Letsatsi Selikoe
LEADER of the main opposition Democractic Congress (DC), Mathibeli Mokhothu, has launched another broadside at the ruling Revolution For Prosperity (RFP).
This time Mr Mokhothu claims that the country has been cripled by stocktheft and rampant murders since Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s RFP came to power in October 2022.
He made the scathing attack at his party’s rally in Mafeteng on Sunday. He accused the RFP-led adminsitration of “doing nothing” to address the crimes which he said were paralysing the nation.
But Mr Mokhothu’s claims have been rubbished by government spokesperson, Thabo Sekonyela, who instead said it was Mr Mokhothu who should shoulder the blame for the spiral killings and stocktheft cases.
Speaking at the rally, Mr Mokhothu insisted the RFP was failing to address critical issues.
“My fellow citizens, we are not just talking about a handful of missing cattle. We are talking about thousands of cattle and small animals, which have all vanished from their rightful owners, depriving them their livelihoods,” Mr Mokhothu said.
“And what has the RFP done about it? Nothing! Not event a single word or a whisper of concern for the farmers who are bearing the brunt of this epidemic.
“A total of 7,885 small animals have been stolen, and out of these, a mere 1,800 have been recovered, leaving over 5,085 unaccounted for.
“The situation is no less dire for our livestock. Over 13 023 head of cattle have disappeared, snatched from their farms and their owners. Only 4,200 have been retrieved thus far, with 8,823 still missing,” Mr Mokhothu said without citing where he got the statistics from.
Mr Mokhuthu was scathing about the many murder cases that continue to crip the country.
“How many more must die before our leaders take action?” he asked, as his voice kept rising above the growing murmurs of consent from the DC supporters.
“About 590 people have been killed by guns, and not a single word of condemnation or sorrow has come from the RFP.”
As he detailed the grim statistics, the audience became increasingly incensed.
In a final scathing salvo, Mr Mokhuthu declared that the RFP had utterly failed in every aspect of governance.
“From border security to crime, from agricultural development to financial oversight, the ruling party has fallen short of every promise they made.
“Their inability to address the most pressing issues facing Lesotho has left a nation adrift, wracked by instability and poverty.”
With a steely resolve, Mr Mokhothu made an impassioned plea to his audience: “It is time for the people of Lesotho to reclaim their destiny”.
However, Mr Sekonyela fired back at Mr Mokhothu’s claims when contacted for comment this week, challenging the DC leader to substantiate his allegations.
“If Mokhothu is going to make such bold statements, he better bring facts to back them up. Show us the proof. Show us the statistics. Where are the records of all this stolen livestock?”
“Most of the stocktheft reported in Lesotho has been perpetrated by members of the very party that Mokhothu leads (DC). These criminals steal livestock from our farmers and smuggle them across the border into South Africa.
“Where is Mokhothu’s leadership in addressing this problem? Where is his voice condemning the actions of these thieves? Instead, he prefers to point fingers at others, while turning a blind eye to the crimes committed by his own supporters,” Mr Sekonyela said.
Mr Sekonyela also blamed Mr Mokhothu for the high murder rates.
“The guns that have been used in these murders and robberies were stolen from the Mafeteng police station while Mokhothu was still the deputy head of the government. Yet he has the gall to criticize our administration’s handling of crime, when he himself was in charge when these weapons disappeared.
“Where is his accountability? Where is his willingness to take responsibility for the failures of his own leadership?” Mr Sekonyela asked.
Mr Mokhothu served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2020 to 2022 under the DC and All Basotho Convention coalition led by Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro.
In 2021, 75 firearms were stolen from the Mafeteng Police Station armoury, allegedly with inside help from corrupt officers.
The latest attack by Mr Mokhothu follows last week’s DC rally in Ha Thetsane, Maseru, where he berated the government of failing to provide Basotho with passports.
