News

Doti says goodbye!

Published

2 years ago

August 9, 2022

MASERU – Matebatso Doti, who is retiring from active politics at the age of 70, is stepping out of the political ring battered and bruised.

Doti was among the high profile victims of a divisive leadership wrangle that saw All Basotho Convention (ABC) deputy leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, walk out of the party in frustration in 2019.

She was then fired as Minister of Social Development only to be recalled by Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro when he took over the reins a year later.

Doti had thrown her weight behind Professor Mahao, much to the dismay of ABC leader and Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.

In this exit interview at her home in Lithabaneng this week, Doti cut a frustrated figure as she opened up on the battles within her beloved ABC party.

She is candid about the leadership wrangles in the ABC which she says will likely hurt the party come general elections on October 7, 2022.

“My journey in politics has not been a good one,” she says. “After the 2019 elective conference, they (ABC leadership) rejected the new committee.”

“I stood in a place which I thought was good and was victimised. I was retired from the ministry. It was not good because it was out of anger but it gave me a chance to work for the constituency that whole year until 2020 when Majoro came in and reappointed me,” she says.

Now with the elections only nine weeks away, Doti says she is worried about the ABC’s chances at the polls.
She has every reason to be worried.

Here is a party whose heart has been ripped out by factional fights.

Although current party leader, Nkaku Kabi, eventually triumphed in the race to succeed Thomas Thabane, he inherited a party that had been dishevelled by internal wrangling.

Kabi has struggled to reunite the party and fill in the big boots left by its charismatic founder Thabane.

This is the basis for Doti’s candid assessment of the ABC’s chances in the October elections.

“I don’t want to answer that one, but I am worried because of the fights,” she says. “Kabi is busy, trying to campaign; he is all over because he wants to see the party coming back (to power) but it’s tough.”

She tells thepost that although she is retiring from active politics, she fears she is leaving the party when it is at its weakest.

She says the ABC leadership has been “dwelling too much on conflicts than building the party”.

Kabi’s task has been compounded by a resurgent Democratic Congress (DC) party led by Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu that continues to draw huge crowds at its rallies across the country.

Sam Matekane, Lesotho’s richest tycoon, and his Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party, is also posing a huge threat to the ABC’s electoral prospects, she says.

“I was expecting the ABC to govern alone this time but because of the conflicts, on minor things, people are running away from it, they went to other political parties,” she says.

Doti is adamant that the ABC failed to manage well Thabane’s succession issue.

“We loved Thabane so much that we did not even think of a succession plan,” she says. “If there was any death we did not even know who we would appoint to take over.”

Doti says Thabane himself had however indicated that he wanted Majoro to take over as party leader in the event he was no longer there.

“He had indicated that he wanted Majoro to succeed him. He used to say ‘this is the boy I want’. He appointed him a minister. But then something happened and we didn’t know what was happening. He was no longer comfortable with Majoro, I don’t know why. These are some of the things that are making me retire,” she says.

She is also adamant that if the ABC had accepted Prof Mahao’s victory the party would have been in a much stronger position that it is right now.

“The ABC would have been stable and nobody would have gone to Mahao’s Basotho Action Party. Most of the people who joined Mahao are in fact ABC members, even if they say they are not ABC, they are ABC.”

Doti says she is stepping down as the MP for Lithabaneng constituency in Maseru, a constituency she has represented since 2012 and will not contest the October 7, 2022 general elections.

She says the decision to step down was reached as far back as 2017 when she told her people in Lithabaneng that she would be standing as their MP for the very last time.

“I told them in 2017 that I’m running for the last time and that they should find someone to succeed me. And here I am, five years is now over,” she says.

Although she is retiring from active politics, she will remain a committed cadre of the party that she says she still loves dearly.

Other political parties have been courting her but she has rebuffed their overtures, she says.

Doti is quitting politics at a time when the biggest political questions confronting Lesotho have not been resolved.

She wants to see a “caretaker government” taking over the reins for a three-year period to fix the issues ailing Lesotho.

That government must be there for a “short period to harmonise and continue with the national reforms”.

“By the end of the three years, everybody will be OK in their head.”

She says the politicisation of the civil service has meant that jobs are parceled to party functionaries at the expense of qualified Basotho youths.

“If you are not a member of the ruling party, it is very difficult for you to get a job (in the civil service). That is why our children are running up and down the streets.”

She says when she was working in the civil service they advised the then minister “to introduce psychometric tests and not care about the colour of the parties they supported”.

“But the people bought T-shirts and got the jobs.”

Doti says the proposed tweaks to the Constitution will deal with this problem by ensuring that only Basotho who are qualified for jobs get appointed by a panel.

“Principal Secretaries will not be appointed on the basis of their party T-shirts; they should meet the requirements of being top leaders.”

As the Minister of Social Development, Doti was seen as the face of the social protection programme for vulnerable children whose parents had died of AIDS.

She was therefore seen as a much-loved “mother” figure at the centre of the country’s social protection programme for the vulnerable.

As MP, she ran a successful bursary scheme for disadvantaged children in Lithabaneng constituency. Scores of children have benefited from the programme with some of them completing their studies at university.

“They all come here and say, ‘M’e we have passed and we are now looking for jobs’. Others are police officers. We have so many graduates who have benefited from this bursary.”

“That is why I am retiring. I don’t want to die in parliament,” she says with a chuckle.

She says she wants to help take care of her two grandchildren in retirement.

“Any politician who wants to tap from my head, I will be freely available for that as well.”

Staff Reporter

News

Knives out for Molelle

Published

2 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

KNORX Molelle’s appointment as the Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) in February 2023 could have been illegal.

The Law Society of Lesotho has told Prime Minister Sam Matekane that Molelle was appointed without being admitted as a legal practitioner in Lesotho, as required by law.

The society claims the information came from a whistleblower on January 2 and was corroborated by its roll of legal practitioners in Lesotho.

The society says the appointment violates section 4 of the Prevention of Corruption and Economic Offences Act 1999 which states that a person shall not be appointed as the DCEO director general unless they have been admitted as a legal practitioner in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act.

In the letter, Advocate Ithabeleng Phamotse, the society’s secretary, tells Matekane that this requirement “is not a mere procedural formality but a substantive qualification essential to the lawful appointment of the Director General”.

“The absence of such qualification fatally impairs the appointment ab initio, rendering it null and void from the outset,” Advocate Phamotse says in the letter written on Tuesday.

The society argues that if left unaddressed the illegality undermines the credibility, effectiveness and legality of the DCEO’s operations and exposes the kingdom to serious risks, including challenges to the lawfulness of decisions and actions made by Molelle.

“Should it be confirmed that the appointment was made in contravention of the mandatory legal requirements,” Advocate Phamotse said, “we respectfully urge you to take immediate corrective action to rectify this glaring irregularity”.

Advocate Phamotse tells the prime minister that if the appointment is not corrected, the society would be “left with no alternative but to institute legal proceedings to protect the interests of justice and uphold the rule of law in Lesotho”.

“We trust that you will accord this matter your highest priority and act decisively to avert further damage to the integrity of our governance structures.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman, Thapelo Mabote, said they received the letter but Matekane had not yet read it yesterday.

Matekane is on leave and is expected back in the office on January 14.

Questions over the validity of his appointment come as Molelle is being haunted by the damaging audio clips that were leaked last week.

The clips were clandestinely recorded by Basotho National Party leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe.

In some of the clips, Molelle appears to be describing Matekane and his deputy Justice Nthomeng Majara as idiots. He also appears to be calling Law Minister Richard Ramoeletsi a devil.

In other clips, he seems to be discussing cases. thepost has not independently verified the authenticity of the audio clips.

Staff Reporter

News

Massive salary hike for chiefs

Published

2 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

THE government has increased the salaries for traditional leaders by a massive 88.5 percent.

This means that a village chief not appointed by a gazette will now earn M3 001 a month, up from the previous salary of M1 592. That means village chiefs will now earn an extra M1 409 per month.

A village chief, or headman, appointed by a gazette has moved from M1 966 to M3 567 per month.

Above a village chief is one with jurisdiction over a small cluster of villages, a category three chief, who now moves from M3 768 to M5 181 per month.

A category four chief, known as ward chief, has moved from M4 455 per month to M7 993.

The category five chief, who reports directly to a principal chief, will now earn M10 674, up from M9 939 per month.

There is no increment for principal chiefs.

The government says the budget for chiefs’ salaries has moved from M129.4 million to M208.3 million annually.

The hike follows a series of discussions between the Lesotho Workers Association, representing the chiefs, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship.

The revised salaries will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2025.

According to the settlement agreement, a discussion about raising the lowest salary of M6 000 for the lowest-ranking chiefs will be revisited in October 2025.

Chiefs who spoke to thepost have expressed satisfaction with the hike, saying it will significantly improve their lives.

Chief Mopeli Matsoso of Ha-Tikoe in Maseru said his previous salary of M1 500 per month would now be doubled, which would improve his life and help provide smoother services to the community.

He stressed that they used to close the offices while going out looking for jobs to compensate for their little salaries.

“Now the people will get smoother services,” Chief Matsoso said.

“The offices will forever be open,” he said.

Chief Matsoso said the salary hike will also serve as a motivation for other chiefs.

Chief Tumo Majara of Liboping, Mokhethoaneng, also expressed his gratitude.

Chief Majara acknowledge the positive impact the salary review would have, especially as a new officeholder.

“I guess we are all happy, that review will help a lot,” he said.

The Principal Chief of Thaba-Bosiu, Khoabane Theko, said the salary increase of chief is a welcome move by the government.

“I’m yet to study how the new salary structure looks like. But I welcome it as a good move by the government,”Chief Theko said.

Nkheli Liphoto

News

Maqelepo says suspension deeply flawed

Published

2 days ago

January 13, 2025

The Post

MASERU

Motlatsi Maqelepo, the embattled Basotho Action Party (BAP) deputy leader and Tello Kibane, who was the party chairman, have rejected their suspension from the party arguing it was legally flawed.

The BAP’s central executive committee on Tuesday suspended Maqelepo for seven years and Kibane for five years. The suspensions became effective on the same day.

The party’s disciplinary committee which met last Wednesday had recommended an expulsion for the two but that decision was rejected with the committee pushing for a lengthy suspension.

Maqelepo’s suspension will end on January 7, 2032 while Kibane’s will run until January 7, 2030.

Their suspension letters from the BAP deputy secretary general Victoria Qheku, say they should not participate in any of the party’s activities.

“In effect, you are relieved of your responsibility as a CEC member and BAP deputy leader,” Maqelepo was told in the letter.

“You were found guilty by default on all charges and the committee recommended your immediate dismissal from the party,” the letter reads.

On Kibane, the verdict states that the committee decided to mitigate the recommended sanction by reducing his suspension to five years.

“In the gravity of the charges, the suspension affects your membership in the BAP parliamentary caucus from which you are removed as a chairman.”

They were suspended in absentia after they refused to attend the disciplinary hearing, which they said was illegal.

In response to the suspension, Maqelepo wrote a letter addressing the BAP members in general, defying the committee’s decision to suspend them.

He has called for a special conference, appealing to party constituencies to push for it, citing the ongoing internal fight that includes the leadership’s decision to withdraw the BAP from the coalition government.

Maqelepo also said the central executive committee is illegally in a campaign to dissolve committees in the constituencies and replace them with stooges.

He reminded the members that there is a court case pending in the High Court seeking an interdiction to charge them in the party’s structures without approval of the special conference that he is calling.

He said the party leadership should have awaited the outcome of the case before proceeding with any disciplinary action.

“The party that is led by a professor of law continues to do dismissals despite the issue being taken to the courts,” Maqelepo said.

The party leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, is a distinguished professor of law.

Maqelepo said they would write the central executive committee rejecting its decision to suspend them, saying they will continue taking part in party activities.

He said their fate in the party is in the hands of the special conference.

He appealed to all the party constituencies to continue writing letters demanding the special conference.

Both Maqelepo and Kibane received letters on November 28 last year inviting them to show cause why they should not be suspended pending their hearing.

They both responded on the following day refusing to attend.

Maqelepo, Kibane, Hilda Van Rooyen, and ’Mamoipone Senauoane are accused of supporting a move to remove Professor Mahao from his ministerial position last year.

They were part of the BAP members who asked Prime Minister Sam Matekane to fire Professor Mahao, who at the same time was pushing for the reshuffling of Tankiso Phapano, the principal secretary for the Ministry of Energy.

When Matekane ignored Professor Mahao’s demands, the latter withdrew the BAP from the coalition government much to the fierce resistance of the party’s four MPs.

Maqelepo started touting members from constituencies to call for a special conference to reverse Professor Mahao and the central executive committee’s decision.

The central executive committee issued a circular stopping Maqelepo’s rallies but he continued, with the support of the other MPs.

In the BAP caucus of six MPs, it is only Professor Mahao and ’Manyaneso Taole who are supporting the withdrawal from the government.

Nkheli Liphoto