Qacha’s Nek — Questions over who was selected for work on the rehabilitation of the A4 road have emerged in Qacha’sNek, with residents and local leaders questioning how a recruitment list compiled at the start of the project came to differ from the people eventually employed.

The dispute centres on the approximately 12-kilometre stretch from the Mpiti junction to the Qacha’s Nek Border Gate, where residents say people from communities along the road were encouraged to register for jobs but many were later left out while several people from Tsoelike and Maseru were employed.

In an interview with the Agency, Sealemetse Monyane, a Community Representative from TJ, said residents were initially told that people from the urban council would be among those employed, but that did not happen. “We are asking, if they already had people they wanted to work with, why did they waste people’s time to register?” Monyane said.

He said some residents from the urban council had previously worked with China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC) during construction of the Ha Mohlapiso river bridge and the Semonkong to Sekake route, but were not selected. “The question is, those who are hired now, where were they taken and what do they have that those from the urban area don’t have?” he asked.

Monyane said residents had also questioned the criteria used to select workers, particularly after being told that semi-skilled workers were required. “We told them we have them, but they were not hired although they have even worked with them before. They picked those they love,” he said.

He alleged that the recruitment process was influenced by people with positions of authority, saying the issue was raised in a meeting attended by local leaders including the District Administrator (DA) and a China National Qingjian Corporation (CNQC) engineer.

Monyane said he subsequently wrote to the DA demanding answers and was called to his office. He further alleged that local leaders had raised concerns over the recruitment lists and who controlled them. “It’s clear that selection was made by the DA because he is the only one with lists,” Monyane said.

He said the issue also exposed tensions between the DA and councilors, alleging that the DA had told councilors he would not work with them because they stood in the way of development. “I realised then that he is politicising this issue and it’s so evident,” he added.

He also questioned the age requirements applied during recruitment. According to Monyane, the Roads Directorate had initially indicated during the registration process that people between 18 and 60 years could apply, while CNQC later imposed a lower age limit. He said the changing requirements had left some older job seekers questioning where they would find employment.

The concerns have also been raised by local councillors. TJ Councillor Moshe Mofuthoane said only one person from his Electoral Division (ED) had been employed, while he had learnt that the majority of workers were from Tsoelike and Maseru. “We were not included in the whole process as stakeholders,” Mofuthoane said.

He said councilors had tried to establish what had happened to the recruitment lists but were told that the lists would remain with the DA’s office. “Had we been involved from the beginning, we could have acted sooner when we realised there was a problem,” he said.

Mofuthoane said residents continue to approach councilors about the issue despite the road project nearing completion.
He also raised concerns about the distribution of quarry and tar removed during the road works, saying the councilors had also sought to have it given to communities, but they had not received any.

He said the DA had told councilors that matters concerning giving back to the community would be handled through his office, despite their understanding that he was not responsible for either the hiring of workers or distribution of quarry material. “We have not even received anything, even though we wrote letters as he instructed and took them to his office,” he said.

Mofuthoane further alleged that letters requesting the material were rejected by DA on the grounds that trucks could not enter the urban council areas, but questioned why, according to him, quarry material was being delivered to the DA's area. “We are surprised because at his home, quarry material is being delivered, and we ask ourselves how the trucks were able to get there,” he said.

Leropong Councillor Motsamai Ramasipha said councillors were verifying the recruitment lists before their next meeting with the DA, CNQC’s Human Resources department and the Roads Directorate. “We found the list and now we are confirming from our EDs so that we will have evidence, not just suspicions, during the upcoming meeting,” he said.

Ramasipha said people listed for employment in his ED told him they had been waiting to be called to start work. “I am not happy with how things turned out,” he said. “As public representatives, we learnt from the horse’s mouth that they would be hired and at the end of the day things changed under unclear circumstances.” He said the situation had raised expectations among unemployed residents who saw the road project as an opportunity for work.

Ramasipha also said CNQC had asked for places where quarry material could be loaded and that letters had been given to the DA, but the matter had not progressed. CNQC Officer Seven Chen, however, said the company’s recruitment process followed the list provided by the DA. “We are not even aware that there were complaints about recruitment,” Chen said.

A Roads Directorate official, who asked not to be named, also said the directorate was unaware of the complaints. The official said people were expected to be recruited from those who had registered during the recruitment exercise conducted along the Mpiti-to-border-gate stretch. “I really don’t know what transpired and it’s beyond us if people tampered with the provided list,” the official said. “As long as we are not part of the tampering, it’s not in our control.”
The official said the Roads Directorate had provided the list as it was after registration.

District Administrator Habofanoe Pheku denied allegations that he had brought people from Tsoelike to work on the project. “The claim that I brought people from Tsoelike is not true,” Pheku said, challenging those making the allegation to provide tangible evidence.

Pheku said the Roads Directorate had informed the district from the beginning that people living within the road perimeter would be given first priority.

He said residents were registered while he was present and that he was informed that no more than 200 people would be required because the project relied heavily on machinery rather than manual labour. Pheku said the list was subsequently kept at his office but that the actual selection of workers was the contractor’s responsibility.

He said he only learnt later that CNQC had not taken many people from the list. According to Pheku, CNQC explained that delays caused by a court case involving the contractor’s proposed campsite had affected the project schedule.

He said the contractor later indicated that employing unskilled workers would further slow progress and opted for semi-skilled workers, including some people it had previously worked with during construction of the 91-kilometre Makhaola-Lerotholi Highway in Tsoelike.

Pheku said he had insisted that workers from outside the district should not be brought in. “I can assure you that unskilled people working there are from Qacha’s Nek, but there are people selected from Tsoelike and a few from the list I gave to CNQC,” he said.

Pheku said he had invited the Roads Directorate director and the contractor to a meeting with other stakeholders scheduled for Monday, August 31, to explain why the original list was not fully used. “The road isn’t mine,” he said. “Instead of asking Roads for answers, they come to me or go to radio stations as if the road is mine.”

Pheku maintained that he had not influenced the recruitment process and said he did not know which individuals had ultimately been selected. “If there is any foul play, it is something done by CNQC,” he alleged.

He said the upcoming meeting should provide answers on the recruitment process. The DA also rejected claims that he had refused to work with councilors or that he regarded them as an obstacle to development.

He said the only letter he had received on the recruitment dispute was from Monyane in mid-July. According to Pheku, the letter raised concerns from TJ residents who said they had not been employed and were considering industrial action.

Pheku said he invited Monyane to his office and explained what had happened. “It’s not only TJ people who aren’t hired there,” he said. “By the look of things on the road, it’s not a lot of people working there. The question is, if I don’t give other people a chance to work there, what am I gaining?” he asked, answering: “There is nothing.”

The dispute comes as the A4 rehabilitation project moves towards the end of its scheduled eight-month implementation period, with an extension possible due to delays caused by a court case.

The Government of Lesotho awarded CNQC the contract in January 2026, with approximately M182.5 million allocated to the project.

Recruitment of unskilled workers took place on January 28 and 29 at Pheellong and Melele grounds, attracting hundreds of job seekers, some of whom arrived the previous evening despite persistent rain.

At the time, Senior Human Resource Officer at the Roads Directorate Moloantoa Rakhoarai said the recruitment of people aged between 18 and 60 from nearby villages was intended to address challenges including late arrival, absenteeism and safety risks associated with long-distance travel. “We are not discriminating,” Rakhoarai said. “We are prioritising safety and reliability.”

With the Roads Directorate, CNQC, district administration and community representatives now expected to meet on August 31, the recruitment lists and the criteria used to turn them into actual employees are set to come under scrutiny.
For residents who registered months ago and say they are still waiting for the call to work, the meeting is expected to clarify how the original recruitment exercise translated into the workforce now on the road project.