BBDP leader says village chief is persecuting him for proposing a no-confidence motion against govt
Tefo Tefo
The Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP) leader, Jeremane Ramathebane, is suing his village chief in the High Court for allegedly waging “a political battle” against him under the pretext of executing his administrative duties.
Mr Ramathebane filed an urgent application in the High Court on Friday last week seeking an order to stop a public gathering organised by his local chief, Tumo Malebanye.
The chief had wanted Mr Ramathebane to “openly explain” a funeral he had recently organised for his aunt, and the “unprocedural” steps he had allegedly followed when burying her in the village.
The gathering had been scheduled for Ha-Sankatana village in Mohale’s Hoek district on Monday this week, but was subsequently blocked by the interim court order obtained by Mr Ramathebane.
In his court papers, Mr Ramathebane alleges Chief Malebanye is only trying to fight a political battle after he proposed a motion of no-confidence in the coalition government in parliament in March this year.
In his affidavit, Mr Ramathebane alleges Chief Malebanye is not the chief in the area but an active member of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), who is only seeking to tarnish his image in the Mohale’s Hoek district.
The ABC, led by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, formed a coalition government with the Lesotho Congress for Democracy and Basotho National Party after the May 26 2012 general election failed to produce a single party with the outright majority of at least 61 seats required to form a government.
Mr Ramathebane also narrated in the affidavit the background of the conflict between him and the chief.
“On May 15 2014 at around 9pm, I received a letter from the first respondent (Chief Malebanye) informing me that he had organised a public gathering or Pitso for me on Monday, May 19, 2014 at 8am.
“In terms of annexure ‘AA’ (chief’s letter), the first respondent claims to be calling this public gathering for me in order that I should go and address the public in relation to the burial of ‘Matebello Makhetha.
“The said ‘Matebello Makhetha is my aunt and was buried on May 14 2014 and has nothing to do with the first respondent and I have no desire to explain anything to any gathering.
“I must state from the onset that I have not, in any shape or form, requested or indicated to the first respondent to organise me a rally or public gathering as he is purporting to do so,” he stated.
Turning to his allegation that the chief was pursuing a political agenda to discredit him, Mr Ramathebane said: “I must inform the Honourable Court that the first respondent, even though he purports to be the chief, is a staunch supporter and activist of the All Basotho Convention and after I had proposed a motion of no-confidence in parliament, he openly vocally opposed to that move and accused me of being a troublemaker and destabiliser of the present government.
“He recently organised a group of villagers to heckle and shout at me in the open and even to try to interfere with my movements.
“On or about the 23rd April 2014, this group of his even tried to stop me on the way, gathered stones in a provocative manner in an effort to provoke me into a fight.
“I duly exercised restraint and avoided them.”
Mr Ramathebane further alleges ever since he proposed the parliamentary motion last month, he has encountered “subtle moves from the chief which are aimed at interfering with me as well as harassing me.”
He continues: “I am a politician and Member of Parliament (MP). I come from the village of Ha-Sankatana.
“The public gathering that the first respondent purports to call or organise for me is intended to harass and taint me, my name and reputation in that I am not prepared to attend a public gathering purportedly
called in my name but which I have not requested.
“I am reliably informed that, and I verily believe such information, that the first respondent’s calling of that public gathering is with the aim that his groups would then disrupt it, with some blood being shed and peace and order disrupted in the process.
“This is highly likely to impact negatively on me as an individual and party leader.”
Challenging Malebanye’s chieftainship, Mr Ramathebane says in the affidavit: “I must tell this Honourable Court that the first respondent is not the chief of Ha-Sankatana even though in his letter, he referred to himself as the chief of the place.
“The first respondent’s home is in Morifi, Ha Thetso in the district of Mohale’s Hoek where he is known as Moholobela Thetso.
“He features nowhere in the scheme of things in-so-far as the headmanship of Ha-Sankatana is concerned. He is not even entitled to succeed to the chiefly rights of Ha-Sankatana in any shape or form.
“I state categorically that there is no office called ‘Morena oa Khubetsoana’ as his rubberstamp purports to denote. The only office of the chief of Ha-Sankatana is commonly referred to as Thabana Khubetsoana. I know this because I was born and grew up in Ha-Sankatana.”
Mr Ramathebane in further justifying the political motivation of the chief to harass and taint his reputation, says: “I should further inform this Honourable Court that in fact, this is a political matter disguised as an administrative matter.
“I say so because on the 15th May, 2014, the first respondent was visited by the Minister of Agriculture Mr (Litšoane) Litšoane accompanied by the District Administrator for Mohale’s Hoek (Mrs ‘Mantšiuoa Mosothoane), both of whom are members of the All Basotho Convention.
“The plan to call the meeting of May 19, 2014 was engineered from that visit and at the behest of the minister.”
Meanwhile, the High Court is set to decide on June 9, whether the gathering called by the chief could go ahead or not. The respondents in the case are the chief, Officer Commanding Mohale’s Hoek Police and
