Thulo Hoeane
NO man has probably written himself into the history books of this country in his lifetime – for all the wrong reasons – more than Mothetjoa Metsing, the leader of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).
When all is said and done, Metsing will stand out conspicuously as the man who singularly stood in the way when this country sought to make a clean break with its recent sordid past that was marked by lawlessness and the killing of innocent people.
Metsing is playing a dangerous treasonous game by calling from the relative safety of South Africa for virtual mayhem in this country. The man has either fatal guts, a reckless sense of bravado or both. He is unmistakably on a path of self-destruction.
For now I will not say much about the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) albatross that has tainted and left his image and reputation in tatters.
The LCD leader has trumped up a false narrative that the opposition (read LCD) is systematically being politically persecuted by the Thomas Thabane-led four party coalition government.
Interestingly and predictably so, he has elevated ordinary textbook criminality – through this trajectory of thought – to what he spuriously calls ‘political persecution’.
For Metsing when the government apprehends murder suspects and hauls them before the courts this is political persecution.
When the corrupt are pursued in Metsing’s language this is political persecution. And shockingly it is this brand of persecution that he says must come to an end before he can participate in the reforms process. This is one of his key pre–conditions.
But even the most casual observer of the political landscape of this country will agree with me that there is nothing political about the daylight slaughter of Lieutenant – General Maaparankoe two years ago and many others. Their assassinations by criminals was just the callous murder of individuals who were eliminated savagely in the foulest manner imaginable.
Metsing – we also understand – wants such criminals to be released from jail and set free. A most perverted point of view that offends the sense of justice of any right thinking person. But this is what this man shockingly wants. To buttress and ink in this legacy he is now threatening to wreak havoc in this country if the government does not accede to what can frankly be described as lunacy.
Metsing must tread carefully. Threatening chaos is actually a call to arms no matter how misguided the call might be. That message to his supporters or what is left of them loosely translated is that they must rise up and overthrow the Thabane government by any means at their disposal. The man is playing with fire and he will sooner rather than later find himself strapped with a sedition charge over and above the DCEO albatross that haunted him out of this country last year.
The crime of sedition can be committed from the relative safety of Ladybrand. In any event extraditing him from South Africa will be no problem in the short and long run because he is an ordinary visitor – albeit a controversial one – in that country and not a political refugee. And I bet the day he sets foot in this country again he might well find himself having to explain these reckless utterances.
Instead of doing the right thing and coming back home the man is asking for more trouble by soliciting misplaced political sympathy by calling for outright chaos.
Metsing knows that there is no political vendetta against him or his supporters. Be careful Metsing because as you run out of ideas you are now venturing into a slippery path of self–destruction.
Nobody – except the police – should take any further interest in what Metsing has to say.
You have not provided any evidence of this so – called political persecution to anyone.
If there was any substance behind the allegations that you are making the Southern African Development Community (SADC) would have intervened to address your rumblings.
SADC will never be seen to cushion common criminals against the wrath and raw of the law as it takes its course. Metsing is completely off the rails. This reforms process is too important to be sabotaged by politicians who have run out of ideas.
