The outspoken Phori earlier last week went on air threatening whoever intended to attend the Nqosa Mahao led rally in Qoaling not to wear party regalia, saying ABC colours should only be worn at Thabane’s rallies. Thabane leads the old and recently outvoted party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) while his deputy, Professor Mahao spearheads the recently elected NEC. Both factions are at each other’s throats, holding parallel rallies every weekend, each claiming to be the rightful holder of the office.

Although Phori was voted as the deputy chairperson in the Mahao led-NEC (Likatana), he has, however remained loyal to Thabane and his old NEC. Phori is also the Minister of Small Business Development, Cooperatives and Marketing. It is alleged he has tried every trick imaginable to stop the Qoaling rally but to no avail as the rally proceeded peacefully. Party Secretary General Lebohang Hlaele told the rally how at one point he actually drove behind a certain cabinet minister who was going to South Africa to contract an assassin to plant bombs at the Qoaling Flowers FC ground prior to the weekend rally.

A fuming Hlaele further said: "Whoever is following the masses will be victorious, when you leave them you fall.” A few minutes before yesterday’s rally, groups of people who appeared to be acting independently burned tyres sporadically around the ground. But members of the state security organs who were in the vicinity in great numbers immediately put the situation under control by ordering the fires to be put out.