Equipment worth millions goes to waste

Machinery worth millions of maloti has been lying idle at ‘Matheko Vocational Training Centre in Thaba Tseka district for the past 10 years after it was purchased through a government loan.

Most of the equipment, which was intended to support various courses such as wool spinning, fabric production, and brick making, has deteriorated to the extent that it can no longer be used after being exposed to the harsh elements of weather including scotching heat and rain.

‘Matheko Vocational Training Centre is a government-run vocational training institution offering vocational skills such as bricklaying, carpentry, and plumbing.

The run down machinery has just been dumped outside where it remains idle and uncovered. It is part of equipment bought by government in 2014 through a M400 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of India. The funds were meant to revamp various places including Setsoto Stadium in Maseru, Ministry of Forestry offices in Quthing, and ‘Matheko Vocational Training Centre.

Lesotho is still repaying the loan with an interest rate of 15 percent, theReporter has established.

Parliament’s Social Cluster Committee members recently visited Thaba-Tseka and other districts as part of its oversight work focusing on education, health and related social services.

During these visits, the committee observed the neglected and deteriorated equipment at ‘Matheko Vocational Training Centre.

A member of the committee, Remaketse Sehlabaka, said they previously engaged officials from the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development some years ago, urging them to secure the machinery and ensure that it was stored appropriately.

At the time, the officials assured the committee that a suitable building had been identified and that the equipment would be properly housed.

However, Sehlabaka said the committee later received reports indicating that nothing had changed at the training centre, where the machinery remains idle and uncovered.

The centre was established in the 1980’s and closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, only to re-open in August 2024. It is part of government initiatives to improve vocational training across the country and create employment for young people.

Sehlabaka said the committee was shocked when they visited Thaba-Tseka on Sunday, only to find that some of the equipment was still dumped outside and not been protected in any way.

He stated that it was disheartening that government continues to service a loan for the abandoned equipment.

“The equipment has not been installed because there is no suitable facility where it can be placed, and there is no operational plan for its use,” Sehlabaka noted. “It was dumped at ’Matheko Centre because there was open space there, and the idea was that it could eventually be used to create employment. But that has not happened.”

The committee was now working to determine which pieces of equipment could still be recovered and repaired, he added.

Sehlabaka expressed concern that the equipment is occupying valuable space at the centre that could have been allocated for other educational or vocational activities.

“We will follow up again with the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development. We are wondering what the government plans to do about this matter, because the equipment has taken up space and has not served any purpose for a full decade,” he said.

He further revealed that engineers from India came to install the machinery some years ago, but at their arrival, they found there was no suitable building to put it.

Although these engineers were meant to be paid for installation, the ministry allegedly failed to coordinate the process, leaving them unable to proceed.

Sehlabaka said the committee expects the responsible authorities to take urgent action to prevent further losses and ensure the machinery finally begins to serve the purpose for which it was purchased.

Thaba Tseka District Administrator, Tlali Mphafi, said when he got into office in January 2024 he found the equipment idle and the school closed.

Mphafi told theReporter this week that he tried to see that the school reopens, which eventually happened with the help of the member of parliament for Thaba Tseka, ‘Mamamello Holomo.

He noted that his office managed to find storage for some of the equipment including baking utensils, welding machine, grinding mill, and bottle maker.

Efforts to get comment from the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development yesterday were not successful.

But commenting on the situation, chairperson of the Parliaments Social Cluster, Mokhothu Makhalanyane, said he is wondering why the government applied for a loan knowing very well that there was no storage for the machinery.

The country has lost due to the sloppiness of the ministry, he added.