Moroke Sekoboto/Mohloai Mpesi
Opposition parties have accused the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)-led coalition government of turning Lesotho into a rogue state by repeatedly undermining the Constitution and defying a critical court order for the reinstatement of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Speaking at a press conference at the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC) yesterday, Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, who is also the official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, sharply criticized Prime Minister Sam Matekane, for unlawfully suspending DPP Hlalefang Motinyane and defying the court order for her reinstatement
“We were surprised by her suspension. Advocate Motinyane challenged it in the Constitutional Court, which was the correct action under a democratic dispensation.
“The High Court (sitting as a constitutional court) ruled that her suspension was unconstitutional. After losing the constitutional case . . . they locked her office with a large padlock to prevent her access. That is wrong…..The government must abide by judicial decisions; it is deeply embarrassing when it undermines a court order,” Mr Mokhothu said.
All opposition parties present at the presser spoke out against the government’s failure to allow DPP Motinyane to return to work after she won a case against her suspension filed on her behalf by the Law Society of Lesotho.
Basotho Action Party (BAP) leader, Nqosa Mahao, said the government’s defiance of the Constitutional Court order was ample proof that the Matekane coalition had turned Lesotho into a rogue state.
Mr Mokhothu complained that the opposition were being denied their rights to stage peaceful protests and vowed retaliation.
He outlined a number of transgressions in how the government was managing public funds while slamming its failure to table the Auditor-General’s long completed audit report on public finances.
“The Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2024/25 is illegal. The government tabled it in Parliament to supplement the previous year’s budget, even though we are already in FY2025/26. They have already spent M3.5 billion from the Consolidated Fund, money not allocated by Parliament….
“They are now claiming the funds were used for the construction of the Petroleum Fund headquarters and travel expenses. Were these expenditures unforeseen? We assert that the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2024/25 is illegal, intended only to cover money that was misused,” Mr Mokhothu said.
All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader, Nkaku Kabi, echoed Mr Mokhothu’s sentiments, stressing that the judgment against the Prime Minister’s unlawful suspension of DPP Motinyane proved that the law applied equally to all.
Her also slammed the government for failing to issue Basotho with passports and IDs to help them access job opportunities in South Africa.
“Delays in passport renewals force some to cross the border illegally — all because their own government failed to act…..,” he said.
Professor Mahao said the mishandling of the DPP’s case was ample proof that the current government had turned Lesotho into a rogue state and dictatorship. interests of Basotho must come first in all bilateral engagements.
“This government is also neglecting the very people who elected it,” Prof Mahao said.
Section 2
Meanwhile, the civic group Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution, also known as Section 2, has issued a strong statement condemning the government’s “continuous violations” of the Constitution.
Section 2 highlighted the unlawful suspension of DPP Motinyane, saying her barring from office despite a Constitutional Court ruling in her favour showed gross contempt for the judiciary.
“This deliberate act of executive lawlessness mocks judicial authority and erodes public trust in constitutional governance,” the statement reads.
The group also condemned the passing of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution without a referendum and criticised the Prime Minister for boasting at the United Nations General Assembly that Lesotho had successfully amended its Constitution.
“Such conduct is dishonest and reckless, treating the Constitution as disposable,” Section 2 said.
The organisation also criticised Commissioner of Police, Advocate Borotho Matsoso, for publicly stating that Basotho must secure permission from the Prime Minister before holding peaceful assemblies, calling it “the language of dictatorship, not democracy”, among other things.
It also slammed the government’s failure to publish audit reports of public finances from the Auditor-General.
“The government has been in office since October 2022 and has yet to produce a single audit report for over three years, while Parliament continues to appropriate billions of maloti with no oversight,” Section 2 said.
The statement warned that such disregard for the Constitution risks repeating the nation’s troubled history.
“Lesotho has walked this perilous road before — the illegal suspension of the Constitution in 1970 plunged the country into violence and instability. The current administration risks reopening those wounds. A government that disregards the Constitution invites chaos.
“The government must cease its defiance of judicial authority, halt illegal manipulation of the Constitution, protect fundamental freedoms, ensure accountability in public finances, and end nepotistic abuses in public service appointments. The nation’s stability depends on it.”
Govt strikes back
Government spokesperson Thabo Sekonyela, however, dismissed the opposition and civic group’s claims, accusing them of failing to exercise their constitutional role.
“The opposition fails to play its oversight role. Instead of using parliamentary committees and other available avenues, they run to the media seeking public sympathy. Mature politics requires supporting government where necessary and opposing where necessary. What we see, instead, is cheap politicking,” Mr Sekonyela said.
On the DPP controversy, Mr Sekonyela said: “It was the Law Society that took the matter to court, not the opposition. Yet they are making noise as though they were the litigants. There is still a chance to appeal the judgment,” he said.
Mr Sekonyela insisted that the government is committed to constitutionalism but argued that opposition parties must rise above political point-scoring.
“A government cannot function effectively without a strong, responsible opposition. Basotho deserve mature politics, not constant media battles.”
