Africa-Press – Lesotho. With elections on the horizon, the political parties have entered into a spirited marathon to woo electorates to vote for them in the upcoming national elections to be held later in October this year. The Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) Leader Sam Matekane said when they assume governance they will pursue values of good governance which he argued are critical in achieving
economic growth and development. This he said during the launch of his party’s manifesto for the upcoming general elections on Sunday in Maseru. “There are important
principles and we have established that if they are not used or not followed, being the foundations of governance, [if compromised] such government will not
effectively deliver “If you see us happy, ululating, just know that the economy of our country is growing, and we see Basotho benefiting in such growth, and also if you see us with dejected faces
and disappointed, it is because our government has failed to grow the economy of our country,” he said. RFP is the fifth party to unveil its manifesto after the All Basotho Convention (ABC), Democratic
Congress (DC), Movement for Economic Change (MEC), and Basotho National Party (BNP). The prominent Lesotho business mogul and philanthropist cum politician said his party will ensure that
meritocracy is upheld. Matekane promised his prospective electorates that when in government he will mount a war against corruption and nepotism. According to the party’s
manifesto, the party once in government will establish a “fit for purpose framework for political candidates. ” The party promises to enhance the capacity of the public institutions from the judiciary, security
agencies, an anti-corruption body, prosecuting authority, Accountant-General, and Auditor-General. The RFP leader argued that when Lesotho attained independence in 1966, it was more
economically advanced than the Kingdom of eSwatini and Botswana but now the former is three times richer than Lesotho while the latter is six times richer.
During the launch of RFP in March, he said: “We need a radical change in the established order, a transformative event, a great turning point in our country,”
RFP has listed 10 priority areas in its manifesto that it promises to implement if elected into government. They are the food security and agriculture revolution;
healthcare revolution; energy sector revolution; industrialization revolution; development finance revolution; extractive industry revolution; good governance revolution;
social security revolution; information communication technology (ICT) revolution and implementation revolution. The new kid on the political block, RFP is poised to amass a lot of votes at least judging by the multitudes
of supporters and sympathizers who attended the manifesto launch. Meanwhile, the party or parties that will form government face the critical task of expanding the
government’s revenue base to fulfill their promises and aspirations for the nation. The government is currently pleading poverty with the dwindling Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revenues, a volatile economy, and a high
public debt. There are 60 parties that have registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). In 2017, 27 political parties contested elections and this figure has doubled and is likely to increase exponentially. Matekane appealed to his party members to cast their votes in huge numbers come the election day. RFP was formed on March 22, 2022.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
