Bongiwe Zihlangu
PARLIAMENT has yet again been recalled from its mandatory winter recess to sit for a special meeting on Monday next week and transact “reforms-related business” ahead of a crunch summit of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).
The recall is contained in a circular issued by National Assembly clerk, Adv Fine Maema, and is dated 7 August 2023. The circular says the purpose of the meeting “is to consider the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution Bill 2022.”
This is the second time in two weeks that the legislature is being recalled from the winter break to work on the national reforms and prepare a progress report to be tabled before the 43rd Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government to be held in Luanda, Angola on Thursday next week.
SADC has expressed its displeasure at the snail’s pace of the reforms and expects Lesotho to present tangible results before the 17 August summit, especially after the prolonged stalemate between government and the opposition who failed to agree on the approach to be adopted when dealing with the 11th Amendment to the Constitution Bill 2022 or Omnibus Bill. The opposition was insistent that the Bill should be revived and passed at the stage it was when the 10th parliament ended. Government, on the other hand, opposed this approach.
Over a fortnight ago and following months-long extensive consultations between government and the opposition over the issue, Adv Maema issued a circular announcing parliament’s recall which had been scheduled for Monday this week.
However, on 31 July, the Official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mathibeli Mokhothu, effectively halted the recall when he wrote to National Assembly Speaker, Tlohang Sekhamane, citing “flaws” in the circular.
Mr Mokhothu, who leads the main opposition Democratic Congress (DC), said the circular which had been issued by Adv Maema at the Speaker’s instruction, did not comply with parliamentary standing orders in terms of procedure and the grounds of recalling parliament.
A day later, on 1 August, Mr Sekhamane responded to Mr Mokhothu admitting to the flaws the opposition leader had pointed out, and immediately issued another circular cancelling the recall “until further notice”.
However, Adv Maema has issued another circular calling the MPs to another meeting on 14 August to discuss the reforms.
Contacted by the Lesotho Times for comment yesterday, Mr Mokhothu said he was yet to meet with his opposition counterparts to discuss the issue.
“We are still assessing the current circular and will later form an opinion on whether it complies with the letter of the law and democracy. Before Monday, we would have decided whether the recall conforms with the standing orders,” Mr Mokhothu said.
Asked to paint a picture of how Monday’s meeting could unfold, Mr Mokhothu said: “Government and the opposition agreed that the Omnibus Bill will be revived as is, and that before being passed by the house, it will be segregated into three sections comprising clauses that require simple and two-thirds majority, as well as those that should be subjected to a referendum before being passed by parliament.”
Meanwhile, political experts from the National University of Lesotho (NUL), have weighed-in on whether Lesotho had the capacity to deliver a decent reforms progress report to SADC, considering the special meeting of parliament would take place just three days before the regional summit.
Dr Tlohang Letsie of the university’s Department of Political and Administrative Studies, said he believed MPs were capable of producing “a decent report” given enough time to do so.
“They can even work overtime if they are committed. However, in my view, I don’t see that happening because of the lack of political will and commitment. And I don’t see the opposition committing because they won’t like the prime minister (Sam Matekane) taking the credit. They can only pass certain reforms if there is commitment from both the government and the opposition, which I reiterate, I don’t see happening,” Dr Letsie said.
“We (Lesotho) will always be the naughty boys of SADC. We have been on their agenda for a long time and our country’s image is always dragged through the mud. If we continue dragging our feet, our development partners will withdraw their support for the reforms.”
His NUL counterpart, Prof Motlamelle Kapa also of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies, echoed Prof Letsie’s sentiments, saying lack of political will remained the major stumbling block.
“I am aware that Lesotho has to participate in the 17 August SADC summit, and I am aware that the clerk of parliament has recalled the parliament and it is reopening on 14 August. It is extremely limited time,” Prof Kapa said.
“It is like we are doing the reforms for SADC not Basotho. I say this because every time there is a SADC summit, you will see government acting serious about the reforms. I doubt there will be anything to report; there will be nothing significant and concrete to report.
We have been the laughingstock in SADC because now it is close to 10 years since we have been in the reforms process.
“The National Reforms Authority dragged its feet but at least it produced something concrete. As of parliament, they are not serious.
The Prime Minister rushed to SADC after assuming power (last year) to promise them that Lesotho will no longer be on the SADC agenda, I think they will be disappointed.”
On Friday last week, Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara, who is also the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, berated opposition parties during a media briefing, accusing them of dragging their feet despite undertaking to support the reforms.
Justice Majara however, also said she hoped the legislature would resume in time to transact business that would help Prime Minister Sam Matekane table “something tangible before SADC”.
