Maseru, Aug. 27 — Remuneration and benefits of the Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) Officers requires urgent attention as officers do not feel valued.
This is one of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on the escape of inmates after it conducted investigations at Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI) following the escape of inmates on December 21, 2023, and the search exercise that was conducted at the institution on December 22 same year, which led to assault of inmates.
The Commission’s report indicates that there is an outcry at the LCS that officers are discriminated against and not paid comparable salaries to their counterparts within the security sector.
It adds that the Commissioner testified that officers in the Lesotho Defence Force, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service, the National Security Service and Lesotho Correctional Service were treated the same in terms of remuneration until 2012 and that since then, security Chiefs in the Army and the Police are paid better than him and his counterpart in the NSS.
The report also indicates that on evidence before the Commission, the issue of disparity between the salaries of officers in the security sector received Cabinet attention in 2019 and that at its Special Meeting on August 08, 2019, the Cabinet approved that the salaries of the security agencies be harmonised and be the same and equated.
“The effective date for implementation was September 01, 2019, and September 10, 2019, the Government Secretary issued a Savingram putting in abeyance the Cabinet decision as Cabinet was advising itself on the implementation of the decision” It adds.
However, it indicates that the decision was never implemented, highlighting that the government raised LCS officers’ expectations in 2019 when the Cabinet resolved that the salaries of the four security agencies were going to be harmonised and equated.
“The government should avoid making promises it cannot keep on the same issue” it adds.
The Commission therefore recommended that this issue must be addressed as it is not likely to die a natural death since LCS officers perceive the government to be biased towards other security agencies which exacerbates the problem.
Meanwhile earlier in an interview with Agency, the Minister of Law and Justice Mr. Richard Ramoeletsi said since the National Assembly is yet to debate on the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the escape of inmates, the Ministry will in the meantime prepare on measures to be taken based on the recommendations of the report.
The report of the commission was tabled in the National Assembly a few weeks ago.
Ends/LP/BM
