The Ministry of Education and Training has on Tuesday appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on the Social Cluster following a petition by the Lesotho Principals Association (LESPA) over delayed payments to former acting principals. Presenting the petition, LESPA President, Mr. Mathafeng Moteuli, told the committee that between 2017 and 2022 more than 400 teachers were appointed as acting principals in schools across the country.

He said in 2024, more than 1,000 principals were appointed on a permanent basis, resulting in the termination of contracts for many acting principals. Mr. Moteuli said some of those whose contracts ended are still waiting for their terminal benefits, describing the delays as a major concern. He appealed to the committee to intervene, saying delayed payments continue to affect many teachers. Mr. Moteuli also raised concerns over delays in the payment of pension benefits, saying some retirees die before receiving their money.

He, however, commended the Ministry for improving the payment process over the past three months, although he noted that a backlog of outstanding payments still exists. Responding to the committee, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Mr. Rats’iu Majara, said several factors contributed to the delays, including the auditing of employment files and missing supporting documents.

Mr. Majara said the Ministry has decentralised administrative services to district offices to reduce congestion and improve the processing of payments. He added that the Ministry is also implementing the digitalisation of employment files to improve efficiency and ensure the safe storage of records. He said payments are processed in phases and that the Ministry has been directed to accelerate the payment process. According to Mr. Majara, priority will be given to settling payments for former acting principals, long-outstanding claims and cases arising from court orders. He urged affected teachers to ensure that their employment files contain all the required documents to avoid further delays.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on the Social Cluster, Mr. Mokhothu Makhalanyane, urged the Ministry to speed up the payment process. He said it is the responsibility of organisations such as LESPA to submit petitions to Parliament whenever issues affecting their members require attention.