…appointment as army commander backdated to August 2014
Keiso Mohloboli
Lieutenant General Kennedy Tlali Kamoli has been reinstated as Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) commander following his dismissal by then Prime Minister Thomas Thabane on 29 August 2014.
Lt Gen Kamoli’s return to the helm of the LDF is contained in a Government Gazette dated 21 May 2015.
Headlined ‘Lesotho Defence Force (Appointment of Commander) Notice 2015, the Notice reads: “I, King Letsie III, pursuant to Section 12 (1) (a) of the Lesotho Defence Force Act 1996, and acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint Lieutenant General Kennedy Tlali Kamoli as Commander of LDF with effect from 29 August 2014.”
Meanwhile, a Government Gazette was also issued on 21 May 2015 terminating Maaparankoe Mahao’s appointment as LDF Commander and Lieutenant General. Dr Thabane had replaced Lt Gen Kamoli with Lt Gen Mahao when he fired him for alleged insubordination. However, Lt Gen Kamoli had rejected the dismissal, challenging its legitimacy.
But after Dr Thabane relinquished power in the wake of the 28 February 2015 snap elections, a new seven-party alliance led by Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Pakalitha Mosisili, formed government and indicated that Lt Gen Kamoli’s dismissal and Lt Gen Mahao’s promotion, were illegal.
Reads Legal Notice 60 of 2015, removing Mr Mahao as LDF Commander: “I, King Letsie III, pursuant to section 21 (b) and (e) of the Lesotho Defence Force Act of 1996, and acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, terminate the appointment of Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao as Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force with effect from the 22nd of May 2015.
“The Lesotho Defence Force (Appointment of Commander) Notice, 2014 is repealed”.
In an interview with the Sunday Express on Friday, Defence Minister, Tšeliso Mokhosi, said Lt Gen Kamoli had not been reinstated because he had never been fired from the LDF in the first place.
“Lieutenant General Kamoli had never vacated office for Ntate Mahao because Legal Notice No 64 of 2014 was not effected.
“The gazette that appoints Lt Gen Kamoli is just a formality to announce to the whole nation that he continues to be the Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force. There won’t be any ‘change of command’ ceremony, because he was always the army commander,” Mr Mokhosi said.
Asked about the financial implications of Lt Gen Kamoli’s reinstatement, Accountant General Samson Mphaka yesterday told the Sunday Express: “Since Lt Gen Kamoli had not been receiving a salary since 29 August 2014, the government will give it to him, backdated to that day.”
On the issue of Mr Mahao, who the premier has since demoted to Brigadier, Mr Mphaka said the Lt Gen salary he had been receiving would be deducted from his terminal benefits.
Both Brigadier Mahao and Lt Gen Kamoli could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Yet Mr Mahao’s removal was only a matter of time after the premier, through Acting Government Secretary (AGS) Mothabathe Hlalele, had given him seven days from 20 April 2015, to show cause “if any”, why he should not fire him as LDF Commander. The premier noted in the letter that Lt Gen Mahao’s promotion had been illegal, while also stating Lt Gen Kamoli to be the rightful army commander.
Among the reasons cited by Dr Mosisili for the illegitimacy of Lt Gen Mahao’s promotion was that he was facing a court martial at the time and also on suspension.
A Brigadier at the time, Mr Mahao’s Court Martial was convened in January 2014 soon after he was suspended for “behaving in a manner unbecoming of a military officer”.
Brig Mahao was alleged to have intimidated a senior army officer by suggesting he should resign following his suggestion that he would not accept the removal of Lt General Kamoli as army commander.
Commenting on Lt Gen Kamoli’s reinstatement, the main opposition All Basotho Convention (ABC), Basotho National Party (BNP) and Reformed Congress of Lesotho (RCL) leadership yesterday told the Sunday Express they would fight Lt Gen Kamoli’s reinstatement “politically”.
ABC secretary general Samonyane Ntsekele said reinstating a fired soldier not only tarnishes a country’s image but also the integrity of the prime minister.
“Ntate Mosisili has clearly shown that he was never sincere in his promise to bring peace and stability to Lesotho through this reinstatement. There is no law and order in Lesotho now, and we will fight this politically,” Mr Ntsekele said.
“Ntate Mosisili and his allies should be ashamed of putting pressure on His Majesty not only to reinstate Ntate Kamoli but also backdate the appointment to 29 August 2014.
“Pretending that Ntate Kamoli was never dismissed from the LDF is a clear statement by Ntate Mosisili and his allies that they are pushing a political agenda. We don’t mind who they appoint as LDF commander, but they must observe the laws of this country in doing so.
“I am warning Ntate Mosisili to be ready and aware that the same way that the previous three party coalition government led by Dr Thabane collapsed is the same way that the seven-party coalition government he leading is going to collapse. And this time, the situation might be worse.”
On his part, BNP leader, Thesele ‘Maseribane yesterday said the government should be “ashamed” of the reinstatement.
“I am a politician and from how I see things, Ntate Mosisili gives a round of applause to rebellious and intimidating actions done by Kamoli.
“Kamoli has cases he has to answer to; he was LDF commander when soldiers attacked three police stations in Maseru last year which resulted in the death of a senior police officer. This surely cannot be ignored and we can’t act as if this never happened,” Chief ‘Maseribane.
Chief ‘Maseribane added: “The other thing is why backdate the appointment? Why is Mosisili afraid of effecting Kamoli’s appointment from the date he became premier in April?
“On the other hand, we did not see Kamoli challenging his removal from office in the courts of law because he was fully aware that what Ntate Thabane had done was legal.
“Right now, we consider that Ntate Mosisili has taken an ordinary man and given him authority over the army and we will challenge this politically,” Chief ‘Maseribane said.
RCL Secretary General, ‘Mamolula Ntabe scoffed at the reinstatement. “Maybe Kamoli’s reinstatement is a sign that Ntate Mosisili is rooting politics out of security institutions.
“It’s been two months only since this man took over as prime minister and the first thing he does is fire the army commander and appoints his own. I think it is high time that politicians stop politicising security institutions for the sake of peace in our country”.
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