Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Likopo Mahase and the All Basotho Convention (ABC)’s secretary general, Lebohang Hlaele, almost exchanged blows at a Khubetsoana constituency committee meeting last Saturday.
Mahase, who is the MP for Khubetsoana, was angry that Hlaele had attended the elective conference for the constituency committee. Mahase allegedly insulted Hlaele with unprintable words.
When Hlaele protested, Mahase became belligerent and said he didn’t owe him an explanation. Mahase’s supporters also joined in the fray, insulting Hlaele and telling him to leave the hall.
Mahase wants to keep control of the constituency committee so that he seeks re-election in the next general elections. Sources however say he faces stiff resistance from some party members who claim he has failed to represent the constituency.
A source said Mahase believes the members want to replace him with Kabelo Lehora, the principal secretary for the National Security Services (NSS). Lehora was recently transferred from the Prime Minister’s office, where he was the principal secretary for Cabinet, after he clashed with Mahase over cars and other operational issues.
Lehora however attended the Saturday meeting not as a candidate but chairman of an ad hoc committee that was conducting the election. Hlaele and Sekhonyana Mosenene, a national executive committee member, had been assigned to observe the election process.
Mahase allegedly confronted Hlaele about his presence at the meeting and insulted him. Lehora said that is when the conference nearly descended into chaos.
Lehora said this was the second time that the constituency committee election was suspended due to disagreements among the members. “Last week we were stopped by an electricity cut that was done deliberately, and the election was postponed to this week,” Lehora told thepost.
Lehora said he was helping with the programme while Hlaele and the outgoing constituency committee were having discussions at the high table. “That was when I heard Mosenene yelling and asking if Hlaele had heard that Mahase had just insulted him,” Lehora said.
He said Hlaele responded by saying he had heard the insult and asked Mahase why he was insulting him. “(Mahase) responded respectfully, saying he would not discuss anything with Hlaele.
” Lehora said the situation degenerated from there.
“The constituency MP (Mahase) shouted disgraceful words like “Voestek!”, “Ha e ee”, and “Tsamaea u mengoe ke mang?”
Lehora said Hlaele decided to walk out of the hall, amid insults from Mahase’s supporters. He said Hlaele came back into the hall after a while and announced that the election had been suspended.
He said Hlaele then approached Mahase again, asking why he had insulted him. “Mahase repeated that he owed no one an explanation,” he said. He said Hlaele was so angry that his bodyguards had to escort him out of the hall.
“I then helped the bodyguard to escort Mahase out of the hall to his car as the members were now getting out of control,” Lehora said.
Lehora said the bodyguards took Mahase and his family home. He said he too has been receiving threats since the aborted conference. “I am not scared, at least if they do not ambush me, I am fine,” he said.
He said Mahase has been fighting him since he transferred from Mokhotlong to Khubetsoana. He also said it was because of their conflict that he has been moved from the Prime Minister’s Office to the NSS.
“The matter is now going out of hand as it affects my security,” Lehora said.
Mabela Mahase (not related to Mahase), who attended the elective conference, said they had asked the national executive to be present because they had problems when they tried to have the elective conference a week earlier.
“I then heard Mahase’s faction yelling insults at Hlaele,” she said. She said after a while she heard Mosenene ask Hlaele if he heard Mahase insulting him.
“Mahase said Hlaele does not respect his constituency therefore he should leave,” she said.
Mabela Mahase said Hlaele tried to confront Mahase seriously but his bodyguard took him out to talk to him until Mahase was taken to his car and left.
She said Mahase “is scared of Lehora because most of the members are on his side”. “Mahase will never lead this constituency again, he did nothing for us,” she said. Hlaele confirmed the incident but said the national executive committee will not act against anyone involved in the fracas.
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