news

April 11, 2019

5 min read

Thabane to form a new party: Hlaele

Thabane to form a new party: Hlaele

Metro Audio Articles

Catch our weekly audio news daily only on Metro Radio Podcast News.

listen now

NKOATE THAMAE All Basotho Convection (ABC)’s newly elected Secretary General Lebohang Hlaele told ABC members that unity and reconciliation speeches disseminated by party leader and Prime Minister Dr Thomas Motsoahae Thabane in his ongoing politically rallies is “a hoax intended to pull wool over ABC members and keep them busy.” Hlaele added Thabane will end up forming a new party since the ABC’s faction supporting the new National Executive Committee (NEC) has declined unity negotiations. Hlaele warned ABC members that the party’s split should not come as a surprise after the Lesotho High Court delivered a final verdict in ABC’s case. Hlaele said this at an ABC’s rally held at Maputsoe on the 07th April 2019. Hlaele’s statement comes up following confusion at Thabane’s political rallies where he (Thabane) speaks unity and reconciliation while one of his loyalists, Chairman of ABC Motlohi Maliehi always attacks Mohao claiming that he forced himself into the ABC NEC by a court order after they had rejected his candidature. According to Hlaele, ABC is like the United Nations where nobody is supposed to ask new members joining their party questions about their political backgrounds before joining them. Hlaele further explained that it is true that Mahao joined ABC NEC through a court order because his candidature was rejected for ambiguous reasons. However, Hlaele indicated that Mahao was democratically elected to the position of Deputy Leader of ABC through a choice of inked fingers of ABC voters in the recent elective conference. “The leader says when he holds a political rally somewhere, according to administration rule we should all join him. He is correct but administration issues are just a mere norm which has nothing to do with the rule of law,” Hlaele explained, adding that there is no clause in the ABC constitution that compels him leave his constituency rally and join the one by the leader of ABC. The Secretary General disclosed that sources privy to information indicate that Chief Justice Maseforo Mahase who is presiding over the ABC case has been ordered to get sick in order for her to find reason to postpone the ABC case when she is expected to deliver final judgment. Hlaele mentioned that when a leader of ABC was holding his political rally at Likhoele’s Constituency in the district of Mafeteng he spoke words of reconciliation and unity. “The humbleness of the leader could convince people that he truly wanted unity and reconciliation within his party,” Hlaele said, but cautioned ABC members to follow up where Thabane’s speech is leading to. “One day he will come back to you and say, I (Thabane) spoke words of unity and reconciliation but I dismally failed. The other faction declined negotiations therefore I am forming another party. Follow this information and mark my words,” Hlaele charged. Sotlehang Sekhamane a member of parliament for Maputsoe’s pointed out that his constituency is facing serious lack of water supply and he wondered if Samunyane Ntsekele will finally deliver water services to his constituency since they already have a map for water supply. Sekhamane quoted the book of Proverbs Chapter 29: Verse 12 and verse 24 respectively. Verse 12 says if a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked” while verse 24 says “whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life. He swears to tell truth but reveals nothing”. Sekhamane continued with allusions to the Bible saying the same Delilah who contributed to the death of Samsom also exists in ABC and she wants to see Mahao out from ABC. “Delilah is in the driving seat giving instructions to Ntsekele and his lieutenants to hire buses and giving them money to hold rallies all over. Where does this money paying for buses come from in a situation where teachers are struggling to get their benefits and farmers are also struggling to get paid?” Sekhamane asked. Veteran Lesotho politician and former ABC Deputy Leader Tlali Khasu was a special guest on this occasion. Delivering his speech Khasu indicated that there was stiff competition in the recent ABC elective conference where the choice of God was made. “Who can stand before the choice of God?”. Khasu asked. Khasu further pointed out that although Korokoro is a despised and very remote place, Mahao was democratically elected as Deputy Leader of ABC and truth cannot be wished away. “The Truth is God and ABC’s electors have spoken and the voice of the nation is the voice of God,” Khasu said. Professor Mahao pointed out that ABC members were complaining about unsatisfactory administration of ABC under former NEC where party issues were dealt with from somewhere else and not the office. Mahao explained that recent elective conference’s results were a clear indication that ABC members were not happy with the services of the former ABC NEC. “Some of you spent three days sleeping on bare cement expecting that the new NEC of your choice would be in the office providing services to you,” Mahao said adding when they were canvassing just before recent NEC election, they promised to hold two conferences. The first one was intended to review ABC’s constitution in order to improve their party administration while the second one would focus on the members who would participate to formulate policies that would be used to lead and run this country. Mahao further explained that if the new NEC was not interdicted by the court and locked out of office, they could have done something by now. “There is no way we can overcome prevailing poverty and create employment for the youth who have joined our party if people elected in power are ignorant of how to create jobs that will eradicate poverty in the country,” Mahao said. The deputy ABC leader indicated that Lesotho first enemy is poverty, high rate of unemployment, prevailing killings of innocent people and rape because Lesotho youth have no acceptable means of generating income to survive. Mahao also disclosed there was need to improve Lesotho’s education system which is relatively poor as compared to other countries in the Southern Africa. Unresolved issues relating to Lesotho teachers’ grievances and the wool and mohair saga where local farmers are still complaining about their payments which have not yet been paid up to now also need to be addressed, he added.  “The aim of the policies conference was to regulate sound policies of government as our party is leading the 4x4 Coalition government,” Mahao explained. Mahao pointed out that ABC is a political party which canvasses its policies to electors at grassroots level and indicated that the same political party can be removed from power if it fails to fulfill its promises and implement its policies for the betterment of electors at large. He underlined that their party should walk the talk and ensure nominated candidates in the government are controlled to provide service delivery to Basotho. He also indicated that their party is eying implementation of decentralisation of government services at district level. Lastly, Mahao urged the new NEC faction to work to unify ABC in order to erase Congress parties’ expectations to come back in power through taking advantage of ABC’s factionalism.

-

Enjoy our daily newsletter from today

Access exclusive newsletters, along with previews of new media releases.

-

Share the story

METRO WEATHER FORECAST

Tailored for you

NEW COALITION GOVT  PROMISES ECONOMIC FREEDOM

ISSUE: 2222

NEW COALITION GOVT PROMISES ECONOMIC FREEDOM

Published: Oct,12