… reunites with three other rebellious legislators
Mohloai Mpesi
IN an unexpected twist, expelled ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)’s Abia constituency lawmaker, Thuso Makhalanyane, is due to be welcomed back into the party today.
Three other RFP MPs, who had rebelled against Prime Minister Sam Matekane, and were voting against their party in parliament, are all set to reunite with their party.
Mr Makhalanyane was initially suspended and ultimately expelled from the party in September last year together with two other RFP MPs, Mahali Phamotse and Rethabile Letlailana of the Matlakeng and Lithoteng constituencies respectively, for insubordination and not toing the party line.
Mr Makhalanyane told the Lesotho Times he will be formally re-admitted into the RFP today. He said three other MPs, who had voted against their party, would also reunite with the RFP and start supporting its moves.
The three had neither been suspended nor expelled but had fallen out with the party’s leadership. They had effectively gone into the opposition camp and the RFP no longer relied on them.
Mr Makhalanyane did not mention the trio’s names, but the the Lesotho Times is aware that the three are Malefane Mabote, ‘Mope Khati, and Rethabile Nalane, legislators under the RFP banner for Tsikoane, Pela-Ts’oeu and Hlotse constituencies respectively. They had been supporting moves to oust Mr Matekane.
Mr Makhalanyane said they had all reunited with the RFP because their longstanding differences with the party’s leadership had been resolved. They had made a pact to work together again and advance the government’s interests.
Movement for Economic Change (MEC) proportional representation (PR) legislator, Motlalepula Khahloe, had also differed with his party, which is a founding coalition government partner of Mr Matekane. He had effectively started supporting the opposition. He has also returned into the coalition government’s fold, Mr Makhalanyane said.
MEC is one of the partners in Mr Matekane’s seven-party coalition administration, and is led by Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane.
“The five of us are returning to the government’s side in parliament,” Mr Makhalanyane said.
He added the RFP leadership had assured them that the government would address their grievances.
“They are even asking us to go and help them resolve problems that we have been complaining about….They are pledging to seriously work on our issues of concern. They want to work with us to ensure that some of those things we spoke about like nepotism are resolved,” he said.
Messrs Makhalanyane and Letlailana and Dr Phamotse, were in August last year suspended from the RFP after voting with the opposition in parliament. They were later formally expelled by the party’s 30th September 2023 Annual General Conference.
Dr Phamotse had since gone to form her own party, the United African Transformation (UAT). Mr Letlailana position remains unclear however.
The four MPs’ return into the government would boost the Prime Minister’s National Assembly numbers as he seeks to ward off a no confidence motion against him, should the courts rule that it must proceed.
RFP spokesperson, Mokhethi Shelile, had told the Lesotho Times in November last year, that the MPs who had been expelled or who had rebelled had been “begging” to return to the party and negotiations were ongoing.
“They should return to parliament and vote with government. Then we will see if they have repented.… We will then put them back into the party’s WhatsApp groups and meetings….” he said then.
The rebellious RFP had supported a bid to oust Premier Matekane. They signed an opposition petition on 16 October 2023 to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Tlohang Sekhamane, seeking to oust Mr Matekane and replace him with Official Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mathibeli Mokhothu, who also leads the main opposition Democratic Congress (DC).
The no confidence vote was stalled after an RPF legislator, Lejone Puseletso, challenged its legality in the courts. The case is ongoing. Mr Matekane has in the meantime been consolidating his numbers in parliament just in case the motion returns.
Rumours persist that he is trying to rope the All Basotho Convention (ABC) into his party and gain eight more exists. Sources told us a cabinet reshuffle was imminent.
