Prime Minister Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, 81, has on February 20 announced that he has resolved to retire on or before July this year.
news
Feb. 20, 2020
STAFF REPORTER
5 min read
Lesotho premier finally steps down
Prime Minister Thomas Thabane
Thabane has recently been under pressure from his own party of the ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC)and different quarters of the society to relinquish power for younger generation and for the fact that his wife, First Lady Maisaiah Thabane, 42, has been charged with the murder of Thabane’s second wife Lipolelo Thabane, who was shot dead on June 14, 2017 – two days before Thabane’s second inauguration as Prime Minister.
Police also allege that Thabane’s cellphone was used to communicate with one of the suspects at the scene of crime. This has led to allegations in the social media that Thabane has also been charged with murder of his wife, the allegation the police have denied.
Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli has however not ruled out the possibility that Thabane might be charged once the police investigations have been completed.
Thabane has not stated current situation as one of the reasons for his retirement but his old age.
Reading a public statement from the State House in Maseru at 1pm on Thursday February 20, Thabane said:
“Today I want to reiterate my announcement of retirement from office. I might still have the necessary zeal and fervor to continue to serve my people and country, but the truth is that at my age I have lost most of my energy, I am not as energetic as I used to be a few years ago.
Not only does a job of a prime minister requires sensory perceptions; but rapid reactions and physical strength are also a necessity for the incumbent in that office. In this connection I wish to, with all humility I announce to effectively retire as prime minister with effective from the end of July this year or an earlier date involving the requisite preparation for the retirement are completed before that. I hope that the remaining months that I will spend in office will afford parliament and my party enough time to work on the transitional arrangement. I am confident that my party and parliament will come up with a suitable candidate who will carry the mandate and the mantle from me and lead Lesotho to lasting peace, stability and prosperity.
Beyond that date I pledge to always avail myself for any advice or guidance that maybe needed by my successor. To the one who will succeed me please know that being prime minister is a calling. It is a calling to serve selflessly, and not to be served. I encourage him or her to be a visionary leader who espouses integrity, humility, accountability, empathy, resilience and positivity.
I urge members of parliament to choose a leader who will inspire our people to achieve things they never thought they would ever achieve.
I have communicated this message to His Majesty King Letsie III. I also paid a visit together with deputy prime minister to his excellency president Cyril Ramaphosa a few days ago to formally inform him of my decision to retire, both as a friendly neighbor and his capacity as SADC facilitator to Lesotho.
Enjoy our daily newsletter from today
Access exclusive newsletters, along with previews of new media releases.
We are also witnesses to the commitment and remarkable work that President Ramaphosa and the Republic of South Africa have been doing in helping Lesotho find its lasting peace and stability. It was also proper that we paid him a visit and formally inform him about my decision to retire.
My fellow countrymen and women, it is very unfortunate that some have deliberately decided to distort my decision to retire either motivated by hate or political gain. I appeal to all Basotho not to intentionally misconstrue my announcement to retire from office. This decision has been the hardest to make in my over half a century career in the public service. I have been battling with this idea for more than a year now, particularly because serving my people and seeing them prosper is all that I lived for.
Consequently, retiring when the road took peace and prosperity is still long and winding, is understandably a hard call for me. Nevertheless, I have confidence that the 4x4 government, as well as our parliament, will provide sterling leadership towards marshalling our people and country to lasting peace and prosperity.
My appeal to members of parliament is that even if they differ in ideology and in approach to issues, they should always have unity in purpose and remain loyal to their call. They must remember that as leaders they wean a lot of influence on Basotho. Their actions and utterances may make a bridge or break our nation, as they do should be able to be motivated by patriotism and I quote ‘complete subjugation of self, absolute honesty, integrity and uprightness of character, courage and fearlessness in above all a consuming love for one’s people’.
They should never let their judgment be clouded by hatred, jealousy and other negative considerations. Indeed, it is not their hatred for me as a person or for any leader for that matter, that will change Lesotho’s political, social and economic trajectory. But it is selfless, acts of kindness, love and compassion for Basotho as well as hard work that will usher in an era of truth, freedom and prosperity for Lesotho and Basotho.
Basotho ba batle (beautiful Basotho), even as I retire from office, I urge you not to forget that you have undertaken a very important journey in our post-independence history, a journey that will culminate in implementation of comprehensive national reforms. My passion for reforms has always been evident when I had the privilege to lead our first coalition government in 2012, I prioritized national reforms.
It will be recalled that we even dispatched a high-level delegation to New Zealand for a benchmarking exercise. It was not surprising therefore that our main priority as a 4x4 government is national reforms. Today significant milestones have been made through the guidance of the national reforms roadmap that we adopted in December 2017 and with the assistance of our development partners we launched a successful national dialogue process which resulted in the establishment of a National Reforms Authority (NRA).
It is our hope that the NRA will not reinvent the wheel or start then process afresh but that it will, with all sincerity, implement the dictates of Basotho as enshrined in the multi-stakeholder national dialogue plenary tool report.
I wish to reiterate my call to all leaders to unreservedly support the ongoing comprehensive reforms process. In as you do so, please remember that stability is a sine qua non of the success of the reforms.
Tailored for you
