MEC says parties must end famo gang ties

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MEC says parties must end famo gang ties
MEC says parties must end famo gang ties

Africa-Press – Lesotho. Selibe Mochoboroane, the leader of the Movement for Economic Change (MEC) party, last weekend lashed out at political parties that recruit famo music gangsters into their ranks.

Mochoboroane was speaking at a well-attended election campaign rally in Matsieng on Sunday. He said it was unacceptable for political parties to recruit the feared famo music gangsters into their ranks for campaign purposes.

The famo music gangsters are closely tied to a network of illegal gold miners, better known as zama-zamas, who are based in South Africa’s gold mining towns and cities.

They have been blamed for waves of deadly violence across the two countries. The migrant workers in the mines, who number about 40 000 Basotho, form a key voting bloc in Lesotho.

That explains why political parties are eager to woo the zama-zamas. Mochoboroane said Lesotho will never develop and experience economic growth unless the authorities deal decisively with the famo music gangsters.

“You will never see these famo gangs at my political rallies,” Mochoboroane said.

The ruling coalition partners – the Democratic Congress (DC) and the All Basotho Convention (ABC) – have however not shied away from wooing the gangsters. The Terene music gang associated with Mosotho Chakela is a close ally of the DC with the Terene camp led by Mokata backing the ABC.

Mochoboroane said it was wrong for politicians to align with the famo gangs since they would not be able to take any measures against them when they violate the law.

The Thabana-Morena MP said robberies and killing will decline significantly the day that the zama-zamas disentangle themselves from the political parties. Were it not for the presence of the army, Mochoboroane said the crime rate would have been much higher.

He recalled a case of a robbery that occurred at the Mafeteng Post Bank where millions of maloti were stolen by famo gangsters who later spent it with one political party leader who was holed up in South Africa.

In 2019, Mochoboroane called for a thorough investigation of the pensions department after a series of fraud and robbery cases at various Lesotho Post Bank branches.

Two months ago Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro complained that famo gangsters were wreaking havoc in the country and when they are arrested “prominent people in government approach the police to destroy their cases”.

Mochoboroane said they have had enough of the killings and those who kill each other with impunity should not be granted bail. “Habitual killers who have turned into serial killers should also be killed,” Mochoboroane said.

He said the crimes and corruption that happen in the government ministries and departments start from the political parties. Mochoboroane said at one time he suspended one of his MPs who was implicated in criminal activities.

“The people in Mafeteng were not pleased with that,” he recalled.

“I will suspend members who do not adhere to the party’s policies (even if it means) I will be the only left in the party.

He said his MEC will soon set up a committee to crack the whip where their members have been deployed. Mochoboroane also accused the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) of sleeping on the job.

He said the DCEO is not effective as it never wins court cases. Mochoboroane said he would set up specialised courts to deal with white colour crime in Lesotho if his party wins elections next month.

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