Mohloai Mpesi
LEADING opposition Democratic Congress (DC) party leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, has urged his supporters to begin preparing for the next general elections to topple the current coalition government led by Prime Minister Sam Matekane.
Addressing party members at a rally in Berea over the weekend, Mr Mokhothu urged them to start holding rallies at the branch level to assess the party’s strength at each voting station.
General elections are expected within the next two years, and Mr Mokhothu is determined to secure enough votes to return the DC to power.
The DC came second in the 2022 general elections, securing 29 seats in the National Assembly, while Mr Matekane’s Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) won 56 seats, still short of an outright majority.
To form government, the RFP entered into a coalition with Professor Ntoi Rapapa’s Alliance for Democrats (AD) and Selibe Mochoboroane’s Movement for Economic Change (MEC), with additional support from other parliamentary parties, including the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).
Just a year into the coalition’s tenure, opposition parties sought to oust the government through a motion of no confidence on 16 October 2023 but the attempt was halted by court proceedings.
Now, Mr Mokhothu has set his eyes on the next elections and has ordered all constituency chairpersons, along with the youth and women’s leagues, to intensify campaign activities.
“Two years are left before we go to the elections where we will be competing. Chairpersons of constituencies, Youth League, Women’s League – from today, there should be no rest. We have to hit the ground running. We have to be proactive,” Mr Mokhotho said.
“Committees of constituencies, every week there should be rallies at the branch level, because the responsibility of constituency committees is to hold rallies.
“You should not hold rallies at constituency level only but go to every branch so that you can assess your strength at that level of branches and at the level of voting points.
“Villages that vote together at a particular voting station are grouped together and called a branch. You have to test your strengths at that voting station to see whether you can win there.”
Mr Mokhothu emphasised that constituency-level rallies do not give a clear picture of the party’s actual support base.
“If your constituency is made up of 10 or 20 voting stations, go and assess how many of those DC can win. A voting station is a branch. Constituency rallies do not give you an accurate picture. You have to hold rallies at the branch level and inspect the numbers.
“From today, I do not want to hear that a constituency chairperson has held a rally at constituency level. I want to hear that they are at the branches on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We have to strengthen those voting stations more than anything else.”
Mr Mokhothu also urged supporters to register with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and prepare for the appointment of new IEC Commissioners, since the current commissioners’ term expires in December.
“While you are still at it, remember that elections are won through registration. IEC offices are always open, go and register. Don’t wait until the last moment when elections approach.
“Think of names of candidates to be Commissioners of IEC, because the term of these current ones has expired. Appoint strong men and women who will lead the elections of this country with respect and humility because elections are a matter of life and death. Elections are sacred; it is where the nation elects its leaders.”
False promises
Mr Mokhothu also took the opportunity to criticise the government, accusing it of making false promises, particularly regarding job creation and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade agreement.
He accused the government of lying to the public by claiming to have negotiated a 15 percent tariff reduction with the United States when, instead, that the tariff was unilaterally imposed by the US.
“They promised to create employment, saying they were going to establish factories. Is there a factory in Berea? Instead of establishing new factories, the ones that Mr Mosisili established are dying.”
He warned that Lesotho’s access to the AGOA could be revoked by the end of September.
“I am giving them a month. At the end of September, AGOA will be closed completely. They will have no chance of exporting clothes to America. Twelve thousand men and women working in the factories will be jobless because of the same people who claimed to be job creators. They lied to the nation.
“They cannot even create jobs for people with qualifications. Your children who are educated are sitting at home because there are no jobs.”
On the issue of trade tariffs, Mr Mokhothu said: “They are claiming that the 15 percent tariffs on goods exported to America are a result of their negotiations. That is a lie.
“They did not negotiate the 15 percent. It was imposed by the Americans. How can they claim to have negotiated 15 percent when we already had 0 percent under AGOA? If they are sane, how do they agree to 15 percent against zero?
“When you impose a 15 percent tariff, you are effectively saying factories must shut down because investors will simply go to other countries we compete with, like Kenya and Ethiopia, which only charge 10 percent.
“When a minister stands there and lies to the nation, they should be removed. It is disgraceful. If they negotiated the 15 percent, they are responsible for the factories shutting down.”
Corruption allegations
Mr Mokhothu further alleged that the current government is deeply corrupt, claiming tenders are being distributed among ministers and MPs based on nepotism.
“They corruptly purchase seeds and fertilisers. After buying them, they do not even reach the public. They are shared among Ministers and Members of Parliament.”
He also criticised the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC).
“Electricity is expensive, yet corruption is rampant under this government. They are focused on planting flowers throughout the city.
“They waste Basotho’s money every year through corrupt tenders — uprooting flowers and planting new ones. Every year they demolish Maseru Main Circle and rebuild it. That money goes to two contractors.”
He claimed that tenders at Moshoeshoe I International Airport were awarded to a company owned by a minister who operates within the same ministry responsible for the project.
“Look at the airport, where the company of a minister got the tender, while the minister works in the very ministry overseeing the airport. This is corruption.”
Ill-treatment in South Africa
Mr Mokhothu also condemned the discrimination and persecution of Basotho living and working in South Africa, particularly those without documents such as passports or work permits.
“The way in which the South African government discriminates against Basotho hasn’t changed. The apartheid regime’s attitude still persists, even today under a democratic dispensation.
“I expected that this government of wealthy elites would engage South Africa on two key issues.”
He said the first issue is that Lesotho is a totally landlocked country, which means it must demand recognition of its international rights.
“When we negotiate, we must remind them that international organisations have granted landlocked countries certain rights, and we must be afforded those rights.”
He said Basotho should enjoy freedom of movement, including free trade across borders.
“As DC, we say Basotho should cross borders without having to stamp their passports. Not the 90-day limit that these rich people keep repeating. We want free movement of people, goods, and services.”
He said he had heard harrowing stories from Basotho living in South Africa.
“Basotho told me they are being persecuted and ill-treated. Some are forced to flee and sleep in the wilderness for days, exposed to wild animals.
“Why is Sam Matekane’s government silent when Basotho are being abused yet they were elected by the same people who live in South Africa?
“They are being arrested because they don’t have documents. Passports are inaccessible, and many cross the porous borders. They do not have work permits.
“This RFP-led government, when it comes to helping Basotho, is playing games.”
Pledge to audit tenders
Mr Mokhothu vowed that if the DC returns to power, it will conduct a thorough audit of all tenders issued under the current government.
“We are going to thrash them in the elections. They are handling governance poorly. When we take over, we will audit the issue of tenders and expose who benefited through nepotism.”
