9 November 2026 by Monyane Khau

The Ministry of Health has not renewed the contracts of three senior employees of Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH), whose contracts expired at the end of October 2026. The decision follows a recommendation by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during its investigations into the hospital’s operations.

The three are Deputy Managing Director Thenjiwe Dlangamandla, Director of Clinical Services Dr. Benjamin Ngoie and Director of Nursing Services Moleboheng Tau. Nthati Lebona has also been relieved of her acting position as Head of Administration and returned to her substantive position.

When contacted for comment, Ministry of Health Public Relations Officer ‘Mateboho Mosebekoa referred this publication to QMMH Managing Director Dr. ‘Makhoase Ranyali.

Dr Ranyali said she was in a meeting shortly before 10 am on 9 November 2026 and would respond afterwards. However, following a reminder at 16:25 on the same day, Dr. Ranyali asked this publication to seek comment from the Ministry of Health’s Principal Secretary, ‘Mantšoanelo Monyobi.

“Kindly seek clarification from the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health, who is best placed to provide an authoritative response on the matter,” Dr. Ranyali responded.

A message sent to Monyobi showed blue ticks, indicating that it had been read, but she had not responded by the time of going to print.

Meanwhile, at least five sources within the Ministry of Health and QMMH, whom this publication considers authoritative, confirmed that the contracts of Dlangamandla, Dr. Ngoie and Tau had not been renewed and that the three had since stopped reporting for work. The sources also confirmed that Lebona’s acting appointment had been terminated and that she had returned to her substantive position.

“This offers some hope that the Ministry of Health listened to the PAC when it advised the ministry not to renew their contracts during its inquiry into the hospital’s financial management,” one source said.

Why is the non-renewal of the contracts of Dlangamandla, Dr Ngoie and Tau newsworthy?

Thenjiwe Dlangamandla – ghost workers and refusal to appear before PAC

Dlangamandla will be remembered for her repeated refusal to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after the Constitutional Court dismissed her joint application with QMMH Managing Director Dr. Ranyali to stop the committee from continuing its inquiry into the hospital’s operations and financial management in June 2026.

The two executives continued to resist appearing before the committee, even after the Minister of Health, ‘Mamokete Ntšekhe, allegedly instructed them to do so.

Dlangamandla also came under scrutiny during the PAC investigation over allegations involving ghost workers on the hospital’s payroll. The committee heard testimony from a payroll administrator who said he relied on a spreadsheet supplied by Dlangamandla to determine which employees should be paid.

Dr. Benjamin Ngoie – controversial private wing

Dr. Ngoie announced the planned opening of a controversial private wing, which was to be operated by Tsebo Health Solutions, to QMMH staff.

“We are pleased to inform you that our hospital will soon have a new private wing as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance patient care and improve delivery,” the memo reads.

According to the memo, the private wing would be located in the area currently occupied by Wards O and P, the retail pharmacy and the coffee shop. It was expected to offer specialised consultations, private wards, executive suites and other services.

The memo further stated that “relevant departments will receive further communication regarding roles, responsibilities, and operational guidelines.”

However, subsequent investigations by the PAC found that the procurement processes leading to the selection of Tsebo Health Solutions as the preferred bidder were procedurally flawed and did not comply with multiple provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2023.

The committee also found that:

QMMH failed to seek or document guidance from the Public Procurement Advisory Division (PPAD), despite lacking the necessary expertise on the services required.

The financial proposal was unclear about the amount involved and whether payment would be made by the Government of Lesotho or the company operating the private wing.

Tsebo Health Solutions (Pty) Ltd did not participate in the procurement process, and QMMH had no documentation relating to the entity.

The agreement was improperly awarded and lacked a legal foundation.

Moleboheng Tau – salary increment scandal

While serving as Acting Managing Director of QMMH, Moleboheng Tau allegedly increased her own salary and those of other staff members in her department.

According to the Lesotho Times, Dlangamandla is on record stating: “When she was acting, Ms Tau increased her own salary and that (sic) of her department staff. Fellow executive members tried to correct this behaviour but failed due to her response. Payroll Manager Patlo Khoalenyane confirmed that only he and the Managing Director could access the payroll.”

“The normalisation exercise set Deputy Directors’ salaries at M42,171, but Ms Tau altered her own to M48,000 and other deputies to M44,000. The basic salary was meant to be M42,171 for all managers, yet she (Tau) changed it,” Khoalenyane said.

Tau, however, denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that everything she did was legitimate while serving as Acting Managing Director.