Secretary General of Alliance of Democrats Letuka Chafotsa
’Marafaele Mohloboli
MEMBERS of the political opposition are mulling court action to get permission to stage their protest march this Sunday to demand the reopening of Parliament.
This follows a directive by Minister of Police, Phallang Monare that the applicants make written representations to “show cause” why their appeal for a permit should not be dismissed.
“Before I can definitely and conclusively decide as to the fate of your appeal, I have to hear you; of which I invite you to make representations, if any at all, showing cause why in all circumstances of the case I cannot dismiss your appeal,” reads part of Mr Monare’s letter to the organisers.
The proposed march is being spearheaded by Basotho National Party (BNP) spokesperson, Machesetsa Mofomobe, All Basotho Convention (ABC) youth league spokesperson Mphonyane Lebesa and Alliance of Democrats (AD) Secretary-General Letuka Chafotsa.
Parliament was indefinitely adjourned under controversial circumstances by National Assembly Speaker Ntlhoi Motsamai, allegedly because the House had “run out of time” following the presentation and tabling of various reports and bills.
Ordinarily, the motion to adjourn the House indefinitely is presented by the Leader of the House, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing, with MPs afforded the opportunity to debate the motion.
Opposition legislators reacted angrily to the move which they viewed as a strategy to dodge a proposed no-confidence motion against the coalition government led by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
The adjournment was made after the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion on Deputy Speaker Montšuoe Lethoba the week before.
The motion was meant to test the opposition alliance’s strength ahead of another no-confidence motion on the seven-party governing coalition.
However, the motion never saw the light of day after the speaker and her deputy did not raise it up for debate much to the chagrin of the opposition lawmakers.
Since then, the opposition have tried various measures including litigation and the latest being the proposed march to force the re-opening of parliament.
Last week, the march organisers sent a written appeal to Minister Monare after Maseru District Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Motlatsi Mapola flatly refused to grant them a permit to hold the march.
“Please note that based on the aforesaid and intelligence reports received, I have concluded that your application for the permit regarding the purported procession is premised and encompassed by malicious intentions to violate the provision of Section 4 (1) (a) of Meetings and Processions Act 2010,” ACP Mapola stated.
And in his response in a letter dated 18 January, Minister Monare suggested that the police were right to refuse permission.
“What does one do when they are a police officer duly mandated by law to decide whether or not to grant permission to hold a public procession in circumstances where one of the key organisers (Mr Mofomobe) is implicated in dangerous public utterances, effectively that the intended procession is simply a smokescreen for a chaos and anarchy,” Mr Monare wrote.
Mr Monare subsequently directed the appellants to show cause why their appeal should not be dismissed- a decision that has not gone down well with organisers who are now considering court action.
Mr Mofomobe last night told the Lesotho Times that “the response from the minister is very diplomatic and silent and we think this is just a delaying tactic to hinder us from staging the march, so we will go to court”.
“We want to believe that time is not on our side now that the minister wants us to respond to him within three days.
“However we will still go see him as he has stated that he awaits us and we shall seek an alternative date to hold the protest,” Mr Mofomobe said.
