AMID all the recent drama and the socio-political vicissitudes in His Majesty’s kingdom, some very important, albeit very hilarious developments, eluded me. When lot of things happen at the same time, one is bound to miss some. I sometimes get too consumed in my own work that I miss a thing or two. I always endeavour to catch up on issues by reading all newspapers I would have missed. But I honestly don’t know how I could have missed the “big news” that the deputy leader of the once venerable Democratic Congress, Ntate Mathibeli Mokhothu, had decided that it was finally his turn to flee Lesotho.
“Mokhothu Flees”. Really? My heart almost sank as I sat in my small veranda last weekend, a glass of donated dry scotch in hand, seeing this Sunday Express headline of a few weeks back. Apparently, the deputy leader of the DC told the Sunday newspaper he had decided to flee after seeing a “hit list” of political opponents to be eliminated by Ntate Motsoahae’s new coalition. Really? The same “hit list” issue was raised by one Methotjoa Metsing of the LCD. So it was by Tseliso Mokhosi of the same moribund LCD.
What is it about these “hit lists”? Surely, there must be some bored soul out there who has decided to make a vocation out of manufacturing these “hit lists” and getting rewarded for his/her work of fantasy.
In further justifying his decision to flee, Ntate Mokhothu told the Sunday Express that he had seen not only one, but two “hit lists” bearing his name on social media. Really Ntate Mokhothu? Can you be serious please? Who in this world would surely want to kill such a very handsome soul like you Ntate Mokhotu. Imagine, anyone arming themselves with an axe and deciding to sever Ntate Mokhutu’s head from the rest of his very athletic body? I bet nobody would want to commit such a crime against Allah.
If the Congress parties are hell-bent on besmirching Ntate Motsoahae’s coalition by manufacturing these “hit lists”, then they are doing a pretty bad job. In fact, they are making absolute fools of themselves. Who surely would want to kill Ntate Mokhothu?
At the rate at which stories of these “hit lists” are going, don’t be surprised if that one political no hoper aka Mr Sixty Votes emerges one morning claiming that he too has fled because he has found his name on a “hit list”.
Surely, which foolish person in this world – bent on killing anyone – would first compile a hit list and post it on social media. It surely cannot be Ntate Motsoahae. Ntate Mokhothu said he became worried and decided to flee after seeing two “suspicious” vehicles near his house? What if these cars belonged to relatives of his neighbours? Or what if they were full of lusty women wanting to get the attention of this very handsome man?
And who else appears on these “hit lists”? Why has Ntate Berthuel – Pink Panther – Mosisili never appeared on these “hit lists”? Why? Surely it would not make sense for Ntate Motsoahae’s coalition to kill Ntate Mokhothu, a man whose only recent claim to political prestige has been to be Minister of Sports and Gender – while leaving Mr Pink Panther aka Size Two, the top man himself, unscathed. Bontate Motsoahae and Pakalitha are the two bitter rivals who have dominated our political landscape for ages. It would make sense if one wishes the other to go six feet under to fertilise daffodils. But Ntate Pakalitha has never been mentioned as appearing on any of these “hit lists”. Isn’t that ample proof that these “hit lists” are as good fabrications as Tlali Kamoli’s mutiny fantasy? In any event, let’s assume Ntate Motsoahae contemplating the serious business of taking out his main rival, why would he first sit down and write his name onto a hit list? Surely, if you want to kill someone, you just go and kill. To his huge credit, Mr Pink Panther has not spewed any gibberish about a hit list? Ntate Mosisili would rather spend his time defending his close buddy at Moafrika. Though it seems he is yet to advise him to chop off those unsightly white dreadlocks and beard to avoid making Lesotho a continual laughing stock.
I chuckled on reading this comment in the Sunday Express from Ntate Mokhothu: “I initially dismissed the two hit lists that circulated on social media but started paying attention when a third list surfaced……..”
Really Ntate Mokhothu? Now Scrutator hereby warns you that there is a fourth hit list on its way. Please monitor your social media handle. Instead of fleeing to South Africa, why don’t you consider moving to far flung Siberia before the fourth list appears? At least no one will find and bother you there. You can relax in Siberia even after the fifth and sixth hit lists appear on social media. Don’t say Scrutator did not warn you. Please flee further.
The person I feel pity for most is Joang Molapo who finds himself in an unenviable position of defending the government against these patently stupid “hit list” claims. I liked this comment though; “I cannot for the life of me understand why he (Ntate Mokhothu) decided to do what he has done (to flee). Nobody would want to target him for anything…” said Ntate Molapo, the Minister of Communications and government spokesman.
Scrutator totally agrees. Even if the most hardened criminal met Ntate Mokhotu carrying bags of money, the criminal would most probably be repelled by his pretty face and leave him alone.
And when is Mr Sixty Votes producing his own hit list? I anxiously await that one. I am anxious to know who else he will claim it includes.
The comforting reality however is that once Ntate Motsoahae’s coalition came into power, not a single man or woman has been assassinated for their political proclivities. Contrast that with the period when Mr Pink Panther returned to power in 2015 and assassinations became routine? All peace loving Basotho must draw comfort from that reality. Ntate Motsoahae is a peace loving man. He respects human life. He has not killed anyone. He has not produced any hit list. But of course he is doing the right thing by seeking justice for those who perished under the previous Pink Panther coalition. No amount of manufactured “hit lists” should deter him from that path.
Another very significant development I missed recently was the remarks of Ntate Seabata Motsamai of the Lesotho Council of Non Governmental Organisations (LCN) fame on the impending deployment of a SADC force into Lesotho. Apparently Ntate Motsamai agrees with Ntate Mosisili that SADC should not deploy here.
“We really don’t need a (SADC) military battalion to address our security challenges….. The anticipated deployment of SADC troops would likely trigger a gloves off mentality that would dramatically escalate instability in the country’s armed forces especially on the soldiers that think they are targeted by the intervention…..Some of the soldiers will probably think they cannot go down without a fight. That by itself will further deteriorate the situation in the army,” Ntate Motsamai told one local publication. I have searched around to see if Ntate Motsamai was somehow misquoted and has demanded a retraction of these words. Alas, there is none. Ntate Motsamai was quoted correctly. He firmly believes his own tosh.
I have a question for Ntate Motsamai. How is life on Planet Motsamai? Can you please come down to Planet Earth where we all are and be real?
Surely, while it makes sense for Ntate Mosisili not to want a SADC force (He probably is hoping for another Kamoli to emerge and return him to power), it defies all logic for a civic society activist – from a credible body like LCN – to utter such unfathomable bunkum? Surely Ntate Motsamai, the very reasons you cite justify why we need the SADC force here? Unless of course you are of the view that all the atrocities and injustices of the past must go unpunished? Unless you surely believe that all the scoundrels responsible for the murders of bontate Mahao, Mokheseng, Ramahloko, among others, must be given gold and platinum medals for their “fantastic work” to incentivise them to commit more atrocities? Why not, if they know they will go unpunished because of fear that they will fight back in the event that they are asked to account?. What a wonderful scenario? Fortunately, it should only subsist on Planet Motsamai, which is far flung from our real world. The rest of us need SADC troops yesterday. Their arrival should embolden Ntate Motsoahae to go for all and sundry responsible for the mayhem of the past.
Only when people who commit atrocities meet their comeuppance. Only when they know that one day they will get caught and face justice will we ever get peace and stability in this country Ntate Motsamai. We can never have stability when scoundrels know that they can kill at will and get away with murder for the reasons you sight. The LCN is an important civic body. We cannot afford to have any political Guptas in it.
You have to learn and learn very fast from one of your civic activists, Moeketsi Lepeli, of the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC). Ntate Lepeli has emerged as one of the most nuanced, intelligent and erudite commentators in Lesotho with a good grasp of issues he comments about. Indeed, he was spot on in dismissing members of the previous Pink Panther coalition when he said; “These people failed to address security challenges when they were in government….they do not have a good track record with regard to solving volatility in the security institutions…What do they want to do this time….?”.
Ntate Lepeli is right. Pink Panther coalition members are the least qualified to try and discredit Ntate Motsoahae’s efforts sort out the army. Keep it up Ntate Lepeli. You once sat near Scrutator when you worked for the Lesotho Times. My intelligence must have rubbed off on you.
As I am completing this article, I have just been alerted that His Excellency, Sheikh, Professor, Alhaji, Doctor, Abdul Aziz, Awal, Jemus Junkung, Naasiru Deen Babili Mansa, the ruler of all the beasts of the earth and fishes of the seas is a guest at police headquarters. It could be the beginning of his comeuppance. Who said there is no God out there? Viva, the LMPS Viva!!! Viva Ntate Molibeli Viva!!!
Ache!!!!
