- defends decision to invite opposition leaders to victory shindig
- but decision angers top RFP brass as the party’s fissures widen
‘Marafaele Mohloboli & Bongiwe Zihlangu
CONTROVERSIAL Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) legislator, Mahali Phamotse, is standing firm after ruffling feathers in the ruling party by inviting opposition leaders to her constituency election victory celebrations over the Easter weekend.
The decision to invite the opposition leaders – including RFP leader Sam Matekane’s arch nemesis Machesetsa Mofomobe – has further exposed the growing fissures in the RFP.
RFP spokesman Mokhethi Shelile told the Lesotho Times this week that it was wholly “dumbfounding and incomprehensible” that Dr Phamotse had invited opposition party leaders to attend a party to celebrate her win of the Matlakeng constituency in the October 2022 general elections. Such an invitation should have been issued by Mr Matekane himself – in line with protocol – instead of Dr Phamotse, he said.
But Dr Phamotse is standing her ground. She insists she did nothing wrong in inviting the opposition leaders herself. She did not need anyone’s authority to issue invitations to her own party, she said.
Dr Phamotse is believed to be among disgruntled key members of the RFP who are unhappy about how the party is being run. She has been accused of working with the opposition to prepare for a probable no confidence motion against Mr Matekane in the future. She denies the allegations. But her conduct in inviting the opposition leaders, has added rocket fuel to suspicions that she is now the main mobiliser against Mr Matekane within the RFP.
Mr Matekane, who has been present at the victory celebrations of MPs in other constituencies was not present at Dr Phamotse’s shindig. He had travelled out of the country. He is said to have assigned his deputy, Nthomeng Majara, to attend on his behalf. However, Ms Majara did not attend, a decision that is said to have riled Dr Phamotse. Ms Majara is said to have some issues with Dr Phamotse. Dr Phamotse would not comment on the state of their relationship.
Mr Shelile, who is also the trade minister, said while there would have been nothing wrong with Dr Phamotse inviting ordinary opposition supporters in her constituency to her victory party, it was highly improper for her to have invited the opposition leaders themselves. The opposition leaders ought to have been invited by Mr Matekane – as the leader of the party – in line with protocol.
But Dr Phamotse has shot back telling the Lesotho Times there was nothing wrong with having issued the invitations herself. She is wholly unapologetic about her decision, she said.
She becomes the first RFP MP to have invited opposition leaders to her victory party.
According to Mr Shelile, the RFP executive committee was not informed in advance that the opposition leaders would be invited. Still the “honour” to invite the opposition leaders to Dr Phamotse’s celebration, should have been left to the RFP leader, Mr Matekane, he insisted.
Apart from Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Mofomobe, other opposition leaders present at Dr Phamotse’s jamboree included All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader Nkaku Kabi, the Democratic Congress (DC)’s deputy-spokesperson Moeketsi Shale, representing his leader Mathibeli Mokhothu.
The decision is now being seen as a clear signal that Dr Phamotse is Mr Matekane’s main nemesis within the RFP. Some RFP officials said the decision to invite the opposition leaders proved that Dr Phamotse was indeed a “trouble maker”.
One official said Dr Phamotse’s political mentor, former Alliance of Democrats (AD) leader Monyane Moleleki, was now being vindicated after he described Dr Phamotse as a troublemaker ahead of the 7 October 2022 polls.
“Ntate Matekane, you must be careful of that woman with an English figure”, Mr Moleleki had said in reference to Dr Phamotse’s slender built. “She is a troublemaker and she is going to cause you serious problems…” Mr Moleleki had said after Dr Phamotse dumped the AD for the RFP.
It did not help matters that Dr Phamotse along with several other legislators, only contested the October 2022 elections under the RFP banner by virtue of a court order, after they had been rejected by Mr Matekane despite winning primary elections in their respective constituencies. The RFP had sought to side-line them despite their primary election victories.
The courts had nonetheless ruled in favour of Dr Phamotse and her colleagues, stating clearly that their primary election victories had given them the inalienable right to contest the polls on behalf of the party in their respective constituencies. Still the decision to sideline them is said to have created a permanent sore point for them against their party’s leadership.
Now, Dr Phamotse is seen as silently leading a faction of the party largely comprising the MPs who contested the elections only after the courts had intervened. Dr Phamotse is also said to be vying to oust RFP secretary-general Nthati Moorosi from her post. She is said to want the influential position for herself.
The dissonance and fissures in the RFP have since widened after some party members went to court to demand that the party convenes an elective conference to elect a new national executive committee. Mr Matekane is nonetheless standing his ground. He has said he is not interested in intra party elections as he wants to focus on service delivery.
Some highly placed RFP sources now blame Dr Phamotse for being the mastermind behind all the ructions in the party. They accuse her of holding clandestine meetings with the opposition in parliament to instigate a future no-confidence bid against Mr Matekane’s government.
Mr Shelile is certainly not happy with Dr Phamotse. “These (invited opposition leaders) are party leaders, and they should have been invited by the RFP leader as a matter of protocol”.
“By honouring such an invitation which was not extended to them by the party, they (opposition leaders) have also belittled themselves. They should also have insisted on being invited by the party leader…,” Mr Shelile said.
Mr Shelile said Dr Phamotse’s invitation of the opposition party leaders was tantamount to “finding your wife eating dinner with a man who is your enemy”.
“These people aren’t just our colleagues, but they are also our political foes. You can imagine having a fight with your spouse, only to find them dining with a person they know very well that you are enemies with. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, and I think this is what those celebrating and sending out invitations don’t get,” Mr Shelile said in clear reference to Dr Phamotse.
Mr Shelile said it was an open secret that Mr Mofomobe was a man who “hated” Mr Matekane openly and was always “assassinating his character”.
“We all know that Machesetsa hates the RFP leader so much that even after Ntate Matekane’s swearing-in as an MP, he (Machesetsa) flatly refused to shake hands with him (Matekane). We also know that this is the man who is always saying foul things about our leader. How then does he get invited to an RFP event?” Mr Shelile asked rhetorically.
“They are our political colleagues, fair enough, but also our political foes, and how on earth do you invite people into your father’s house when you know that they are always insulting him? What does that say about you?”
However, Dr Phamotse is standing her ground. She insists there was nothing wrong with having invited her fellow politicians even though they are from the opposition. She would not apologise for that decision, she vowed.
She said she had invited her leader Mr Matekane and other fellow party members as well. Some of them had attended while some had stayed away.
“I personally invited my leader and all of RFP members, and I won’t be answerable to why some didn’t come as I suspect that they have their own reasons. But I won’t allow myself to be hauled into the politics of hatred. It is quite astonishing to see how other people view life. I think it is only fair that I allow them to look at life the way they see fit. Everyone is entitled to their opinions,” Dr Phamotse said.
“I can’t change what others’ opinions are about me and I can’t even change how they feel about me. I have no business with how people feel about my inviting my fellow MPs just because they are from different political parties. I invited my fellow party MPs, and I did the same for my leader. That was enough. I didn’t need an approval from anyone on who to invite and who not to invite, and besides there is no provision in the party constitution that talks on how invitations should be communicated.”
She added: “It is only fair that I appeal to people who respect and treat others the same way they would like to be treated and perceived. I don’t have time to hate nor entertain hatred in my political career nor my personal space. I would rather not say anything more than I have already said, as I see nothing wrong with having invited opposition MPs.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Thaba-Phatšoa legislator and the RFP’s deputy spokesperson, Thabo Maretlane, who said he saw nothing wrong with inviting politicians from other parties.
He said he would also invite the opposition for his own victory celebration party at his Ha-Makhoa home in Leribe on 16 April 2023.
“I see nothing wrong with inviting other politicians to my event. I have a life outside politics and besides, some of them, we knew each other long before joining politics. So, I won’t agree to be pushed into petty politics of hatred and bitterness by anyone. In life we need each other and the same is in politics. We can’t have our different political party colours dividing us,” Mr Maretlane said.
“We also need these people to work together with us and vote with us in parliament because we don’t have the numbers to pass bills on our own…”
Mr Matekane himself had taught him about displaying maturity and always doing things differently, he said.
“We will one day need these people (the opposition) in our political journey. So, we mustn’t treat them as enemies. They are not….” Mr Maretlane said.
He pleaded with his fellow party members to “stop being negative at everything that involves other people and the opposition.”
But some officials said the recent ructions proved all was not well in the RFP.
“There is so much animosity in the RFP…. Sooner or later all the fissures in the party will be fully exposed… There will be nothing more to hide from the electorate….,” said an official who did not want to be named discussing internal party matters.
The fact that internal party disagreements were now in court was not a good omen, the official said.
