Lesotho’s Foreign Affairs Ministry ordered to pay
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…as Court rules in Ambassador Mokaeane’s favour
By Mamello Masaefane
Lesotho’s High Commissioner to London, Rethabile ‘Mahlompho Mokaeane’s woes at the mission will come to an end after her victory in a case in which she was demanding the Foreign Affairs and International Relations Ministry pay her emoluments fitting of her position.
In its second session the court of appeal has ruled that within five (5) days, Foreign Affairs Ministry should pay Mokaeane’s employment benefits in terms of Regulation 110 (1) and (2) of the public service regulations of 2008.
The country’s Apex Court said this must be done by making immediate payment of Mokaeane’s children’s school fees in respect of school fees payable from 5th January 2021.
Foreign Affairs Ministry has also been mulcted with costs of the legal battle Mokaeane endured.
The court of appeal has also ruled “in the event that the respondents fail to pay the granting of this order, the applicant is granted leave to approach the court on the same papers or supplemented whenever necessary to seek enforcement of the order on such terms as the court may fit”.
Mokaeane and former Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Principal Secretary, Retired Colonel Tanki Mothae, had disputes overpayments of school fees for Mokaeane’s children.
Mothae was arguing all her other colleagues in the London mission were ordered to take their children to public schools as they have been proven to be good and the government does not have much money for private schools.
Mokaeane had however argued that Mothae’s predecessor ‘Mamonyane Bohloko, had approved for payments of her children’s school fees in a private school.
In her defence, Mokaeane also told Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee all public schools were full when she first arrived in London and that private schools were her only option.
Mokaeeane had earlier this year told Public Accounts Committee that her three (3) children’s school fees were costing GBP14,000 per session and it is paid in three (3) sessions.
KDNews, therefore, understands the ministry has to pay GBP42,000 for each child from January, totalling GBP126,000 for three of them; which translates to M2,654,401.68 for three (3) sessions.
Mokaeeane had since told KDNews that she has been deprived of her benefits since she assumed her position in the London mission that include 2 years without an official high commissioner’s vehicle as well as medical bills.
