—we should never hear from you again
Scrutator is immensely gratified by the news that one Tšepo Lipholo has gone into hiding. I pray that this “good” reverend, who moonlights as a politician, remains in hiding forever so we never have to hear from him again.
For those among us who live under huge rocks, Ntate Lipholo is the reverend who, instead of spending his time at church, praying with his folk, also leads something called the Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM), whatever that means.
There is absolutely no need to ponder about why he chose this awkward name for his “political party”, suffice to say that because of Lesotho’s defective electoral system, Ntate Lipholo slithered into Parliament on the back of a single PR seat after his wife, children, village mates, and a few church followers, voted for his “political party” at the 2022 general elections.
Because his “party” has no agenda and he probably does not know why he formed it in the first place, Ntate Lipholo, has found himself bored in Parliament. I have never heard him initiate or contribute to any meaningful debate about how Lesotho can be transformed into a viable industrial economy to benefit its citizens. Not that any such debate has ever happened in our so-called National Assembly. So the bored Ntate Lipholo, who also claims to have an academic doctorate, and frequently interchanges his titles, sometimes calling himself Reverend, sometimes Dr, sometimes Mr and sometimes Ntate, has been on a mission to “reclaim” what he describes as Lesotho’s ancestral lands “stolen” by South Africa during the colonial era.
If Ntate Lipholo gets his way, then the Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa will be put under Lesotho’s rule.
Would you please stay in hiding Ntate Lipholo and save us from your nonsense. We are not interested in your fool’s errands. If any of Lesotho’s lands were “stolen” by South Africa, then it surely must be a good thing for all Basotho stolen alongside those lands as they now live in Africa’s largest and most industrialised economy. And hasn’t Ntate Lipholo seen Basotho streaming across the borders in their zillions in search of a better life in those very lands he wants to be incorporated back into Lesotho.
Has he met a single person in all those “stolen” lands who really want to be put back under the rule of Lesotho’s wretched and corrupt politicians? Can he name that single person?
And why is Ntate Lipholo wasting his wife’s time. Doesn’t she love her? If so, why not just divorce her. Is she a real wife or a nyatsi.
Not to be outdone by her husband in making fools out of themselves, the wife called ‘Mathapelo, has been waxing lyrical about a plot to “kill” her husband over his drive to “reclaim`” Lesotho’s “stolen” lands. In Mme ‘Mathapelo’s apparently bare skull, the “plot” is spearheaded by Ntate Sam and his South African counterpart, Ntate Cyril Ramaphosa.
Would you believe it, Mme ‘Mathapelo has even gone to court to accuse bontate Sam and Cyril of conspiring to arrest and “kill” her husband for “advocating the return of Lesotho’s stolen lands”.
In her court papers, Mme ‘Mathapelo even warns of “carnage” if her husband is arrested. She then seeks an order from the courts for her husband not to get killed. Is ‘Mme Mathapelo lobbying to be part of the cartoon show Powerpuff Girls? Is she trying to be a fully fledged comedian, a Mrs Bean of sorts? If so, does she not have a better strategy? Why waste our courts’ time when they have more serious issues to attend to. Fortunately, our judges did not waste time on her nonsense.
Scrutator has no option but to offer Mme Mathapelo some good unsolicited advice. Mme, I have spoken to bontate Cyril and Sam and they have confirmed they indeed want to kill you and your husband. So please Mme, can you go and join your husband in hiding. Can you choose the biggest rock under which you and your husband can hide forever and never appear again to plague us with your crass nonsense about Lesotho’s “stolen” lands. Would you please hide forever so we don’t have to hear from you ever again. While in permanent hiding, can you also ask your cronies to dissolve your Basotho Covenant Movement so that your sole PR seat can be put to better use.. How dare you call your “party” a “movement” anyway. How can a party of a husband and wife and few friends be called a “movement”.
If you don’t want to go into permanent hiding, how about devoting your life to raising your kids or grandkids. Isn’t that better use of time than pursuing a lost cause of “reclaiming stolen lands”. If the lands were indeed stolen, who was the exact thief? You haven’t cited that thief as yet? Can you please cite him or her?
And why did your husband lie that he was going to meet Donald Trump to lobby for help in securing the return of the “stolen” land. Did you honestly think anyone could believe your lies about meeting Trump or his representatives? How do you expect Trump or his representatives to meet someone from an African country that “nobody has ever heard of”. Please get serious ntate Lipholo and Mme ‘Mathapelo. Your family certainly deserves better.
Maqelepo
Your story of wanting to reclaim Lesotho’s “stolen” lands is as silly and as nauseating as the story of the once promising but now moribund Basotho Action Party (BAP).
Ntate Nqosa Mahao’s fight with his deputy, Ntate Maqelepo, over control of the BAP cannot get more childish.
Surprisingly this juvenile fight is dominating newspaper headlines. This national masthead has – to my huge chagrin and disappointment – become a culprit in devoting acres of space to a useless story that has no national value.
Why is the editor of the Lesotho Times devoting space to a useless squabble at the expense of more pressing issues? I shudder to ask even if this gets me fired?
Who really cares about a six seat party whose caucus is divided with the majority against the party’s leader? The BAP is a microcosm of everything wrong against Lesotho and her politics:, i.e. lack of principal driven politics. Everyone forms their insignificant “parties” to gain a PR seat. I for one am very disappointed with what has happened in the BAP. It must just close shop.
And Ntate Maqelepo would do himself and his political career a huge favour if he just crossed the floor to join the RFP or to form his own tiny party. Isn’t that what Ntate Lebo Thotanyana (the former BAP SG) did? Even though I cannot remember the name of Ntate Thotanyana’s party, it’s better to just walk away from the BAP if you are no longer in Ntate Mahao’s good books.
Ntate Maqelepo is demonstrating his political amateurism. How does he dream of ever becoming Ntate Mahao’s trusted deputy again when the latter has now appointed his crony into that position? And does he seriously believe he can fight Ntate Mahao in any court run by Ntate Kananelo Mosito? Is Ntate Maqelepo surprised that he lost his latest case, which under normal circumstances he should have won. Can he point to any single court case in which Ntate Mahao has appeared in Ntate Mosito’s appeal court and lost? It has not happened and it will never happen even if Ntate Mosito does not actually sit to hear Ntate Mahao’s case.
It’s therefore plain foolish for Ntate Maqelepo to vow to return to fight Ntate Mahao in court, just as it is foolish for Ntate Lipholo to believe that the Free State can ever become part of Lesotho again.
If Ntate Maqelepo cannot smell the coffee, he is better off joining Ntate Lipholo in hiding. If he cannot see the BAP’s sustained slide towards complete oblivion, then he has no eyes. If I were Ntate Maqelepo I would just jump ship to the RFP and retain my ministerial post or just form my own Maqelepo Action Party (MAP). With luck, MAP will clinch one PR seat and life goes on. If Lipholo’s so-called Covenant Movement can actually win a PR seat, then why not MAP? Then why not any other political “party”. I am evening thinking of forming mine. By the way, has Bothata decided on a name for his?
Ache!!!!
