—As business tycoon Mahlala bids to oust Mokhothu
Mohloai Mpesi
CHARISMATIC business mogul, Bothata Mahlala, appears set to challenge Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, for the leadership of the main opposition party.
Authoritative sources said Mr Mahlala is set to respond to calls from party supporters who want to see Mr Mokhothu’s back.
Mr Mokhothu was anointed by former Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili as the latter successor’s when he relinquished the party leadership in February 2019.
One senior party official, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said Mr Mokhothu had nonetheless proved “ineffective” as an opposition leader since the DC went out of government after the crunch October 2022 elections.
The official told the Lesotho Times that “many” DC officials and supporters were advocating for Mr Mahlala to lead the DC, as they believed Mr Mokhothu “is no longer sellable” and, they had “lost faith” in his leadership. Another senior party official complained that Mr Mokhothu was too “soft” for the rigors of his role as the official opposition leader. She complained that because of his quiet and soft nature, Mr Mokhothu was often overshadowed by Basotho National Party (BNP) party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.
“It is as if Machesetsa is the real leader of the opposition. He speaks more forcefully and acts more forcefully on issues Mokhothu, as the official opposition leader must be tackling….,” she said.
Mr Mahlala confirmed the developments but declined to comment further on the matter. He said he was aware that there were some officials who wanted to nominate him to become the DC leader. He said he had no problems with such a development but was not ready to talk in any detail at this stage. The Lesotho Times had wanted Mr Mahlala to explain why he thinks he is the best person to lead the DC and what his vision for his party would be. He said he was not in a position to give a detailed interview at the moment.
Currently serving as the DC’s public relations officer, Mr Mahlala contested for the Mount Moorosi constituency in the 2022 general elections under the DC banner but lost to the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)’s Thuso Mosetlolo by a narrow margin of only 273 votes. He won 2 194 votes against Mr Mosetloloo’s 2 467. Mr Mahlala has always been heavily involved in financing development projects in his constituency through his Bothata Mahlala Development Foundation (BMDF). He is wildly popular there. Had it not been for the euphoria surrounding the sudden formation of the RFP by Mr Matekane in 2022, Mr Mahlala would have easily won his constituency with a landslide.
Another impeccable source told the Lesotho Times that a DC leadership conference scheduled for tomorrow through Sunday at Ha-Bua Sono, Berea, could provide Mr Mahlala with an opportunity to rally more supporters for his leadership bid.
The conference will provide party constituencies a platform to introspect and analyse the challenges the party is facing. It will also set a date for the national executive committee (NEC) elections at which Mr Mahlala is expected to stake his leadership bid. The NEC elections are likely to be held in January 2025.
Each constituency committee is expected to send nine delegates to this weekend’s leadership conference.
The sources accused Mr Mokhothu of leading the party to “ruin”. They said Mr Mahlala was seen by many as the “ideal’ candidate to “save” the party. The DC only managed to win 18 constituencies in the October 2022 general elections, a dismal performance compared to the ruling RFP, which secured 56 constituencies despite being just six months old at the time.
Still after the elections, the main opposition party got a mini boost after Lithoteng and Malimong legislators, Rethabile Letlailana and Lephoi Makara respectively, defected from the RFP to the DC. Overally, the DC now holds 28 parliamentary seats, including eight proportional representation (PR) seats. After the collapse of the ABC at the October polls, the DC became the second largest party in parliament after the RFP. The responsibility of holding the government accountable rests on its shoulders. But Mr Mokhothu is accused in some quarters of being too quiet and soft for the task.
“There are people discussing how Mahlala would make a great leader. Many are dissatisfied with the current leadership. Some wonder why Mr Letsosa isn’t the leader with Mahlala as his deputy, while others believe Mahlala should lead, with Letsosa as his deputy,” one party official said.
Former Home Affairs Minister, Motlalentoa Letsosa, is currently Mr Mokhothu’s deputy.
The official continued: “People have lost faith in Mokhothu. You can see that other political parties, who were once our allies have opted to abandon us and go into coalition with the RFP….”
Other opposition parties were also eager to join the government rather than aligning with the DC under Mr Mokhothu, the official said, further claiming that only the BNP had remained as the DC’s only reliable ally under Mokhothu. But with only a couple of seats in parliament and in light of Mofomobe’s garrulous and unpredictable nature, the BNP could not be considered a reliable partner.
“Mokhothu no longer has the credibility to lead the DC to victory,” another official said.
So heading into the 2027 general elections with Mr Mokhothu at the helm would be futile, he said.
“No party is willing to form a coalition with us, except the BNP, which, while friendly with the DC, holds no real power. Our supporters are looking for a new face—someone credible, whom other political parties would be willing to work with.”
The official said numbers supporting Mr Mahlala’s leadership would become clearer after the weekend conference.
“Mr Mahlala is a hard worker. He has done a lot to grow the party, including through party funding and various donations across the country and even in South Africa, where he has supported Basotho students. We need someone with those qualities – someone who can save the party and lead it to victory in the 2027 general elections,” the official added.
Mr Mahlala acknowledged “hearing rumours” that some DC members wanted him to lead the party.
“Yes, I’ve heard these discussions, and I have no problem being nominated for any position in the NEC. My primary goal is for the DC to grow. However, I am not in a position to discuss the matter further at this stage,” Mr Mahlala said.
Contacted for comment, the DC spokesperson, Serialong Qoo, warned those planning to overthrow Mr Mokhothu that they were playing with fire.
“I am not aware about such a plot. But people are free to lobby as they please, because at the end of the day, the followers are the ones who point the direction.
“But as the spokesperson of the party, I say whoever is making those plots is testing poison with a tongue. Things will go sour for them when they attack the leader of the party,” Mr Qoo said.
Mr Mokhothu enjoys the support of founding leader, Mr Mosisili, who remains influential within the DC. It’s unclear if the ex-premier would be ready to ditch Mr Mokhothu and lend his weight to Mr Mahlala. Mr Mokhothu could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print last night.
