MEC Leader Selibe Mochoboroane at Mafeteng over the past weekend
’Marafaele Mohloboli
THE Movement for Economic Change (MEC) recently held its inaugural leadership conference and rally in Mafeteng, amid calls by its youthful leader, Selibe Mochoboroane, for veteran politicians to make way for fresh blood.
MEC was formed last month and its leader Mr Mochoboroane was the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) secretary-general and Small Business Development minister until he parted ways with the LCD after being provisionally suspended by party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing for allegedly sabotaging the governing coalition party to prop up the MEC.
He was subsequently fired from his ministerial post by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
The MEC rally which was held over the weekend was preceded by the special conference which was attended by 1200 representatives from different parts of the country.
Mr Mochoboroane said after years of failure, it was time the old guard handed over the reins of leadership to a new generation with fresh ideas.
“We have seen those who came before us trying but in vain and we are saying it’s only fair that they go home and retire,” Mr Mochoboroane said, adding, “The time has come for the dog to snatch a bone from another. It’s time for the patriotic young blood”.
“For the first time in the history of Lesotho three parties joined the cross bench, an act which placed the government in a tight corner.”
“We as MEC, are clear that we want to fight for the baton and we are going to take it.”
Mr Mochoboroane said the party had grown in leaps and bounds in “only 33 days” after its formation, adding, they were now represented in 70 constituencies.
He urged his supporters to recruit others to join the party, saying, “Go tell them that there is a cloud coming their way but it brings them change and emancipation…Go tell them that it’s Mochoboroane’s time, it’s time for change.”
“By the time we go for elections, someone will feel it, he will know that the people want change and liberation and not the empty promises most politicians normally make”.
He said the main objective of the conference was to draft a manifesto by taking the mandate from the people by engaging them in consultations before the final product.
“We are going to change the political landscape and the lives of Basotho. We came up with inputs on infrastructure, unemployment, poverty, economy, natural resources, agriculture, food security, and security. This is a manifesto that’s going to help us win the general elections.
“It’s time Basotho came up with their own solutions for their problems. Time to localise Basotho products and talent and stop sourcing expertise from South Africa to boost the economy.”
He said his parties had no problems with the alliance that the opposition bloc had signed, especially the rotational premiership of 18 months, “but we doubt what kind of policies will be in place and be implemented in such a short space of time for the benefit of the people”.
He said once his party came to power, they would retire the old guard and take care of them as any son would take of his father, adding, “None of them will harass or threaten the other regardless their political affiliation. They should all just accept that MEC is here to save this nation by delivering and not just talk”.
