Africa-Press – Lesotho. DESPITE a show of unity, the All Basotho Convention (ABC) and the Democratic Congress (DC) coalition government remains shaky with massive lobbying in full swing.
Although they have publicly announced that they are united, the ruling parties are in a race to tout opposition parties to join them so that they form a new government separately.
The parties are allegedly holding secret meetings with other parties with the intention to form the next coalition government. The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and the Alliance of Democrats (AD), have confirmed that they have been approached.
SADC appears to have caught whiff of the impending implosion of Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro’s government. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa sent an envoy on a fact-finding mission to Lesotho on Monday.
Majoro, according to a statement from his office, told emissary Jeff Radebe that the government is still intact despite the ABC’s split two weeks ago.
But on Tuesday night Professor Nqosa Mahao, who left the ABC to form the Basotho Action Party (BAP) with nine MPs, told a radio station that he informed Radebe that the government is collapsing.
Mahao is said to be busy lobbying the opposition, some smaller parties in the coalition government and some ABC MPs to form another coalition with the DC.
On the other hand, the ABC is said to be touting the opposition to form a coalition government without the DC. The ABC spokesman, Montoeli Masoetsa, told thepost yesterday that he “heard about the lobbying although I was never personally involved”.
Masoetsa however insisted that the coalition between the ABC and the DC is “still strong and we have agreed to work together in government until the 2022 general election”.
The ABC deputy chairman, Chalane Phori, speaking in his personal capacity, said they were aware that “there could be some of our MPs who could vote with the enemy”.
“One never knows exactly what will happen because although the PR MPs cannot cross they can vote against us exactly as the BNP’s Joang Molapo is doing,” Phori said.
He said he has been personally engaged in lobbying at a time when Professor Mahao was “threatening to tear down the government but now that he has failed, I have stopped touting for support from other MPs from other parties”.
The LCD spokesman, Apesi Ratšele, confirmed that officials from both the ABC and the DC are seeking their support to oust Majoro and his ABC and form a new coalition government. Ratšele said even the newly formed BAP approached them.
He said the LCD is not interested in entering government now, saying “we are waiting for the 2022 general election to be part of a government that will suit our wishes and principles”.
“We told the messengers of the two ruling parties, who came to us separately, that they have announced to the world that they are forming a government and they should keep their government intact,” Ratšele said.
“We are aware that the two parties no longer see eye-to-eye but we are not interested in entering the government with any of them under arrangements that will not suit our principles,” he said.
Ratšele said the LCD wants a Government of National Unity (GNU) in which all parties in parliament are involved. He also said one of their key demands was that “those people who are languishing in prison because their cases have been politically decided should be released”.
“What we also want is the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) or the TJC (Transitional Justice Commission). These requests are too heavy for them,” he said. “We are weary of governments falling each morning and each evening. ”
The AD spokesman, Thuso Litjobo, said his party had also been approached with the proposal to either support Majoro’s government or to remove him and cobble up a new coalition with the DC.
Litjobo said representatives of BAP have also reached out to them. Litjobo said the AD is open for negotiations “because we can work with anyone from anywhere as long as that will benefit the nation we are here to serve”.
“We do not regard any of the ruling parties as our enemy and we have no enemies in and out of parliament,” Litjobo said.
“As our name tells, if you are democratic you can easily be our ally,” he said. He said they are still waiting for the parties to come back for negotiations.
The Basotho National Party (BNP) deputy leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe, said they have been holding meetings with the ABC and the AD to talk about the future of government.
Mofomobe told a rally in Mohale’s Hoek over the weekend that his leader Chief Thesele ’Maseribane assigned him to negotiate terms on behalf of the BNP.
“There are serious ongoing talks about the government’s stability,” Mofomobe said.
“I had a secret meeting with ABC factions, AD and others.
“What is important is to put BNP first,” he said.
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