Africa-Press – Lesotho. Business mogul and philanthropist Ntsokoane ‘Sam’ Matekane said the country needs revolutionary change. This he said amid the eagerly anticipated “big announcement” where he unveiled his newly established party at his hotel in Maseru on Tuesday this week.
Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) enters an arena of a highly charged political climate as the country preps up for the general elections scheduled for later this year in September.
Businessman cum politician said in this “campaign” they believe in “growing the economy of the country and prosperity reign so that money should be there”.
The winner of the prestigious 2021 FORBES Best of Africa award said he “never dreamt venturing into politics” adding that the “ship is sinking in the ocean”.
“When one is in this situation, he has to adjust the ship and rescue the lives of those on board.
I have many satellite apartments outside Lesotho that I can just relocate with my family and enjoy life there but, ladies and gentlemen, it is not easy to leave your country, especially in the condition Lesotho finds herself in.
“I was visited by the idea that maybe the Almighty God may use me to rescue the nation of Basotho because there is no one who will deny that this country is fast approaching a failed state.
Our country will become a failed state,” he said adding that the situation which the country finds herself in needs revolution to bring about a total turnaround.
“We need a radical change in the established order, a transformative event, a great turning point in our country,” he said.
Matekane said the government always claim poverty and is unable to pay the service providers, adding that some of their businesses had collapsed and are not looking up for employment.
He narrated the problems which had rocked the government’s ministries, leading to poor services delivery owing to a lack of finances to address those.
He said the country fails to exploit opportunities such as the Africa Growth for Opportunity Act (AGOA), America-Africa trade arrangement that allows duty-free imports from African countries to the US market, but expressed dismay that only one Mosotho is benefiting while the rest of the beneficiaries are foreigners.
Matekane Group of Companies (MGC) Chairperson said Lesotho has also failed to exploit the Lesotho- European Union (EU) trade through an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement that Lesotho would enjoy quota and duty-free access to EU markets.
“Our country is blessed with many resources such as diamonds, wool, mohair and water and many others, and if all these were to be well utilised, they would promote economic growth,” he charged.
He said the country is approaching 60 years of independence but to this day Loti is still pegged to South African Rand, saying “we are not in control of our currency”.
Matekane added: “We are heavily reliant on Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the loans from abroad, in other words, the idea that we are an independent country does not really fit the description”.
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.
Taking stock of governance, he said it has deteriorated, adding that corruption is rife and nepotism is an “order of the day” wherein only those related to politicians benefit in terms of employment and tenders.
He said public funds embezzlement is common, stock theft is on the rise, homicides are surging. Matekane also alleged that there is human trafficking going on in the country.
“There are cries everywhere; there is no single sector which is not affected,” he charged.
Matekane said if Basotho can join hands, all these crimes will be stories of the past. “We spend a lot of time engaged in discrimination which is very subjective.
” He said nepotism and corruption are fertile grounds for poor governance. Matekane said they subscribe to the idea of a meritocracy system that promotes merit-based selection of people to positions.
He said the government which does not practice meritocracy will not be stable. “I cannot watch while my country become a laughing stock to other nations,” he said challenging like-minded people to come on board and fix the country.
“We will turn this country in our lifetime, we must succeed, we will succeed, failure is a luxury we cannot afford,” he said.
Theirs, he promised will be good governance where rule of law is observed, adding that everyone shall have a fair share to the economy. Asked if the politics will not taint his image, he said, “no” adding that he is not one to play dirty politics.
He said he subscribes to the notion of fair political practice. Matekane’s business offers businesses to the government of Lesotho from construction to property leasing.
If he were to become the Prime Minister, Sekhamane said his businesses would still continue to win government tenders, adding that Matekane would want his cabinet members to run businesses, a move which he said will have them less reliant on the government for survival.
The award-winning businessman was flanked by his team that includes the former Chief Justice Nthomeng Majara, former Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) Governor Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane, business honcho Lebona Lephema the Managing Director and Founder of Executive Transport, former Minister of Finance Tlohang Sekhamane, former Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) Head of Investment Promotion Mokhethi Shelile, Toloane Matekane, Nthati Moorosi, Thabo Maretlane, Telang Tajane, Thabo Mofosi and Metsing Lemphane.
RFP goes by the slogan ‘moruo ke bophelo’ translated as prosperity is life. He said they are yet to draw a manifesto but before that, he will take a tour around the whole country to meet with different sectors and learn the first-hand experience of the needs of the people.
The party is yet to appoint the executive committee and register with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in order to contest in the upcoming national elections.
Currently, there are 53 registered political parties with the IEC. Matekane is an established business mogul and arguably one of the richest people in Lesotho with multiple businesses under his belt. He trades in Lesotho and beyond borders and had extended his reach to countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and India.
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