’Marafaele Mohloboli
THE ruling Alliance of Democrats (AD) indefinitely postponed its special conference called after restive party members passed a no confidence vote against party leader Monyane Moleleki and his entire national executive committee (NEC).
The conference had been scheduled for the weekend of 27 to 29 March 2020. It had to be postponed after the government declared a 21-day national lockdown to contain the deadly coronavirus.
AD spokesperson Thuso Litjobo said the party conference could not go ahead as planned due to the lockdown.
“The much-anticipated special conference to clean our house had to be postponed indefinitely,” Mr Litjobo said.
“In as much as we wanted to hold it, the party understands that the lives of Basotho are far more important and as law-abiding citizens we ought to follow the rules of the lockdown. We therefore postponed the conference indefinitely.”
The special conference was called after 26 constituency committees in the second biggest member of the ruling four-party governing coalition passed no confidence votes in the Moleleki-led NEC over several grievances including its failure to expel secretary general Mahali Phamotse for alleged corruption.
Mr Litjobo said, among other grievances, the constituency committees want Dr Phamotse fired from both her party position and cabinet post after she was charged with corruption for allegedly influencing the awarding of a 2015 high schools textbook tender to Epic Printers and Molumeli Pty (Ltd). She is on free bail over the charges.
The constituency committees spurned overtures by the party leadership to meet and discuss their grievances, threatening to drag the NEC to court if the special conference was not held.
The AD is the second biggest in the four-party coalition which also features the ABC, BNP and RCL.
