Billy Ntaote
Dr Mosisili’s birthday celebrations started with a fun-walk from the party’s headquarters at Puma House in to Co-operatives
Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Pakalitha Mosisili, says he is now a changed man as he embarks on a five-year term as the country’s new prime minister.
Dr Mosisili made the announcement on Sunday while celebrating his 70th birthday at Lesotho Co-operatives College in Maseru.
The DC leader was born on 14 March 1945 in Qacha’s Nek and Sunday’s belated celebrations were organised by the party’s youth league, and came two days before his inauguration as Lesotho’s new premier.
Dr Mosisili’s birthday celebrations started with a fun-walk from the party’s headquarters at Puma House in Maseru, culminating in a sports and entertainment festival at Co-operatives College Football Ground.
According to Dr Mosisili, who was prime minister between 1998 and 2012, he was “humbled” by last month’s elections, whose failure to produce an outright majority winner prompted the DC to form a coalition government with six other political parties, namely the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Lesotho People’s Congress (LPC), Basotho Congress Party (BCP), Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP) and National Independent Party (NIP).
Dr Mosisili told hundreds of guests attending the party that the result had made him change from an “arrogant leader” to a more amiable individual ready to work with other formations.
“These election results have truly humbled me. Today, the arrogance of absolute majority that I had in the past is no more, and we are starting a new era of cooperation with fellow politicians. We are now in a government of seven political parties where we are supposed to make collective decisions, and I am ready for this unity of purpose,” said Dr Mosisili.
“The seven parties in the new government need each other regardless of our numbers in parliament. I used to be very arrogant and never needed to plead with anyone when I formed government in the past, but these elections have made me a different person.
“We need to stick together and work for unity, peace and the development of Lesotho.”
Dr Mosisili, whose previous reign was ended on 8 June 2012 by a tripartite government led by All Basotho Convention leader Thomas Thabane, and also comprised the LCD and Basotho National Party, further said he hoped to live “many more years”, and contribute to the prosperity of Lesotho.
On her part, the DC Women’s League president, Pontšo Sekatle, urged the coalition leaders to ensure the new government brings unity among Basotho “and not disharmony” like the ABC, BNP and LCD alliance whose collapse led to the 28 February 2015 parliamentary elections, which came two years ahead of schedule.
“We don’t need leaders who are always plotting against their partners and wish them to suffer as we saw with the past coalition government led by Thabane, which was persecuting people for no apparent reason,” said Dr Sekatle.
“I would also like to urge DC supporters and our coalition government partners to serve Lesotho and not their personal interests, and deliver the nation from hunger and poverty.”
DC deputy leader, Monyane Moleleki, was also at Sunday’s celebrations and congratulated Dr Mosisili for his longevity and leadership skills which saw the DC bounce back to power when few gave the party a chance of such an early return.
“You can now start earning the famous ‘Mosisili old-age pension’ your government started giving the elderly the last time you were prime minister. We thank God for giving you life and blessing you to continue leading us, in this party and into a new government,” said Mr Moleleki to much applause from the supporters.
