Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE Basotho National Party (BNP) deputy leader Machesetsa Mofomobe yesterday threw his hat into the ring as he sought to take over the party’s top job.
Mofomobe handed his letter of intent to the party’s secretary general, Thato Lethobane, who told the deputy leader’s boisterous supporters that he would pass it on to relevant committee.
He becomes the third senior party official after Professor Lehlohonolo Mosotho and Advocate ’Mota Nkuatsana to officially register an interest in the top post.
Speaking at the party premises, Mofomobe said the fact that his party had opened up to all members to contest for the leadership position was confirmation of its strong democratic credentials.
He said he joined the BNP in 1983 when he was just 10-years-old after seeing BNP members dancing and singing a song that says “Bo-Ntsu Mokhehle re tla ba bona mohlang ba tlang Lesotho, molato ha o bole” (We will deal with Ntsu Mokhehle and company when they come to Lesotho, their wrongdoing will not be forgotten).
He said at the age of 16 he became the chairman of the Maseru Central constituency, adding that he was not in Bloemfontein like his competitors. “I practised the BNP democracy left and right,” Mofomobe said.
He also said he took part in the 1991 elections after the infamous Order Number 4 that banned political activities was lifted. “The army decided to return the nation to democracy in 1993,” he said.
He added that the BNP had to go for elections without a leader but their intelligent constitution solved that as their leader Leabua Jonathan had died together with his deputy, Nehemia Sekhonyana ’Maseribane, and Matete Majara would hold forte until a new leader was elected.
There were only two contestants, Chiefs Retšelisitsoe Sekhonyana and Peete Nkuebe Peete. “I was on Retšelisitsoe’s side and my younger brother was with Peete Peete,” he said. Sekhonyana won the contest.
Mofomobe said BNP members should not liken him to Professor Mosotho because he had been present all along when the company he leads, Tšepong (Pty) Ltd, wreaked havoc at Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital but he did too little to solve the problem.
Professor Mosotho last week told his supporters that he had helped solve the problem at the hospital. “Tšepong has been taking M500 million (from the government) and where was he?”
He said it is not true that Prof Mosotho helped the fired nurses return to work because even as we speak today they are still jobless. He also said it does not make sense that Prof Mosotho claims to have helped the Alliance of Democrats (AD) and the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in the past election.
“How can you fund your competitors in politics?” The BNP, AD, ABC and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho (RCL) formed a coalition government in 2017. He continued to say Professor Mosotho is not even well-known amongst members of the BNP.
He pleaded with members to respect the party leader Chief Thesele ’Maseribane until the last day in the party’s leadership “and even when out of it because he will always be our leader”.
He criticised contender Nkuatsana and others for dragging the party to court seeking to oust Chief ’Maseribane. “They have brought a curse upon themselves,” he said.
He stated that the court case does not make sense and members should stop confusing it with democracy. He urged members to stop destabilising the party for their own personal interests.
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