Mohloai Mpesi
MOVEMENT for Economic Change (MEC) proportional representation (PR) legislator, ‘Mantoetse Mohatonyane, is Lesotho’s new ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.
Ms Mohatonyane presented her credentials to His Majesty King Letsie III at the Royal Palace yesterday morning.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Lejone Mpotjoane, confirmed Ms Mohatonyane’s appointment in a brief interview with the Lesotho Times yesterday.
“She will be deployed today at the Royal Palace by His Majesty King Letsie III, and she will be deployed to Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium,” Mr Mpotjoane said.
Ms Mohatonyane thus resigned from parliament with immediate effect on Monday.
Impeccable MEC sources had earlier informed the Lesotho Times that Ms Mohatonyane’s resignation was in anticipation of her pending deployment to Brussels, as the kingdom’s top diplomat.
Ms Mohatonyane’s resignation letter dated 6th September 2024, was read to the august house by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Tṧepang Tṧita-Mosena, on Monday afternoon.
Contacted for comment on Tuesday morning, Ms Mohatonyane had confirmed the resignation but was coy about the reasons behind it only saying “I am now an ordinary Mosotho woman feeding chickens at home.
Meanwhile, Ms Mohatonyane’s seat in the National Assembly will be occupied by MEC’s Marketing and Communications Officer, ‘Malebohang Pule. Ms Pule is yet to be sworn in as MP.
Meanwhile, Ms Mohatonyane will replace Lesotho’s former ambassador to Belgium, Dr Ponts’o Sekatle.
She was assigned to Belgium by former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s 2017-20 coalition administration.
Dr Sekatle retained her ambassadorial post when ex-premier, Moeketsi Majoro, assumed the high office in May 2020.
She continued to hold the post when current Prime Minister Sam Matekane, assumed government power the October 22 general elections.
Ms Mohatonyane becomes the second legislator to resign during the life of the 11th parliament.
The first to quit was former Socialist Revolutionaries (SR) deputy-leader, ‘Mamarame Matela.
Ms Matela resigned on the 20th of October 2023 after a subtle fallout with SR founder and leader, Teboho Mojapela.
She was subsequently rewarded with a post as Lesotho’s Consular-General for South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.
