Copyright lestimes
…Secretary accused of abuse of office …as she mounts forensic and ICT audits Mohloai Mpesi TENSION is sweeping through the chambers of the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission (LHWC) Secretariat, with staffers accusing Secretary, Helen Thandi Buluma, of misconduct. Allegations against Ms Buluma include abuse of office and unethical behaviour. However, she has rubbished the claims saying some staff members are resisting her efforts to follow laid down procedures to avoid financial mismanagement and procurement missteps. The LHWC is a bi-national body, representing the governments of Lesotho and South Africa, responsible and accountable for the project. It acts on behalf of and advises both governments and is the channel for the two governments’ input on matters relating to the project. The LHWC also monitors the activities of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) for project-related activities. This makes transparency, accountability, and operational integrity central to the Commission’s mandate. Ms Buluma joined LHWC at the end of March 2025, following the retirement of Charles Mwakalumbwa. She is the first woman to lead the Secretariat and was touted as ideal for bringing administrative and strategic experience from the oil industry, having worked as Acting CEO for the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA), responsible for importing fuel into Malawi worth US$50 million (about M850 million) a month. An inside source close to the developments told the Lesotho Times this week that the LHWC staff are unsettled and demoralized, citing growing whispers of impropriety, abuse of office, and unethical behaviour. According to the source, Ms Buluma’s approach has created fear and division among staff. They allege that her leadership relies on intimidation, punitive measures, and retaliatory actions against dissenting voices. Three employees — a Deputy Secretary, Systems Specialist, and Office Assistant — were suspended in what insiders’ say was a vindictive move. “Instead of inspiring trust, her presence at the helm fuels suspicion, division, and fear,” the source said. Another source said disgruntled staffers have escalated their concerns to the Lesotho government’s Chief of Staff, Sofonea Shale. “This matter is serious, so much that it has been escalated to the Chief of Staff. The victims went to his office. “It seems that she (Ms Buluma) is on probation, she has not yet been confirmed, but it is surprising that she seems to be problematic,” the source said. Ms Buluma, however, maintains that these suspensions were necessary to protect the Commission’s operations and ensure accountability. “They (suspended three) are the ones who know the systems . . . it is also important to protect them because they could be accused of tampering with the system. We asked them to step aside,” she said. Govt reaction Contacted for comment, Mr Shale confirmed he was aware of the ongoing tensions. “I don’t have a report, it is just that I am aware of these issues relating to civil servants. It was raised to me, but I do not have enough information to comment on it. It is not a matter which I can confidently say I have on my desk and I intend to act on it. I know there are issues of discontent in the Commission,” he said. For his part, Lesotho’s technical advisor in the Lesotho Highlands Water Commission (LHWC), Masupha Sole, said he was not aware of the claims. “I can only comment or deal with the issue once it has been tabled before me,” Mr Sole said. Buluma’s perspective Ms Buluma spoke to the Lesotho Times in an exclusive interview about the issues and her management approach. (see story on page 8) “When I arrived, I received a very good reception. It is my first time in Lesotho, my first time working for a bi-national institution. I have worked for the United Nations, for parastatals in my own country, and in different countries. Compared with other places I have worked, the reception here was super. I had to take time to understand what was wrong in the office. “From June, I understood we had to start enforcing the policies that are here. In a nutshell, it was relaxed, very relaxed compared to where I come from. “There were a lot of policies that were not being followed ranging from procurement, finance management, governance frameworks. My role after three months was to ensure that we started following the policies that were already there. I didn’t bring change. “There was resistance, yes, but the majority worked with me. It’s been a gradual journey where I felt welcomed. The resistance is usual; expected in an institution where people are used to doing things differently and somebody else comes,” Ms Buluma said. She stressed that her management decisions, including suspensions, are procedural and aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the Secretariat’s operations. “We used section 17.5 — suspension from duty and criminal prosecution — which states: ‘In circumstances where serious misconduct appears to have occurred, the LHWC could suspend an employee from normal duties pending an investigation or pending a disciplinary enquiry.’ We are not saying that they did this initially. We brought external IT auditors to investigate what happened and asked them to step aside. “Section 17.5.2 says the suspension shall not be used as a form of disciplinary action. So, it is not a disciplinary action; it is a precautionary measure. Section 17.5.3 says employees suspended pending an enquiry shall be paid their full salaries and benefits for the period of such suspension.” Ms Buluma explained that there were allegations of lost records and IT mismanagement. “We found that we have lost 30,000 records on the system that we keep from way back, which is very critical, but this was never reported. Over time I asked for progress on the records, but I would get false reports that everything is okay until later we would discover that there is a problem — one of our systems crashed. Because they have given us the wrong information from May to date, we did not accuse them immediately . . . we are still investigating.” She further explained the purpose of audits at LHWC. “My role is to make sure that we have an independent audit. The Secretariat is audited annually by independent auditors. We have instituted a forensic audit, but it is yet to start. We are going to do a forensic audit, and an ICT Cybersecurity audit. “These are not to target anybody but to provide me with an independent view from somebody who looks at it professionally. They will give us a report and we will know what the problem is and what to fix. Yes, mis-procurement has happened,” Ms Buluma said. She said her focus remains on restoring accountability, enforcing policies, and safeguarding taxpayers’ resources. “When you look at the mismanagement, the financial mismanagement, the funds that we use here are contributed by the two governments. Each of these countries has Public Finance Management Acts, meaning we are supposed to be accountable. I don’t think most people understand that this is taxpayers’ money. When you procure, in my mind, every cent, every Loti must be accounted for,” Ms Buluma said. Security threats Ms Buluma said there was a series of unsettling incidents at her home, raising concerns about security and potential interference as she nears the end of her probation period. She said the strange incidents started happening from the 29th of August when the trio were suspended. “I have beefed up security at my house, but between the 29th of August and today, strange things have been happening. I found the gate, which is normally locked, open at midnight. As we speak, the systems and remotes are being changed. “We have security personnel in place, but it feels as though they know the exact times we patrol. I am the only one with the remote. The other day, the security team called to say the gate was wide open. I thought perhaps I had pressed the remote twice. I even reported it to the Commission. “I have a cleaning lady who comes once or twice a week. On Tuesday morning, she reported that the gate was open. I asked the security team, and they confirmed that when they left at 5am, the gate was closed. Today, I checked at 11:30pm before going to bed, and the gate was closed. Later, the cleaning lady came and again said the gate was open. “An investigation is underway to determine who has been accessing the property. I also have security cameras, but they are not working properly. I reported this at the office, requesting someone to check the camera systems. “I am not sure if these incidents are connected to the issues at work, but my past experiences make me cautious. It is possible that the forensic audits could uncover something significant, and that some people may not want this information to come out. It is also noteworthy that Friday marks the end of my probation, so perhaps some individuals do not want me to be confirmed. Who knows?” Background: Malawi record Ms Buluma’s tenure at Malawi’s National Oil Company (NOCMA) had come under scrutiny in public records. The Office of the Ombudsman of Malawi ruled in 2022 that her appointment as Deputy Chief Executive Officer was “unlawful, irregular, unprocedural, and amounted to maladministration”. The investigation found that the role was not advertised, bypassed the Board, and was not part of NOCMA’s established structure. The Ombudsman ordered that her employment be nullified, her contract extension declared void, and that she should not receive terminal benefits or gratuities. Her challenge to the Ombudsman’s decision was dismissed by the High Court of Malawi, which upheld the illegality of her appointment. Additional concerns raised during her tenure in Malawi included allegations such as: Retaliatory suspension of staff who raised grievances or leaked information regarding her conduct. Allegations of irregularities in fuel procurement processes, including awarding contracts to suppliers who had not bid. Threatening behaviour toward journalists reporting on her use of public resources, raising concerns over press freedom. However, she has defended her time at NOCMA saying she was only victimised for standing for what was right.
