The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Tlohang Sekhamane, has urged Members of the House to critically examine the issue of not allocating the proposed budget for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA). He emphasized the need for thorough interrogation of the matter to ensure a full understanding before making decisions that will benefit Basotho.
This discussion follows a motion moved by the Leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Mr. Mothejoa Metsing, to delete recommendation 5.17 from the report on the budget and estimates for 2025/26. The recommendation had stipulated that the Ministry of Natural Resources’ proposed budget of M424.9 million for LHDA should not be allocated, except for personal emoluments, due to the Ministry’s failure to provide necessary documents during the budget analysis presentations by the Parliamentary Committee.
Mr. Metsing argued that instead of withholding the budget, the recommendation should be replaced with a directive requiring the Ministry to take legal action within two months against officers who refuse to provide the requested documents to the Portfolio Committee on Natural Resources.
Furthermore, Mr. Metsing reminded MPs of the importance of respecting the treaty between Lesotho and South Africa, which governs the operations of the LHDA. He emphasized that any budgetary decisions should align with the agreements in place to ensure the smooth implementation of development projects under the authority.
