{"id":36501,"date":"2023-12-01T18:04:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T18:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/opposition-warns-sadc-of-coup-in-lesotho"},"modified":"2023-12-01T18:20:48","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T18:20:48","slug":"opposition-warns-sadc-of-coup-in-lesotho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/opposition-warns-sadc-of-coup-in-lesotho","title":{"rendered":"Opposition warns SADC of coup in Lesotho"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Lesotho. <\/strong><\/span>OPPOSITION leaders have warned SADC that a coup could be unfolding in Lesotho. In a letter to SADC, the leaders said their fear of an imminent coup is informed by statements made by Prime Minister Sam Matekane and security bosses in reaction to their attempts to pass a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Sam Matekane.<\/p>\n

The leaders claim they have it \u201con good authority\u201d that a plan has been hatched to use a protest march by government supporters tomorrow as a cover or an excuse for the coup.<\/p>\n

The letter titled \u2018Apprehension of creeping coup d\u2019e\u0301tat in Lesotho\u2019, was addressed to the SADC Secretariat and has the names of 11 opposition leaders. It bears the address of the office of the leader of the opposition, Mathibeli Mokhothu, who has been nominated to replace Matekane<\/p>\n

The letter says the government \u201cin collaboration with some among the security services is to effect a military takeover should a vote of no confidence be successfully passed\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ruling parties plan to bring hordes of their supporters from all over the country into Maseru on Friday 27 October to defend \u201cdemocracy.
\n\u201cChaos expected to ensue from the protest is intended to provide the excuse for the security services to take power in the name of restoring order and the protection of lives and property.
\n\u201cWe urgently request Your Excellency to urge both the current government and the security agencies to play by the rules of the game, respect and uphold the Constitution and ensure that Lesotho never again reverts to chaos and lawlessness.
\n\u201cWe do so in the genuine hope that your intervention may help avert the threat.<\/p>\n

\u201d The opposition leaders refer to a litany of events they say signal that a coup is in the making.<\/p>\n

They point to Matekane\u2019s speech of Monday last week over the state-owned Radio Lesotho \u201cthreatening those Members of Parliament who would dare to vote\u201d for the no-confidence motion against him.<\/p>\n

They also refer to the statement later on the same day in which Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli, flanked by army boss Lieutenant General Mojalefa Letsoela and National Security Service (NSS) boss Pheello Ralenkoane, appeared to threaten MPs.<\/p>\n

In that joint statement, the security chiefs said they would not allow any vote of no confidence in parliament, adding that the only business they would tolerate would be the passing of national reforms.<\/p>\n

Their statement has since been roundly condemned by academics, the legal fraternity, civil society organisations and the clergy. \u201cIt is our considered opinion that the security services have no business to dictate to parliament what it should or should not do,\u201d the leaders say.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch conduct and pronouncements by security chiefs are an affront to parliament and to the constitution which they are sworn to uphold.
\nFollowing Matekane and the security bosses\u2019 statements, they allege, roadblocks were mounted by the police on the route outside parliament premises on Thursday last week.<\/p>\n

On Monday of the same week, the entrance to parliament was blocked by a police vehicle. Among those obstructed was the Speaker himself, Tlohang Sekhamane, who subsequently addressed the House on what he described as \u201cunwarranted humiliation\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the Socialist Revolutionaries (SR) leader and the MP for Motete constituency, Teboho Mojapela, was stopped at a roadblock manned by more than 30 heavily armed police while on his way to parliament.<\/p>\n

Mojapela was roughed up and kept at the police headquarters but was released after nine hours without any charge. The government said he was not under arrest but was helping the police with investigations.<\/p>\n

On the night of the same day, the Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Machesetsa Mofomobe alleged that heavily armed police had laid siege at his gate. They only left around 4:30am.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday of the same week, the opposition called a press conference at the parliament premises but the police denied journalists entry into the premises. The press conference had to proceed outside the premises.<\/p>\n

Last Saturday Lt Gen Letsoela, while addressing soldiers returning from a mission in Mozambique, \u201cissued ominous further threats against any transfer of power from one government to another\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe unusual events of harassment and intimidation of opposition canvassed above fit in with this ultimate plan,\u201d says the letter.<\/p>\n

They say Basotho still have fresh memories of the recent history of the tragic ramifications of the involvement of security agencies in politics that necessitated SADC to intervene by requesting President Cyril Ramaphosa to facilitate peace talks in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe deem it extremely urgent to communicate to your good offices our collective apprehension of unfolding developments which represent an imminent threat to the constitutional order in the Kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Lesotho<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Lesotho. OPPOSITION leaders have warned SADC that a coup could be unfolding in Lesotho. In a letter to SADC, the leaders said their fear of an imminent coup is informed by statements made by Prime Minister Sam Matekane and security bosses in reaction to their attempts to pass a vote of no confidence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":36500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[233,246,963,245],"class_list":["post-36501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-lesotho","tag-democracy","tag-lesotho"],"yoast_head":"\nOpposition warns SADC of coup in Lesotho - Lesotho<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"OPPOSITION leaders have warned SADC that a coup could be unfolding in Lesotho. 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