Pascalinah Kabi
TRUE Reconciliation Unity (TRU) leader, Tlali Khasu, could be heading to the All Basotho Convention (ABC) if rife speculation to that effect is anything to go by.
Trusted sources told the Lesotho Times this week that the former ABC deputy leader is making overtures to party leader, Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, to return “home” after he found the going tough in the rough and tumble political arena.
The sources cite Mr Khasu’s attendance at an ABC event in Makhoakheng over the weekend as evidence of his efforts to restore cordial relations with his erstwhile comrades.
Mr Khasu has, however, flatly denied the claims that he intends to rejoin the ABC, saying he merely attended the event to visit Dr Thabane in his personal capacity.
Mr Khasu formed the TRU in January this year another former ABC stalwart, Pitso Maisa, after they fell out with Dr Thabane while the latter was still exiled in South Africa.
Mr Khasu left the ABC after being suspended for three months on 17 September 2016 for allegedly castigating Dr Thabane during a radio programme.
This was after his spirited attempts to challenge the suspension in the courts of law proved futile as the High Court upheld the decision.
After leaving the ABC, Mr Khasu had no kind words for his erstwhile colleagues whom he accused of ill-treating him.
He also lashed out at the party’s top brass, saying “dictatorship and corruption were endemic to the extent that its leadership only went to parliament “to fill up their bellies with money”.
However, both Messrs Khasu and Pitso lost their Peka and Motimposo constituencies to ABC candidates, Tebello Kibane and Thabang Mafojane respectively.
And the sources said Mr Khasu could no longer bear remaining in the political doldrums, hence the efforts to engage Dr Thabane.
“His presence at the ABC function on Saturday was one of the meetings that Ntate Khasu has had with ABC top brass to discuss his return,” one of the sources said.
Another source also said the TRU had failed to make an impact, and this was frustrating Mr Khasu who now wished to return to his old party to resurrect his political career.
“I can tell you with confidence that the negotiations are going on and very well so far,” the source said.
However, Mr Khasu laughed off the claims in an interview with this publication this week.
Since launching the TRC, Mr Khasu has intimated that his party was open to joining a coalition of any political parties, including the ABC, as there were no permanent enemies in politics.
“I was visiting Ntate Thabane as an individual and that had nothing to do with me rejoining the party. I should have met with him earlier before the function, but I was late,” he said.
“There has not been any discussion on the table yet regarding my rejoining the ABC. If it is going to happen, the negotiations would be between TRU and ABC, not only the leaders of the two parties.”
Asked if there was a possibility of the two parties negotiating his return to ABC, Mr Khasu stressed that there was nothing on the table “as yet” and that the two parties have not discussed the issue.
Commenting on the matter, ABC secretary-general, Samonyane Ntsekele professed ignorance of discussions on Mr Khasu’s return.
What he was aware of was that Mr Khasu had gone to Makhoakhoeng to deliver his Christmas wishes to the premier after he had facilitated the meeting.
“In that particular meeting, which I was also part of, there were no discussions over Ntate Khasu rejoining the ABC.
“He was just there to deliver his Christmas wishes to his former leader,” Mr Ntsekele said, adding, it was not strange for Mr Khasu to wish the premier a Merry Christmas because there were a lot of people who had also sent Christmas wishes to Dr Thabane.
