By Mohloai Mpesi
THE internal wrangles rocking the All Basotho Convention (ABC) have deepened, with the party’s chairman, Kemiso Mosenene, resigning from the National Executive Committee (NEC), citing a lack of unity among its members.
Mr Mosenene submitted his resignation letter to ABC Secretary General, Thebe Mokoatle, on Tuesday, with the resignation taking immediate effect.
In the letter, Mr Mosenene did not state his reasons for resigning.
“Please accept this letter as my official resignation from the chairmanship position in the NEC of ABC. My resignation takes effect immediately upon your receipt of this letter.
“I thank all ABC members for entrusting me with the position of chairmanship. I wish you all the best in your endeavour to grow this party that was once the hope of the public,” the letter reads.
However, speaking to the Lesotho Times yesterday, Mr Mosenene said a lack of unity within the NEC was among the reasons that compelled him to step down.
“There are many reasons that pushed me to resign. These are long-standing and protracted issues that continued for a long time until I decided to step aside for the sake of peace,” he said.
“Although I cannot go into detail, there is no unity within the ABC National Executive Committee. There are different views all the time. As a person, you have to protect your peace. There is no unity at all.”
Mr Mosenene said he could not disclose details of the disagreements but would raise the issues at a special conference should one eventually be convened.
“I cannot go into details. I explained myself to those who intervened yesterday, and I will address the matter at the special conference, if it ends up being convened,” he said.
He said the way out of the party’s internal divisions was to convene a special conference where members could determine the way forward.
“The solution is to convene a special conference so that the people can give a way forward. It is the only available solution because if the people who were elected do not work together, it is important to call on the owners of the party to provide a solution,” he said.
Leadership divisions
Mr Mosenene’s resignation comes against the backdrop of growing divisions within the ABC leadership, with party leader, Nkaku Kabi, recently accusing his deputy, Samonyane Ntsekele, and Mr Mokoatle of deliberately destabilising the party.
In a circular issued on 25 August 2026, Mr Kabi accused the two senior officials of repeatedly defying NEC decisions and acting in ways that undermined his leadership.
The circular followed an incident in which Mr Mokoatle was reportedly assaulted by Mr Kabi’s bodyguards after they stormed a sitting of the NEC. The bodyguards reportedly said they were acting out of concerns for Mr Kabi’s safety.
Among the issues raised by Mr Kabi was an alleged decision by Mr Mokoatle to direct the Matlakeng constituency to prepare for a rally despite the NEC having resolved that the event should be held in the Leribe constituency.
“The NEC decided to hold a rally at the Leribe constituency, but he went against that decision and wrote to the Matlakeng constituency to choose a venue and begin preparations for the rally there.
“That forced me to summon a sitting of the NEC to reprimand him. He took a long time to rectify that mistake, and eventually wrote to the correct constituency of Leribe, where the rally was held,” Mr Kabi said.
He also accused Mr Ntsekele of contradicting his statements at party rallies on two occasions, which he interpreted as an attempt to undermine his authority as leader.
Mr Kabi said Mr Ntsekele had on several occasions boasted about his influence within the party and the support he commanded, including among NEC members.
“The deputy leader does many things in front of party members that compel me to invoke the constitution to bring him under control. He once spoke against the leader’s speech at the conference held at Leqele High School, something that has never happened before in the history of Lesotho’s politics.
“He did the same thing again at a workshop held at Khubetsoana in January this year, stating how much of a man he is, and that he has lobbied many committee members behind him,” Mr Kabi said.
He further alleged that the tensions had their roots in the contest for the deputy leader position, saying some supporters of candidates had begun portraying themselves as leaders with substantial support within the party.
“A big mistake started during the campaign for the deputy leader position, where some of those who were campaigning regarded themselves as leaders of the party with a big following behind them,” he said.
Mr Kabi also claimed that some constituencies had been influenced to demand a special conference, although, according to him, only Mabote constituency had formally written to request one.
“They have been influencing constituencies to request a special conference, but until now, it is only the Mabote constituency that has written a letter asking for one. Even though I have not seen their letter, other constituencies have refused to write one, including the constituencies of the deputy leader and the Secretary General,” he said.
From governing party to opposition
The ABC was founded in October 2006 by former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane after his split from the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).
The party went on to become one of Lesotho’s dominant political forces, winning 17 seats in its maiden 2007 elections, 30 in 2012, 46 in 2015 and then 51 constituency seats in the 2017 general election which saw it lead the subsequent governing coalition.
Its fortunes changed dramatically in the October 2022 general election, when it lost all its constituency seats and survived in Parliament with eight proportional-representation seats.
Mr Kabi succeeded Mr Thabane as party leader in February 2022, just months before the election, and has since pursued what the party has described as a revitalisation drive aimed at rebuilding the ABC.
However, the party has continued to face internal factional disputes, with disagreements now reaching the highest levels of its leadership.
Mr Mosenene’s resignation adds to the latest signs of strain within the NEC and leaves the party facing renewed calls for a special conference to address its internal divisions.
