{"id":8242,"date":"2022-01-07T16:41:13","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T16:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/cabinet-bans-political-rallies"},"modified":"2022-01-07T17:09:25","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T17:09:25","slug":"cabinet-bans-political-rallies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/lesotho\/all-news\/cabinet-bans-political-rallies","title":{"rendered":"Cabinet bans political rallies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Lesotho. <\/strong><\/span>CABINET yesterday banned all political rallies in response to advice from the National Covid-19 Secretariat (Nacosec). Dr \u2019Malitaba Litaba, the Nacosec CEO, told thepost last night that the official response from Cabinet is expected today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a meeting today and they have agreed that rallies should be stopped,\u201d Dr Litaba said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven those who were against the ban ended up agreeing after all reasons were advanced to them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Lesotho, like many African countries, is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 infections amid fears that a third wave could overwhelm the country\u2019s weak health delivery system. The third wave is being driven by more deadly and highly contagious variants of the virus.<\/p>\n

But the country\u2019s political parties, desperate to drum up support ahead of elections likely to be held next year, seemed oblivious to the threat and have been holding rallies attended by hundreds of people.<\/p>\n

Prevention measures such as mask wearing and social distancing were hardly being practised at the gatherings, making them potential super spreaders. \u201cPolitical rallies are super spreaders and they should be restricted otherwise we will be in danger,\u201d Dr Litaba said.<\/p>\n

Despite the Covid-19 threat, political parties have been holding rallies in many parts of the country. Attended by large crowds, the rallies are conspicuous by the failure to adhere to prevention measures.<\/p>\n

Many people, including political leaders accept that it is hardly possible to enforce measures such as mask wearing and social distancing. Yet, they continued with the gatherings, seemingly unperturbed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaseru, Leribe and Butha-Buthe have increased numbers as massive rallies were mostly held in those districts,\u201d Dr Litaba said.<\/p>\n

She said cases of infection have increased in schools, probably in part because some children were infected by their parents who have been attending political rallies.<\/p>\n

She said Nacosec had asked Cabinet to allow travel to and from India because the numbers have declined in that country and some Basotho in that country are desperate to return home.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur children are roaming the streets in India because their study permits have expired and flight companies are refusing to sell tickets to them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to lift that ban,\u201d she pleaded. Nacosec also wants a provision in Covid-19 regulations allowing for the punishment of schools that fail to adhere to Covid-19 protocols.<\/p>\n

But it is the issue of political rallies that was most threatening. Speaking to thepost before Cabinet announced the decision to ban rallies, some political parties said they would support a ban on rallies.<\/p>\n

Teboho Sekata, secretary general of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), said it is vital for the government to seriously consider Nacosec\u2019s recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe support the idea because we can\u2019t afford to lose our people to the virus,\u201d Sekata said.<\/p>\n

Basotho Action Party (BAP) leader Professor Nqosa Mahao seemed to send mixed signals \u2013 applauding the proposed ban on one hand but still determined to gather for party celebrations and worrying about financial costs if the Nacosec recommendation was adopted.<\/p>\n

He said the Covid-19 threat is real \u201chence our cancellation of rallies since last week\u201d. Professor Mahao said they were supposed to hold a rally in Mafeteng and another in Quthing but cancelled them when Covid-19 cases began showing an upward trend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to cancel because we didn\u2019t want to be the ones spreading it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mahao however pleaded for a chance to gather one more time for celebrations, while also expressing concern on the financial implications of such a ban.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no problem with a ban except that we will have to celebrate when we receive our certificate on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201d The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is today set to issue the party with a certificate showing that it qualifies to contest elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf rallies are banned tomorrow, it will leave us with huge expenses. It will be difficult to recover our costs,\u201d he said earlier, referring to the big celebration slated for today.<\/p>\n

\u201cOtherwise we do see the threat and we don\u2019t have any problem with the restriction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

All Basotho Convention (ABC) spokesman Montoeli Masoetsa said saving lives should take precedence over political campaigns. Parties, he said, can use other platforms such as social media to campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur government and country have no capacity to contain the virus and a lot of people could die because of (rallies),\u201d said Masoetsa, whose party is part of the governing coalition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have resources and manpower. We don\u2019t have vaccines and we still struggle with oxygen supplies.<\/p>\n

We have to preserve the lives of the people who vote for us,\u201d he said. Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) leader Tefo Mapesela said all large gatherings should be banned.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they ban gatherings, they shouldn\u2019t be picky. Rallies are similar to initiation schools (which the government has shut down) so they should also be closed,\u201d Mapesela said.<\/p>\n

\u201cElections can wait because they are not as important as people\u2019s lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, they shouldn\u2019t just impose a ban without strategies. They have to have mitigating factors and not just copy Ramaphosa who has remedial measures in place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, the Alliance of Democrats (AD), while supporting the proposal, sees the move as a political ploy to stop the party\u2019s campaign drive. Party spokesperson Thuso Litjobo alleged the government wants \u201cto hide behind Nacosec\u2019s advice to ban rallies when in fact they fear big rallies being held by the AD\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey see us as a threat. They are trying to stop us,\u201d Litjobo said. He said the AD has been following Covid-19 rules at its rallies despite the \u201chuge crowds\u201d in attendance. He said all parties should be given access to state media such as Radio Lesotho and Lesotho Television.<\/p>\n

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

Africa-Press – Lesotho. CABINET yesterday banned all political rallies in response to advice from the National Covid-19 Secretariat (Nacosec). Dr \u2019Malitaba Litaba, the Nacosec CEO, told thepost last night that the official response from Cabinet is expected today. \u201cWe had a meeting today and they have agreed that rallies should be stopped,\u201d Dr Litaba said. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":8241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,12,16],"tags":[233,246,245,503],"class_list":["post-8242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-homepage-english","category-policy","category-twitter","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-lesotho","tag-lesotho","tag-political"],"yoast_head":"\nCabinet bans political rallies - Lesotho<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CABINET yesterday banned all political rallies in response to advice from the National Covid-19 Secretariat (Nacosec). 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