{"id":37248,"date":"2023-12-27T08:22:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T08:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/opposition-fights-back"},"modified":"2023-12-27T08:22:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-27T08:22:50","slug":"opposition-fights-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/opposition-fights-back","title":{"rendered":"Opposition fights back"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Lesotho. <\/strong><\/span>THE opposition is launching a nasty fightback after Prime Minister Sam Matekane defanged their no-confidence motion by roping in new partners to firm up his government. Matekane\u2019s surprise deal with the Basotho Action Party (BAP) has trimmed the opposition\u2019s support in parliament and thrown their motion into doubt.<\/p>\n

But the opposition has now filed another motion that seeks to get Matekane and his MPs disqualified from parliament on account that they were elected when they had business interests with the government.<\/p>\n

The motion is based on section 59 of the constitution which disqualifies a person from being sworn-in as an MP if they have \u201cany such interest in any such government contract as may be so prescribed\u201d.<\/p>\n

Section 59 (6) describes a government contract as \u201cany contract made with the Government of Lesotho or with a department of that Government or with an officer of that Government contracting as such\u201d.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Matekane\u2019s Matekane Group of Companies (MGC) has a history of winning road construction tenders. Other Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) MPs, most of whom were in business, had had business dealings with the government.<\/p>\n

It is however not clear if the MPs were still doing business with the government at the time of their swearing-in. Matekane\u2019s MGC Park is housing the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which is a government institution established by the constitution, getting its funds from the consolidated funds.<\/p>\n

The motion was brought by the Popular Front for Democracy (PFD) leader Lekhetho Rakuoane who is a key figure in the opposition\u2019s bid to topple Matekane.<\/p>\n

The motion appears to be a long shot but should be taken in the context of a political game that has become nasty. Advocate Rakuoane said the IEC\u2019s tenancy at the MGC is one of their targets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe IEC is one of the government departments,\u201d Rakuoane said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is currently unethical that it has hired the prime minister\u2019s building.
\n\u201cBut after the motion, he will have to cut ties with the IEC or he will be kicked out of parliament.
\nThe Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, said although the IEC is an independent body, it can still be regarded as part of the government because it gets its funding from the consolidated fund.<\/p>\n

The Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM)\u2019s Reverend Ts\u030cepo Lipholo, who seconded the motion, said the Matekane-led government \u201cis dominated by tenderpreneurs who have been doing business with the government since a long time ago\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow they have joined politics, they must not do business with the government,\u201d Lipholo said.<\/p>\n

He said some of the MPs in the ruling parties are still doing business with the government despite their promises before the election to stop doing that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who will not abide by the law should be disqualified as MPs,\u201d Lipholo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasotho\u2019s small businesses are collapsing day-by-day, yet people who are in power continue to take tenders for themselves.
\nHe applauded the Abia constituency MP Thuso Makhalanyane, who was recently expelled from Matekane\u2019s RFP for rebellion because he withdrew his car from government engagement after he was sworn in as an MP.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe set a good example by withdrawing his vehicle where it was hired by the government,\u201d Lipholo said.<\/p>\n

Rakuoane said during the past 30 years after Lesotho\u2019s return to democratic rule, section 59 of the constitution has not been attended to even when it was clear that some MPs had business dealings with the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis section stops you from entering parliament when doing business with the government. Those who are already members will have to leave,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rakuoane said they are waiting for Speaker Tlohang Sekhamane to sign the motion so that the parliament business committee can set a date for its debate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe law will also serve to assist ordinary Basotho businesses as they will not compete with the executive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many Basotho businesses in business these MPs are in. They must get those tenders instead. \u201d The new motion comes barely a week after a court application aimed at disqualifying Mokhothu.<\/p>\n

The government-sponsored application sought the Constitutional Court to declare Mokhothu unfit to be prime minister because he was convicted of fraud in 2007. Mokhothu has been suggested as Matekane\u2019s replacement should the motion of no confidence pass in parliament.<\/p>\n

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

Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE opposition is launching a nasty fightback after Prime Minister Sam Matekane defanged their no-confidence motion by roping in new partners to firm up his government. Matekane\u2019s surprise deal with the Basotho Action Party (BAP) has trimmed the opposition\u2019s support in parliament and thrown their motion into doubt. But the opposition has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":37247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,12],"tags":[233,246,343,245],"class_list":["post-37248","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-basotho","tag-lesotho"],"yoast_head":"\nOpposition fights back - Lesotho<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/opposition-fights-back\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opposition fights back\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – Lesotho. THE opposition is launching a nasty fightback after Prime Minister Sam Matekane defanged their no-confidence motion by roping in new partners to firm up his government. Matekane\u2019s surprise deal with the Basotho Action Party (BAP) has trimmed the opposition\u2019s support in parliament and thrown their motion into doubt. 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