. . . as Lebona pleads with RFP members to support party leader
………….while calls for the elective conference intensify
Bongiwe Zihlangu/‘Marafaele Mohloboli
PRIME Minister Sam Matekane has reiterated his tough stance that his ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party will not be holding an elective conference anytime soon.
Addressing members attending Qeme legislator Sello Hakane’s 7 October 2022 election victory celebrations over the weekend, Mr Matekane said only after five years would the party consider holding national executive committee (NEC) elections.
“We’re not interested in committee elections for now,” he said to chanting and ululation.
The premier stated unequivocally that NEC elections were not a priority for his party. Should there be any, it would only be after five years, he said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you do recall don’t you, that we promised to serve once we are in government? Do you still remember that we committed to emancipating this nation from endemic poverty and transforming your lives?
“You do know, don’t you, that the only way we can achieve our goals is through hard work? What we are saying is that the five years we have been given to govern Lesotho are to be utilised wisely by working hard,” Mr Matekane said.
“We are saying this is not the time for committees. Rather, we say it is a time to serve you. Essentially, we are saying that we don’t have any committees for the next five years. There is no such thing as committee elections.”
He said the RFP’s only mission now was to transform Lesotho to ensure that every Mosotho went to bed on a full stomach.
“As such, you must not allow yourselves to be taken by the noise about committees that are going to be elected. There will be no such for the next five years.”
Mr Matekane’s remarks follow demands last week by the party’s Abia and Makhaleng constituency committees for NEC elections.
The committees gave RFP secretary general, Nthati Moorosi, an ultimatum to convene an elective conference within 60 days to replace the party’s inception (interim) committee, or face court action.
Cowboy Sethathi, who is the RFP’s chairperson for the Makhaleng constituency, and his Abia counterpart, Moloi Ralentsoe, instructed their lawyers K.D. Mabulu & Co, to pen a letter of demand to Ms Moorosi. They made it very categorical in their letter that the interim NEC established at the inception of the party in March 2022 had exhausted its shelf life. It now existed illegally, outside the provisions of the party’s constitution, they stated.
In fact, because of its interim status, the current committee could not legally convene elections for other structures of the party, they argued.
“We shall await your response within five days of the receipt of this correspondence. Should you fail to respond, or return an unfavourable response, we shall then be left with no other option but to go to court and seek appropriate relief including costs. We hope this will not be necessary,” Messrs Sethathi and Ralentsoe wrote.
Their letter came after Mr Matekane told an election victory celebration for the RFP’s Thaba-Tseka legislator, ‘Mamamello Holomo, three weeks ago that his party would not be holding an elective conference anytime soon.
If anything, Mr Matekane was specific during his address that he had not come into politics to engage in conflict. It was “a lie that we are going for an elective conference”, he remarked at that event.
“There are people walking amongst you here, claiming that there is going to be an elective conference of the national executive committee. There is no such. Those people must have misunderstood what I have been saying. They don’t understand what my dream is. I am here to serve the nation. I have always said that we are on a mission to serve the people,” he said.
Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police Minister and RFP founder, Lebona Lephema, has also rejected calls for NEC elections.
Speaking during an RFP rally in the Tsóana-makhulo constituency on Saturday, Mr Lephema said this was not the time to choose a new committee.
He advised party members to do away with factions.
Mr Lephema also pleaded with them to have compassion for party leader Mr Matekane as he went about the business of rebuilding Lesotho.
“Please give him time to work hard, to serve you. Close those skeletons (candidate lists for NEC elections) so that you deprive our detractors of something to gossip about. Both teams are mine, they are a part of me (RFP members who want an elective conference and those who oppose it).”
He said most of Lesotho’s key political parties had become mere shadows of their yesteryear days of glory due to internal squabbles and factionalism.
“Let us do away with camps. These political parties in Lesotho you see deteriorating, it is all because of camps. Please wait for a bit, give us space to work for you. The scriptures say that we must please God in order that He gives us that which we desire. Let us go home, get down on our knees and pray to God to bestow on us our desires. Let us let go of self-centeredness.”
Meanwhile, the RFP’s lawyer, Letuka Molati, has responded to the letter of demand for an elective conference by Messrs Sethathi and Ralentsoe.
In a 22 February 2023 response to the two, titled “Request For Elective Conference Of The Executive Committee Of RFP”, Adv Molati said that he was yet to be given instructions by the party’s NEC on the way forward.
“We refer to the above matter duly instructed to act herein. Your letter dated 21st February 2023 addressed to the Secretary-General of RFP has been forwarded to us for action. We write this letter to acknowledge the receipt of your letter. We are yet to take full instructions on this matter so that we react issuably,” Adv Molati said.
“At this point in time, we do not have instructions to react to your clients’ demands. In the circumstance, you shall be served with a letter which addresses issues you raise in your letter on 21 February 2023 because we are yet to obtain full instructions from our client on this matter.”
While Messrs Sethathi and Ralentsoe await a detailed response, calls for an elective conference are intensifying.
The Thaba-Phechela constituency committee has also demanded the convening of an elective conference.
In their own separate letter dated 27 February 2023, the constituency committee wrote to Ms Moorosi imploring the NEC to “humble itself and submit to the demands of supporters to convene an elective conference in the interest of democracy, especially when the RFP leader (Matekane) always expresses his support for democracy when representing Lesotho at international platforms (sic)”. (See analysis on P8)
