Billy Ntaote
A GROUP of political activists who organised the 18 September 2016 march to show support for the Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili-led coalition has called for the ouster of Police and Public Safety Minister Monyane Moleleki for allegedly undermining the government through “reckless public utterances”.
Mr Moleleki who is also Dr Mosisili’s deputy in the Democratic Congress (DC) party boycotted the march and chose to address a rally in his Machache constituency on the same day.
Mr Moleleki used the rally to denounce the march organisers and also raise allegations of corruption in the award of the vehicle fleet service tender to Bidvest Fleet Company by DC treasurer and Finance Minister Dr ’Mamphono Khaketla.
The march organisers included individuals said to be members of a faction within the DC supporting Dr Mosisili’s leadership in the party and identified as Lithope (loosely translated to girlfriends).
The activists included Bokang Ramatšella of the Lesotho People’s Congress (LPC) – a member of the seven-party coalition government. Mr Ramatšella claimed in a press conference held on Monday Mr Moleleki — who is also linked to the DC faction Lirurubele (butterflies) — had “neglected his duties and does not deserve to continue to be minister in His Majesty’s Cabinet and should resign”.
He said Mr Moleleki’s actions had “shocked” the coalition government’s supporters by criticising the Bidvest deal.
“We were shocked to hear the minister tell a rally about what he called a corrupt decision by the government,” Mr Ramatšella said.
“It is shocking that the minister said the fleet tender was corruptly handled by the Finance ministry when he participated in a cabinet meeting where the decision was made. We know him to be a Police minister who is part of decisions made by cabinet.
“We are shocked by his audacity to undermine decisions of cabinet at his rallies. It is outrageous for Moleleki to say he has a document and he does not even care if he was to be chased by the police because he has evidence of the corruption he alleges.”
Mr Ramatšella further said Mr Moleleki lacked the ethics to hold office as a minister since he had probably leaked confidential cabinet information.
“To our understanding, each minister is issued with a copy of documents when they are discussed at cabinet level and it would be unfortunate if they have been leaked,” he said.
“It is time he resigned because this country will be ungovernable if we will have ministers who disclose cabinet information to the public and use the same information to discredit government.”
A DC member, Nteboheleng Ralekuku, also said at the press conference Mr Moleleki should not have gone public with the corruption claims as he was bound by cabinet collective responsibility.
“It was unfortunate for the minister to take the decisions to the streets when he was part of that cabinet. The Lebelonyane people could not be awarded the tender due to their own shortcomings. I doubt that the minister still respects cabinet,” Ms Ralekuku said.
