new coalition as they would be seen as insensitive and tone deaf. Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro and his new coalition government must therefore swiftly reject the MPs demand and push for austerity for everyone, including for the MPs. Their demand is simply a wrong call at the wrong time. Over the last couple of years, the message from the government has been that it is no longer business as usual. We have been told in very clear terms that it’s time to tighten our belts. The belt-tightening process must involve everyone, including MPs. There is no argument that our MPs, who are currently earning a gross monthly salary of M37 000, are some of the best paid in Lesotho. That salary is 18 times that of an average factory worker who takes home M2 000 per month. We do not buy their argument that they must be paid just like their peers in the region. The economic circumstances are simply different. Any push to double their salaries will likely come across as sheer greed and the MPs will not win that battle of perceptions. In the court of public opinion, MPs are already seen as a bunch of greedy politicians who are only too keen to feather their own nests. The conclusion is that our MPs only want to use political offi ce as a vehicle for self-enrichment. It is demands such as this one on salaries that feeds this perception. Prime Minister Majoro must therefore fi rmly reject the MPs demands. Instead, he must channel the MPs energy towards the agenda for development. Our MPs must deal with the national reform agenda. They must deal with issues of national economic development for the country. We need fresh ideas on how to take this country forward. Parliament must be a vibrant theatre of struggle, with our young MPs pushing the agenda for change. That should be their preoccupation and not this narrow, selfish sand personal agenda.