An interesting aspect of our politics, which has manifested itself over and over again over the years, is that our people – politicians included – regard politics as a game of power rather than service to the people.
Yes, political parties are more fixated on attaining power than using that power to improve the lives of Basotho.
This has become evident again as the country gears up for local elections in September this year. Candidates from political parties are busy making all sorts of outrageous promises, some of them downright stupid.
Ask them a simple question: what is the importance of local government? And you will think you have landed in a lunatic asylum.
Parties have a responsibility to educate their supporters and aspiring candidates that councillors set the strategic direction and policy framework of the council. Councillors provide a bridge between the community and the council.
The parties would do us all a huge favour when candidates understand that an elected leader must be knowledgeable and skilled in the following competencies: communicating, facilitating, using power, decision making, policy making, enabling, negotiating, financing, overseeing, and institution building.
After all, the existence of local government has always been defended on the basis that it is a crucial aspect of the process of democratisation and intensification of mass participation in the decision-making process.
Mind you, it is always argued that no political system is considered to be complete and democratic if it does not have a system of local government.
Local government is generally seen as a defence mechanism against arbitrary power by government as it is a means whereby an unhealthy concentration of power at the centre is prevented. Local government, it is claimed, discourages the tyranny of the centralisation of power. There are no two ways about it!
