as residents decry food parcels as payment for 12-hour shifts — Minister Mokhosi, MP Makhalanyane condemn estate management
Rethabile Pitso
THE management of Green City Estate has been accused of exploiting residents of Ha Abia by requiring them to guard the upmarket development for up to 12 hours a day in exchange for monthly food parcels.
The residents say the groceries they receive are inadequate compensation for the demanding work, which includes patrolling the estate’s boundaries, preventing livestock from entering the property and keeping unauthorised people away.
The arrangement has drawn sharp criticism from Labour and Employment Minister, Tšeliso Mokhosi, and Abia legislator, Thuso Makhalanyane, who have questioned the practice of relying on community policing volunteers to provide security for a private development.
However, Green City director, Mahesh Patel, has denied that the arrangement constitutes employment, insisting that it is a voluntary extension of community policing activities that existed in the area before the estate was established.
The Lesotho Times has established that the arrangement was facilitated through local chiefs, who were approached by the estate’s management to identify residents willing to help monitor the boundaries of the vast development at Ha Pena-Pena.
In return, the 10 selected residents receive monthly food parcels comprising 12.5kg of maize meal, 12.5kg of bread flour, two litres of cooking oil, 2kg of beans and 10 cartons of 500ml milk.
Some of those involved say they have become increasingly dissatisfied with the arrangement, arguing that the value of the groceries does not adequately compensate them for the time and effort required to protect the property.
One resident, who spoke to the Lesotho Times on condition of anonymity for fear of possible repercussions, said the arrangement had left them feeling exploited.
“I am among a few people who have been in this job for a few months, and I was shocked to learn that what management offered us was a measly grocery package in exchange for our services.
“Every month, we receive a food parcel comprising 12.5kg of maize meal, 12.5kg of bread flour, two litres of cooking oil, 2kg of beans and 10 cartons of 500ml milk,” the resident said.
Another resident said some of the guards had attempted to negotiate cash payments instead of groceries but were allegedly told that the equivalent would be only M550 a month.
“We were not happy with this response and have since attempted to approach some influential figures in society to intervene in the matter, but with very little progress,” the resident said.
The residents said their duties included keeping watch over the estate during the day and at night, preventing livestock from entering the premises, stopping unauthorised entry and reporting other suspicious activities.
They also complained that arrangements had previously been made to provide them with a heater in a guardroom near the entrance during winter, but that it was taken away after they began raising concerns about their compensation.
The residents said the food parcels were insufficient to sustain their households and did not reflect the demands of the work they performed.
Green City is a multi million, large residential and commercial development property, launched in 2020, began construction in 2021. Its first phase comprising over 70 houses was completed in 2023, while phase 2 which offers 100 premium plots is under way.
Despite the scale of the development, Mr Patel said the estate had not entered into employment contracts with the residents guarding its boundaries.
He said the arrangement was initiated after management approached local chiefs to seek assistance in monitoring the property’s exterior, particularly its boundaries, where livestock and unauthorised individuals could enter.
“The people being referred to are part of the Abia Area Mahokela, who have been offered community policing services long before we established an estate here.
“It is true that we approached different area chiefs seeking people who could keep watch over the exterior, especially around the estate boundaries, to ensure safety against people who might try to break in and animals that graze loosely around the area,” Mr Patel said.
He said management had never agreed to make financial payments to the residents, adding that the chiefs had suggested that something be provided in return for their assistance.
“We did not agree on any form of financial payment from the onset. The chiefs simply advised that we offer something in return, and when we suggested providing food parcels, the deal was sealed.
“This arrangement was established early this year, with the chiefs being fully in charge of the operations,” he said.
Mr Patel said he did not personally supervise the residents or determine their working schedules, explaining that management only received their names at the end of each month when they collected their food parcels.
He added that the residents were not permitted to enter the estate and were instead expected to patrol its exterior.
“Since we do not have employment arrangements, we have no sense of who is working and who is not. But at the end of the month, they receive food parcels,” he said.
Mr Patel further said Green City employed its own paid security guards, but these were deployed at designated locations within the estate and could not cover the entire property because of its size and the limited number of personnel.
He described the residents’ activities as an extension of community policing rather than a service provided under an employment relationship.
“The community policing members are not trained; they are simply extending to our premises the job they were already doing in their respective communities here. There is community policing all around, and Green City must not be an exception by being left out of that service,” he said.
Mr Patel said the estate was willing to consider concerns raised by the residents and had previously assisted community groups with various needs, including purchasing communication equipment.
He also cited an instance in which Green City contributed towards funeral expenses following the death of a community member.
He advised the aggrieved residents to raise their concerns with their chiefs, saying management was open to further discussions through the traditional leadership.
“I therefore advise this very group to have discussions with their chiefs about what form of payment they expect from us so we could start some negotiations. We are open to future discussions, but only through communication with the chiefs,” he said.
Khubelu Area Chief, Teboho Mohapi, confirmed that he was aware of the arrangement and said residents had been informed beforehand that their compensation would take the form of food parcels.
He said he currently had two community members participating in the arrangement and maintained that their involvement was voluntary.
“I have about two members currently in that arrangement, and both of them, together with the others who came before them, were briefed that the form of payment is food parcels.
“It is a matter of choice whether one takes the opportunity or turns it down,” Mr Mohapi said.
He said he understood the arrangement to be an opportunity for volunteerism rather than employment, adding that he would have expected the estate to consider the country’s minimum wage requirements had the residents been formally employed.
“So far, nobody has ever come to me complaining about that arrangement, and this is my first time learning that there are complaints,” he said.
Mr Mohapi said he was willing to engage Green City management if the residents formally brought their grievances to his attention.
However, Mr Makhalanyane condemned the arrangement, questioning why a private development of Green City’s scale would rely on community policing volunteers to protect its property.
“Though it is the first time this issue is reaching me, I find it shameful that there are people being treated this way.
“Firstly, Mahokela are not usually expected to be looking after premises during the day. These are people who group together during the nights to police their own communities.
“If the Green City community required such a service, I fail to see why they do not wake up themselves to police their own premises. The estate management is wrong in making that decision,” Mr Makhalanyane said.
“There are other meaningful approaches Green City could have taken if it indeed aimed to give back to the community, but I fail to understand why it opted to take this route,” he said.
Mr Mokhosi also expressed dismay at the arrangement, saying it was unfair for businesses to take advantage of the country’s unemployment crisis rather than create meaningful employment opportunities for local residents.
He said employers should not exploit people’s desperation for work by offering inadequate compensation for services rendered.
“It sounds unfair that people are being taken advantage of because of their plight. Instead of asking for volunteers, the owner could have created employment by offering at least 10 people jobs annually,” Mr Mokhosi said.
He questioned how an arrangement that had continued for months could still be treated as informal volunteering, arguing that the residents’ circumstances might have influenced their decision to accept the terms.
“It is unacceptable that a casual arrangement can carry on for such a long time. Those people must have been desperate to accept that form of payment, but I also believe they must have had hopes that, in the long run, they would be pitied and offered some formal jobs,” he said.