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“We are concerned about the collapse of services”: Bishops in Lesotho

Bishops of Lesotho together with the Apostolic Nuncio (2nd left) during their plenary session.

Catholic Bishops in Lesotho have raised concerns over the poor service delivery in their country, a situation they consider “a threat to society.”

“We are deeply disturbed by the demand for services that is fueled by conflict and the need for stability within government. This is a threat to society and undermines the already fragile economy,” the Bishops have stated in their collective statement issued at the end of their five-day Plenary Assembly that concluded February 6.

“We reiterate: we are concerned about the collapse of services in many government departments and public service centers,” the members of Lesotho Catholic Bishops’ Conference (LCBC) have stressed in their statement obtained by ACI Africa.

In the two-page collective statement, the Shepherds of the people of God in the landlocked country have called on those in charge of the country's leadership to “be mindful of the harm” they are inflicting on the Basotho people.

Meanwhile, during their plenary sessions at St. Elizabeth's residence, Sekamaneng, the Prelates also commended the move by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Tom Thabane, to willingly step down from power.

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The 80-year old leader announced his decision to step down on January 16 citing old age, though speculation has been rife that the move was fueled by the arrest and subsequent prosecution of his wife Maesiah Thabane over the killing of her husband’s estranged wife, Lipolelo Thabane in 2017.

“We begin by congratulating the Honorable Prime Minister on doing something so uncommon in the African continent that he never felt tired telling the public,” the Bishops have said and urged, “We call on all the electorate of the Basotho community to respect and accept the Prime Minister's wish to rest.”

The Prelates also applauded the Prime Minister’s “courage and humility” to acknowledge that “the regime was a bad one.”

An enclave of South Africa, Lesotho has an estimated 70 percent Catholic population spread across four Ecclesiastical sees.