….as MP is heckled and nearly beaten in his Mabote constituency STAFF REPORTER The ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) will convene a special indaba next month to discuss the infighting rocking the party and posing a danger to Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s four-party coalition government. Speaking at an ABC rally on Sunday held in Mabote, ABC outgoing Secretary-General Samonyane Ntsekele, said the interim National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was organizing “an emergency special conference that will be held at the Lehakoe Cultural and Recreational Centre on June 14, 2019”. In a circular to constituencies, Nsekele stated that constituencies were “therefore instructed to prepare their lists of delegates and submit them to the headquarters by June 7, 2019”. Addressing supporters at the rally, Ntsekele said ABC factions had fought and that it was “now time for ABC supporters to make a decision”. “I am here to deliver a short message to you, that when this party was formed by Thomas Thabane and his colleagues those years ago, it was with the understanding that they should be united. Their vision for this political party, was for it to transform this country’s fortunes, to eradicate poverty and build its economy. “We have fought a good fight. We have done all good and bad things under the sun. But it is now time for everything to be placed in the hands of ABC members to make their own decision. Hence, we are calling an emergency special conference, which is provided for in the constitution of the ABC.” At the same rally Fako Moshoeshoe, a member of a faction sympathetic to disputed Deputy-Leader Prof. Nqosa Mahao, appealed to Thabane to provide a solution to the political stalemate. Moshoeshoe also came short of criticizing Thabane when he told the octogenarian (Thabane turns 80 on May 28), that in future if he wanted to appoint people from Mabote constituency to positions in government and parliament “you should consult with the constituency”. “I do not have much to say here today. But I want to say to the ABC leader, that I have no problem with him appointing to the Senate someone from the Mabote constituency. But I would like to advice that in future when the leader’s office has made a decision of that magnitude, the Mabote constituency is also notified so that we can also support such a decision,” Moshoeshoe said as the crowds heckled him. “My leader, ABC’s Mabote constituency supporters are concerned about the situation in the party and are desperate to know what is going on. We therefore urge you to help us understand what the latest is, especially when only in February ABC had an election of a new NEC. They are confused and fervently looking for answers but do not know who to direct their questions to and what to do. That’s all I have to say.” He added: “Sir, very soon people will know that which is right.” Following Moshoeshoe’s speech, ABC interim Deputy-Chairperson Kemiso Mosenene said he hoped that people who claimed to love Thabane “do indeed love him” and that those who claimed they were firmly behind him “are indeed behind him”. However, unlike Mosenene whose sarcasm was mild, ABC Youth League Chairperson Ts’oloane Maphasa was scathing and unforgiving in his attack on Moshoeshoe, calling the MP “a hypocrite and a sell-out”. “We are here to attend the ABC leader’s rally, as we all know he has been on a tour of constituencies countrywide. But today is the first time we are seeing Ntate Moshoeshoe attending the leader’s rally. Where has he been all along? Comrade Fako Moshoeshoe, you must know that even if you had not come to this rally, it would still be successful without you,” Maphasa said. “I do believe that you have seen people’s hearts and the message they are sending to you. Never in my whole life did I imagine that you would be one of the people rebelling against the ABC leader. Sir, where have you been all this time? If you are truly genuine, when you say you support the ABC leader, then you should demonstrate by attending the ABC leader’s rallies every Sunday.”