Knives out for Metsing

5
Knives out for Metsing
Knives out for Metsing

Africa-Press – Lesotho. 12 Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) constituencies want leader Mothetjoa Metsing and his National Executive Committee (NEC) to step down.

The constituencies blame Metsing and his committee for the LCD’s embarrassing defeat in the October 7 election that saw the party winning only two proportional representation seats and 12 000 votes.

The constituencies have written letters expressing their lack of confidence in the leadership and demand that they make way for fresh blood to revive the former ruling party’s fortunes which have been waning over the past two decades.

The pressure on Metsing comes as the party prepares to hold its elective conference in the next five months. The national executive committee’s tenure ends in December.

All senior positions, apart from the leader’s, are up for grabs. The constituencies, however, want Metsing and his leadership to leave office before the conference. The party is in the throes of an intense factional fight pitting Metsing and his secretary general Teboho Sekata.

Two weeks ago, the party’s administrative secretary had to flee the party offices and had her car scratched during an attack by a mob of party members who allegedly belong to one of the factions.

The letters demanding Metsing’s resignation come from Hololo, Likotsi, Stadium Area, Thaba-Tseka, Mashai, Mokhotlong, Matala, Machache, Mosalemane, ’Makhoroana, Leribe, and Qacha’s Nek.

The LCD spokesman, Apesi Ratšele, said the executive committee discussed the letters at a meeting on Tuesday this week. Ratšele said the letters arrived on Tuesday while they were in the middle of the meeting.

He however said the committee decided that the 12 letters were un-procedural. “All those constituencies do not meet the requirements of the LCD (constitution),” Ratšele said.

“The NEC has requested that the constituencies wait until next year when the party holds its conference as the current committee’s time would have expired,” Ratšele said.

He said their conference might be between March and April next year. “So owners of the motions must be patient enough, especially when they did not follow the proper procedure,” he said.

Ratšele said the complainants should have held branch meetings before writing the letters. “The letters have been written by individuals. ” One of the complaints from the constituencies is that the party plans to sell off the party‘s land to a businessman of Indian origin.

Ratšele however said this was a baseless allegation because the party is “looking for developers to develop our premises so that we benefit as a party”.

He said the members should wait for a circular that will clarify all the issues raised in the letters. Last week, Metsing said the party’s failure in the election cannot be blamed on his leadership.

He said the LCD lost the election because its members joined the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP). “I blame our loss on our members who did not vote for the LCD but the RFP,” Metsing said.

For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here