BUTHA-BUTHE — The president of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) youth league has distanced the youth wing from a petition sent to the prime minister calling for a cabinet reshuffle.
Mosala Mojakisane, told an LCD rally in Butha-Buthe last Sunday that the youth wing was not behind the petition that was sent to Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
“I wish to publicly declare that as the youth committee we have absolutely nothing to do with that letter,” said Mojakisane.
The petition which was handed to Mosisili through Communications Minister Mothetjoa Metsing urged the prime minister to reshuffle cabinet and fire incompetent ministers.
A senior member of the youth league said they had sent the petition to Mosisili because they were concerned with the poor performance of ministers and their permanent secretaries.
In a sharp twist to the developments Mojakisane disassociated the youth league from the purported petition.
“The youth committee has not written any letter to the Prime Minister. I repeat, we were not involved in the writing of that letter,” said Mojakisane.
Observers this week said the letter and Mojakisane’s denial that the youth league had penned the petition was a clear indication of serious in-fighting within the ranks of the youth league.
Mojakisane lashed out at authors of the petition whom he said were bent on sowing discord and brewing division.
He said rumours that he was part of a group of youth leaders who wrote the letter had hurt him personally.
“The rumour has hurt us so much and it is such an utter disgrace that we are being implicated (in the writing of the petition). Which is why I stand here today to boldly squash those unfounded rumours,” said Mojakisane.
He said he was still at a loss as to the origins of the letter and could therefore not pin-point anyone.
“Investigations are underway in all constituencies as we speak. We will be in a position to identify the source of the letter in at least a month’s time,” said Mojakisane.
The youth league president said those behind the penning of the illegal letter would face disciplinary action.“We will deal with the issue of discipline in line with our constitution and according to our structures,” said Mojakisane.
Mojakisane was elected president of the LCD youth league in May 2009 after the disbandment of the previous youth committee for alleged indiscipline and insubordination.He said they until now had no idea what was contained in the letter sent to Mosisili.
He added that he was disappointed with the way the media had handled the matter when they chose to speculate on the contents of the petition.“The media’s approach to this issue has been disappointing. They have speculated on the contents of the letter and even went on to name some ministers, which was in my view unethical,” Mojakisane said.
Mojakisane said he was not in a position to say whether corruption was rife within ministries and if ministers were performing their assigned duties as expected.
“We are a not in a position to say whether or not ministers are executing their duties well. But what I can say for a fact is that our mandate is to ensure that the vision of the LCD manifesto is implemented,” said Mojakisane.
Meanwhile former opposition All Basotho Convention (ABC) member, Makholoma Matela, and 37 other opposition members rejoined the LCD at the rally last weekend.“I submit myself to LCD today. I regret that I hitched a ride on ABC’s back. But I have since severed the umbilical cord tying to that party,” said Matela.
Matela said it was only the LCD which was delivering services to the people citing free education to the poor.Mosisili said the government was planning to install electricity to rural households. He did not give a time-frame.“We will install electricity for you for free, so that women will no longer be forced to scavenge for firewood in the wilderness.
“Once you have electricity installed in your homes, you will gradually repay the costs incurred by the government by having the money deducted from your accounts when you buy electricity,” said Mosisili.
About 1 500 people attended the weekend rally.
