Former Prime Minister of Lesotho, Pakalitha Mosisili, has been awarded five honorary awards for his leadership and contributions to addressing socio-economic challenges during his tenure. The awards were presented in Harare, Zimbabwe, last month. Dr. Mosisili served as prime minister for a combined 17 years, first from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017.
The awards received by Dr. Mosisili include the Visionary Award, African Leader Icon Award, Global Humanitarian Award, Global Visionary Award, and Monique Royal Tucker Award. The Monique Royal Tucker Award was conferred by iChange Nations, an organization that promotes global change and civility while recognizing individuals for their humanitarian work and leadership.
According to Dr. Mosisili, the awards largely recognize programs his government introduced to tackle HIV/AIDS and improve the lives of ordinary Basotho. Some of these initiatives include free primary education, school feeding schemes, the old age pension, and efforts to expand access to healthcare. He cited the introduction of free primary education in 2000 as one of the key initiatives that opened school doors to thousands of children who had previously been unable to afford school fees.
Dr. Mosisili's government also introduced a textbook rental scheme to ease the financial burden on parents. The scheme involved buying books on behalf of state-funded schools for learners to rent at a fee of M200 for the learning period. This initiative ensured that no child was left behind due to a lack of money for textbooks. Additionally, his government built public schools at a time when most schools were owned by churches.
The introduction of free primary education led to a significant increase in school enrolment, forcing Dr. Mosisili's government to construct more schools. He expressed hope that subsequent governments would extend free education to secondary schools, as many children who benefited from free primary education were forced to abandon their studies when they reached secondary level due to school fees.
Dr. Mosisili also pointed to the removal of charges at hospitals and clinics, particularly at clinics, to ensure that people could access healthcare even when they had no money. While he was humbled by the recognition, he expressed disappointment that it came from outside Lesotho rather than his own country. Dr. Mosisili announced his retirement from active politics in November 2018.
Dr. Mosisili emphasized the need for Lesotho to rethink its education system to address unemployment. He argued that the current curriculum largely prepares learners to seek employment rather than create jobs using the skills they acquired. He suggested introducing technological skills in schools to enable children to earn an income, whether they are employed or not.
Key points
- Dr. Mosisili received five international awards for his leadership and contributions to addressing socio-economic challenges in Lesotho.
- The awards recognize programs introduced by Dr. Mosisili's government, including free primary education and efforts to expand access to healthcare.
- Dr. Mosisili emphasized the need for Lesotho to rethink its education system to address unemployment and introduce technological skills in schools.
