Africa-Press – Lesotho. LEADERS of eight opposition parties in parliament have accused Prime Minister Sam Matekane of “misusing” state security agencies to scare them into silence and thwart their plans to oust him from power.
The leaders cited last week’s stop-and-search operation by the army on MPs outside the National Assembly premises and this week’s statement by Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli accusing some legislators of plotting to overthrow the government through a vote-of-no-confidence.
The police commissioner accused those planning the vote of no confidence motion of coercing other legislators into supporting it. The political party heads said it was within their rights to discuss and lobby for a no confidence motion against a prime minister whom they described as a non-performer.
That should never elicit their harassment by the army and police. The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) has nonetheless said the search and seizure exercise was not aimed at the MPs perse, but was meant to search for illegal weapons as part of efforts to combat high levels of crime.
But the political party leaders are not impressed. They addressed a press conference in Maseru yesterday at which they vowed not to let Mr Matekane off the hook.
In attendance were Democratic Congress (DC) leader Mathibeli Mokhothu, All Basotho Convention (ABC) General-Secretary, Lebohang Hlaele, Basotho Action Party (BAP) leader Professor Nqosa Mahao, Mpulule Political Summit (MPS)’s Reverend Remaketse Sehlabaka, Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM)’s Dr Tšepo Lipholo, Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) leader Tefo Mapesela, Basotho National Party (BNP)’s Machesetsa Mofomobe, and Popular Front for Democracy (PFD)’s Advocate Lekhetho Rakuoane.
In his address, Mr Mofomobe said the time had come for Prime Minister Sam Matekane to leave office as he had failed to address Basotho’s grievances since he came to power after the October 2022 general elections.
The BNP leader, who has emerged as Mr Matekane’s most virulent critic, and did much talking at the press briefing, accused the prime minister of having made lofty promises to the electorate which he was now failing to fulfil.
He descried the premier as clueless and of failing to achieve any legislative breakthroughs. “When the premier first came into office, we all agreed that we would be patient with him and give him time to implement his agenda,” said Mr Mofomobe.
“But we have now come to a point where we feel that he has to go because he has failed. We definitely can’t teach an old dog new tricks. ”
He said PM Matekane had failed to address parliament nor answer questions from MPs as should be the routine of any prime minister. He had failed to bring a single piece of new legislation to parliament and appeared to be a “dud”.
“Whenever there are meetings, he takes more than two hours without speaking.
.
. There is no contribution whatsoever from him. He and his other members of the government have not brought a single piece of new legislation to parliament.
Since he came into office, he has never uttered a word (in parliament); We are all just so confounded by his incompetence,” charged Mr Mofomobe. The BNP leader also accused Mr Matekane’s coalition of opposing any sensible ideas proffered by the opposition in the National Assembly.
He said the opposition leaders had thus resolved to vent their frustrations publicly, hence yesterday’s press conference. His sentiments were echoed by all the other leaders at the media briefing, who vowed to press ahead with plans to oust Mr Matekane via a no confidence motion.
Mr Mapesela, of the BPP, implored Mr Matekane to avoid “abusing” security agencies to settle political scores. There are always repercussions when such abuse happened, he said. He also urged the security forces themselves to avoid being abused by politicians.
He said some LDF members were now facing lengthy prison terms “alone” while their political friends on whose behalf they had committed political atrocities “are nowhere to be seen”.
This was in reference to former army commander Tlali Kamoli and many of his former soldiers, who have languished in jail for years now, facing trial for various atrocities they committed while in office.
Mr Mapesela said it was the right of legislators to meet and organise for a no confidence motion against a former prime minister if they so wished. “We can’t be threatened by the use of security agencies when we want to exercise our constitutional rights as parliamentarians.
How then can we topple the premier if we are not allowed to lobby? “There are those who are saying that he should be given time; what does he need time for?” Mr Mapesela asked.
“We don’t owe him anything and he is not an angel.
Other prime ministers who have come before him have been toppled and I even tried it myself with former premier Moeketsi Majoro though he won in the end.
We are not causing instability when we want to topple Matekane? We are doing what is expected of us. . . ,” he said. “Those causing instability are the police with their stupid statements.
What does parliament business have to do with them (police)?” asked Mr Mapesela in reference to Commissioner Molibeli’s allegations that some legislators were trying to coerce others into a plot to topple the government.
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