Maseru, Berea DAs fight to keep jobs
…as contracts near expiry Hopolang Mokhopi MASERU District Administrator (DA), Tšepo Lethobane, and his Berea counterpart, Phahlane Makoko, have launched a legal battle to retain their positions in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship as their three-year contracts draw to a close. The pair’s contracts are due to... The post Maseru, Berea DAs fight to keep jobs appeared first on Lesotho Times.
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…as contracts near expiry
Hopolang Mokhopi
MASERU District Administrator (DA), Tšepo Lethobane, and his Berea counterpart, Phahlane Makoko, have launched a legal battle to retain their positions in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship as their three-year contracts draw to a close.
The pair’s contracts are due to expire on 30 June 2026.
According to court papers, Messrs Lethobane and Makoko were appointed as District Administrators for Maseru and Berea respectively on 1 July 2023.
They have cited the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Mabataung Khalane, Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship, Nkhethoa Seetsa, Prime Minister Sam Matekane and Attorney General Advocate Rapelang Motsieloa KC as the first to fourth respondents respectively.
The applicants are represented by Adv Sello Tšabeha.
The two rushed to the Labour Court yesterday seeking urgent relief. However, the matter could not proceed after Labour Court President Teboho Thooso was unavailable. The case has since been postponed to today.
Court documents show that the applicants wrote to Ms Khalane on 30 January 2026 requesting the renewal of their contracts, arguing that they had a legitimate expectation that their contracts would be extended.
“On or around 2 February 2026, the applicants, pursuant to provision 10 of their employment contracts, respectively submitted applications for the renewal of their contracts for a further term,” the court papers state.
However, on 29 May 2026, Ms Khalane informed them that their contracts would not be renewed.
“You are hereby informed that your current contract is due to expire on 30 June 2026. This is pursuant to Clause 1 of the contract. The Ministry appreciates the services you have rendered during your tenure,” reads the letter attached to the court papers.
Adv Tšabeha argues that Ms Khalane acted outside her powers because she is not the appointing authority under the law.
“The decision of the first respondent is null and void ab initio (from onset) in that she is not the appointing authority in terms of Section 39 of the Local Government Act, 1997,” the application states.
“She does not claim to have been delegated any powers by the appointing authority when she authored the said letters.”
The applicants further argue that the wording of the letters suggests Ms Khalane acted without guidance from the relevant authority.
“The letters themselves suggest that the contracts would terminate unless she was advised otherwise, implying that she acted without any advice. Government, as a model employer, is expected to act only upon proper advice before making adverse decisions, not vice versa,” the application reads.
They contend that unless the decision is set aside, they stand to suffer irreparable harm as their applications for renewal would effectively never be considered.
“Should the first respondent’s decision not be set aside, the applicants stand to suffer irreparable harm in that, effectively, their applications would never see the light of day,” the court papers state.
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