Africa-Press – Lesotho. Dr Mahali Phamotse says her expulsion from the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party last weekend will not extinguish her political career. Dr Phamotse, who is the MP for Matlakeng constituency, says she still has a future in Lesotho’s national politics.
“Although I am hurt that they say they have expelled me I will not stop in my political journey,” Dr Phamotse said.
She was expelled in absentia together with two other MPs, Jacob Makhalanyane and Rethabile Letlailana. Makhalanyane is the MP for Abia constituency while Letlailana represents Lithoteng constituency.
The three were booted out at a special conference for the RFP held in Maseru last Saturday. Their expulsion comes barely two months after the RFP’s national executive committee suspended them for a period of six years.
They had been ordered to not engage in any RFP activities including parliamentary caucuses, constituency rallies, and wearing the party regalia. Dr Phamotse said their dismissal was unlawful as they have challenged their suspension in the High Court.
“I am still waiting for the courts to rule, I am not ejecting from politics, this is just the beginning,” she said.
She recalled resigning from the National University of Lesotho (NUL) where she was a political science lecturer to pursue her dream in politics. “I will not stop, I am hurt that they say they have expelled me,” she said.
Dr Phamotse said the party expelled her because she invited leaders of opposition parties to her election victory celebration in her Matlakeng constituency after last year’s elections.
“I think they also expelled me for voting with the opposition,” she said, adding that she followed her conscience when she voted in parliament against the government.
“I am still an MP,” she said, adding: “A political party is just an umbrella when you are a Member of Parliament.
” She said she can only stop being an MP when she resigns, dies, or when parliament is dissolved.
“No one can remove me from that position, I will not be (thrown) out of parliament,” she said.
Thabo Maretlane, the RFP deputy spokesman, said the expulsion happened at the party special conference after their leader Sam Matekane made an opening speech talking about the suspension of the trio.
He said Matekane reported that the national executive committee suspended the MPs and it was up to the special conference to decide what to do with them.
“We do not have a right as a committee to expel members, only the conference would, and they did,” Maretlane said.
He also said the conference also resolved to keep the founding national executive committee until 2027. He said Matekane appealed to members to allow him to keep the committee he is leading intact until 2027.
Matekane said the current committee know and understands his vision. Dr Phamotse, Letlailana, Makhalanyane and a faction of the RFP had over the past year been pushing for an elective conference to elect a new leadership.
They argued that the current committee was an interim one which must pave way for an elected one. They took the party to court seeking an order to force the national executive committee to prepare for an elective conference.
Instead of holding the elective conference, the RFP national executive committee called a special conference where it expelled the rebels. Mokhethi Shelile, the RFP’s spokesman, said their conference “was authentic as it was called by a circular”.
“Our delegations were formed with three members from each constituency,” Shelile said.
He said Matekane’s opening speech “was just a report to the conference and not a decision”. “The members themselves made a decision that those three should go,” he said.
“One delegate was seconded by another and it passed like that.
” However, a dissenter MP from Pela-Tšoeu, ’Mope Khati, said “there was no reason to do this, because this matter is before the courts of laws”.
He said the RFP should have waited for the court’s decision. “I am still a devout member of the RFP until my leader or the committee decides to expel me,” Khati said.
“I hope the leader could arrange a meeting to iron out our issues,” he said. He said they are just MPs who must promote the public interest.
“We should remember that we are serving both our followers and other people who did not even vote for us.
” He complained that they attended the special conference without a clear agenda despite him suggesting that they should be provided with such.
“What happened there was just executing decisions that were made by the leadership,” he said. Makhalanyane and Letlailana declined to comment.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
