Dr Mahali Phamotse, who defected from the Alliance of Democrats (AD) to the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) earlier this year, is among a few candidates who triumphed during primary elections to select candidates for the October 7, 2022 general elections. The rest of her fellow defectors were swept aside during the polls.
She triumphed thanks to her political shrewdness and experience at grassroots mobilisation. But her journey is not yet over as she will have to face the Democratic Congress (DC) at the general polls in October. This is the party she defected from when she joined the AD and by the look of things it still commands huge support in the constituency.
She also has to contest against the All Basotho Convention (ABC) which is currently holding the constituency through its MP, Moshe Leoma, who got 2 319 votes that translated to 37.8 percent of the total votes. Phamotse came third with 1 300 votes, just behind the Lesotho Congress for Democracy’s Kenny Ntoane who had 1 350 votes.
This week, thepost’s news editor Caswell Tlali spoke to Phamotse about her prospects of winning the constituency. Below are excerpts of the interview.
You successfully won primaries in the RFP. What challenges do you think are laying ahead for the RFP in the constituency?
The challenges emanate from the perpetual state of poverty that exists in the country as a whole. Many people are not working. The fields are desolate which results in starvation. Another challenge is that most people trade their fields for very little money and in the event end up with nothing to depend on.
There are still villages which do not have enough clean water, foot and car bridges, electricity, tele-communication facilities (telephone towers). Another challenge is of youths that spend more time in bars drinking alcohol due to the high rate of unemployment. Killings by burning houses and shootings, mostly by Basotho famo gangs, are also some of our problems. Politically motivated social conflicts are also rife.
How do the Matlakeng constituency people view the RFP as compared to all the parties you were part of before?
Matlakeng people view the RFP and its leader as the Messiah who has come to rescue them from all the above problems that I mentioned.
Do you see the RFP standing a chance to win over the DC in the constituency?
Yes, the RFP stands a huge chance because it came at a time when our people were very desperate largely caused by the current situation of poor governance and poor service delivery.
What are your strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats in the constituency?
My strengths are in my ability to have delivered services to all the 16 branches that make that constituency, and in working with all the people without any discrimination, interacting with people as individuals and being able to reach out whenever necessary.
I avoid as much as possible to make empty promises to people, or I never make them at all. I deliver almost all my promises, and tell in time in a few instances where there are changes if any. I have repaired gravel roads in some of the villages, started some agricultural projects with the people after having given them training in that respect.
I have a very successful and crowd pulling annual soccer tournament of 20 clubs. The prizes have always included money, jerseys and many other prizes. This has seen some players who have been identified and played with A Division clubs.
For the past seven years I have supported at least 20 needy high school students with school fees. I also have bought uniforms in some cases. I have distributed sanitary towels to all learners and students to last a year, approximately 500 people. I have always worked smoothly with all the area chiefs.
We work together to identify needy people for the distribution of food packages, clothes, blankets, seeds, manures and others. My weaknesses are bravery, and fearlessness that is not expected of a woman, and it in most cases brew hatred against me. I also am a very generous person and that leaves me with nothing in the end.
I’m a straight forward person who tells it as it is, this also is negative because most people prefer lies and deceit. People prefer to hear what they want not what it is true. Death threats have always been there. However, I’m a fearless person by nature, so nothing threatens me actually.
How are you planning to deal with your weaknesses and threats?
I don’t worry much about the weaknesses I mentioned because every time I try hard to work on them I become very miserable and ineffective and eventually fail at every attempt. I think they are inherent.
Which part of your political history do you believe has touched the people’s hearts in the constituency?
I think the people like me as a person and then their love extends into what I do for them, the generosity part. They also like my fulfilment of my promises. They like my public speeches too, so they say.
How do you think your political experience will be beneficial for the RFP in the Matlakeng constituency?
My political experience will help the RFP to grow in numbers in the constituency and also in Lesotho as a whole.
What are the major needs of the people in the constituency?
Self-reliant programmes that will help people to survive.
How do you propose to solve the problems?
I will help with the implementation of the RFP manifesto because it already has a solution to the problems.
Where do you want to put the constituency in the next five years?
I would like to see my constituency having managed to have projects that will see most, if not all the people, self-employed in agribusiness.
Do you have any exceptional sad story of an individual or a community that touched your heart?
Because I did many things except for enough self-reliant programmes, I think the unemployed youths are the ones that touch my heart the most.
How do you propose to fix the problem?
I want to help in the implementation of the RFP manifesto in order to help reduce youth unemployment in Matlakeng constituency.