’Marafaele Mohloboli
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Monyane Moleleki has urged Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro to resign and hand over power to newly-elected All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader, Nkaku Kabi.
Mr Moleleki, who leads the opposition Alliance of Democrats (AD), said it defied logic for Dr Majoro to cling onto the premiership after he lost the leadership contest of the ABC, the lead governing coalition party, to Mr Kabi.
He said there was no reason for two centres of power after ABC members made their choice clear by choosing Mr Kabi ahead of Dr Majoro. Mr Moleleki made the remarks early this week while addressing a well-attended ABC rally in Mr Kabi’s Qeme, Maseru, stronghold.
The rally was Mr Kabi’s first since he polled 723 votes to Dr Majoro’s 609 to clinch last month’s ABC leadership election.
The former cabinet minister made history by becoming the second ABC leader after former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane who led the party since founding it in 2006.
Mr Thabane served as prime minister from 2012 to 2015 and again from June 2017 until he was forced to step down by his own party in favour of Dr Majoro in May 2020 in the wake of allegations that he co-authored the killing of his first wife, Lipolelo.
He, however, clung onto the ABC leadership before surprising all and sundry with his 31 December 2021 announcement that he would step down and hand over to whoever would win the party’s 28-29 January 2022 leadership election.
Going into the election, Dr Majoro had fallen out with Mr Thabane and his allies who dominate the party’s national executive committee (NEC).
The premier was even recalled by the NEC on 2 December 2021 and ordered to hand over the reins to Mr Kabi. But the defiant premier gave the NEC the middle finger. He informed them that it was not their business to elect and oust prime ministers. That was the prerogative of legislators and he would only go if he lost a no confidence vote in parliament, he told them.
Mr Moleleki, who served as Mr Thabane’s deputy in the short-lived four party coalition from June 2017 to May 2020, has now waded into the saga and added his voice to the pro-Kabi ABC faction’s calls for Dr Majoro to go.
Mr Moleleki’s AD attended Mr Kabi’s homecoming weekend rally alongside former ABC stalwart Tefo Mapesela of the opposition Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) and the Limpho Tau-led Democratic Party of Lesotho (DPL).
Addressing the gathering, Mr Moleleki said now that the ABC had chosen Mr Kabi as its new leader, Dr Majoro should do the honourable thing by stepping down and allowing the Qeme legislator to become premier.
He had in fact urged Dr Majoro to have quit by Monday, an ultimatum which has been ignored by the latter.
“I am here today to celebrate with you the inauguration of your new leader and share in your happiness,” Mr Moleleki said.
“We are happy that you elected your new leader without any squabbles and I am here to beg on behalf of the AD that by Monday (21 February 2022), your leader be allowed to take over as Lesotho’s prime minister.
“It would be a very dull and senseless thing to have a different person as leader at the government complex and another as leader in parliament. Therefore, I beg and pray that Ntate Kabi be given his rightful position (premiership) by Monday.
“I am not saying this to degrade anyone in any way; I am saying it from a good place. The ABC is the biggest party in this country. I am a member of the Council of State and I get to advise His Majesty, the King. Should the Speaker of the National Assembly (Sephiri Motanyane) notify His Majesty that ABC members have elected Mr Kabi, and he (King Letsie III) seek our advice, I would vote for Kabi.
“Therefore, I solemnly pray that this person (Majoro) softens his heart and gives Kabi his rightful post,” Mr Moleleki added.
DPL leader, Mr Tau, also gave a ringing endorsement of Mr Kabi saying the ABC had demonstrated its maturity by electing the latter in an incident-free election.
“You have reached the apex of political maturity for you to have managed to transfer power to a new leader in such an honourable manner.
“Mine is just to rejoice with you and wish you success under Kabi’s leadership. The ABC is a big political party and it has to be exemplary in running its day to day affairs. There will only be stability in the country if the ABC is stable,” Mr Tau said.
Judging by his speech on Sunday, Mr Mapesela’s heart is still with the ABC despite dumping it to form the BPP in April 2021 after falling out with Dr Majoro who he described as Lesotho’s worst-ever prime minister.
The combative Mokhotlong legislator, who has been in the forefront of an abortive bid to oust Dr Majoro in parliament and replace him with Mr Moleleki, called on all ABC MPs to rally behind Mr Kabi lest he poaches some of them to his party.
“I was able to come to this rally because I have no hard feelings towards the ABC. I therefore plead with all MPs to support Kabi in everything that he does. But he should be careful around me and be mindful that I learnt politics from the best who happens to be Ntate Thabane. I might just poach some of his followers.
“I am lucky to have served in Ntate Thabane’s cabinet and I know his strengths as a leader. Let us all give Kabi our support because he is still young and is faced with many challenges.
“Please handle this party with care because if you don’t, you will be taking us back to those people who once governed us and it is the last thing that we want. Please support this party. Please take care of Ntate Thabane. It will be an unfortunate development if you did not take care of this elderly man. The BPP will always support you,” Mr Mapesela said.
After winning the ABC leadership race, Mr Kabi had declared he wanted to become prime minister immediately. Dr Majoro rebuffed the call after which they addressed a joint press conference at which Mr Kabi seemed to lend support to the premier, saying he could remain in his post until the elections. Mr Kabi has now summersaulted again and now wants Dr Majoro to quit so he can take over.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Dr Majoro’s press attaché, Buta Moseme, said “People have the right to talk and what they have said is not new. They are in the political arena. But the prime minister remains steadfast in carrying out his mandate to lead the country. When the time comes for him to step down legally, he will do so. Having said that, the premier respects the views and opinions that have been raised.”
