- Mahao inquiry to take three months
- Experts to also probe last year’s coup attempt
- Trial of detained soldiers to stop during inquiry period
Bongiwe Zihlangu
Government will soon establish a Commission of Inquiry into the recent murder of former Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Commander Maaparankoe Mahao—a proposal initially made by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili and endorsed by Friday’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit of the Double Troika, held in Pretoria.
The Inquiry is expected to take 60 days and would not only look into circumstances surrounding Brigadier Mahao’s death, but also events leading to the 30 August 2014 attempted coup against former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s government and subsequent but related events.
The Sunday Express has also established Friday’s Summit further recommended that government should ensure “a conducive environment for the safe return of Lesotho’s three exiled opposition leaders”.
Two months ago, former Prime Minister and All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader Thomas Thabane, Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Thesele ‘Maseribane and Reformed Congress of Lesotho (RCL) leader Keketso Rantšo, fled Lesotho for South Africa, claiming they had received death threats.
Ms Rantšo, the last of the opposition leaders to flee the country on 26 May, even went further to claim she was attacked at her home by armed men on the night she skipped the country.
Speaking to the Sunday Express yesterday, the Prime Minister’s Press Attaché, ’Motumi Ralejoe, emphasized the Commission of Inquiry was a suggestion made by Dr Mosisili and not an imposition on Lesotho by the regional bloc.
“It was the premier’s idea to set-up the Commission. Not only will the experts investigate Brigadier Mahao’s death, but also the root cause of the 30 August 2014 violence and subsequent events,” Mr Ralejoe said.
He added while the proposed inquiry is underway, the Court Martial to try LDF suspects for alleged mutiny, would be suspended. The LDF has been arresting and detaining its members since 14 May 2015 in a sweeping operation targeting those suspected of planning to remove the command. Brig Mahao was killed on 25 June 2015 by LDF members as he left his farm in Mokema, with government claiming he was shot dead as he resisted arrest while the soldiers were conducting the same operation. The Mahao family has since denied this claim and insists he was “deliberately callously executed” and never resisted arrest as claimed by the authorities.
Asked to elaborate on the SADC recommendation that Lesotho must facilitate the safe return of the tripartite opposition leaders, Mr Ralejoe said it meant government should “start addressing the leaders’ concerns and ensure that talks between them and government continue”.
“When they say create a conducive environment, it simply means government should extend an olive branch,” Mr Ralejoe said.
However, the prime minister’s spokesperson was quick to add that government was yet to look into the recommendations and form an opinion.
“Government will need to assure them that all is well and that they should return home. But the leaders should also provide tangible proof that they fled because their lives were indeed in danger,” Mr Ralejoe said.
“In other words, they should unpack their concerns about their safety in a manner that government will understand in order to know what to do going forward.”
Contacted for comment on the Summit’s recommendations, Chief Thesele ‘Maseribane said he was grateful that SADC had granted their request to send a fact-finding mission to Lesotho “resulting in Friday’s Summit”.
“The fact that our request for SADC to send a fact-finding mission to Lesotho to establish the true facts on the ground, which resulted in the Summit, has made me very happy. Actually I am grateful,” Chief ‘Maseribane said.
However, Chief ‘Maseribane declined to comment on the outcome of the Summit, saying he and the other two leaders and their executive committees “have not yet met to discuss it”.
“The three of us have not yet met to discuss the resolutions of the Summit, and neither have we spoken with our parties’ executive committees about what happened in Pretoria yesterday. So I cannot comment about it until these meetings have taken place,” Chief ‘Maseribane said.
Summit highlights
- Heads of state and government of Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Malawi attended the Summit. SA Deputy President, who was appointed by SADC to facilitate Lesotho’s snap elections on 28 February 2015 and SADC Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax also attended the meeting in Pretoria, SA.
- Summit received Ramaphosa’s report on his mediation and expressed concern regarding the deterioration of the political and security situation in Lesotho, which forced the main opposition leaders to flee the county fearing for their security, and exacerbated by the tragic death of former LDF Commander Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao on 25 June 2015.
- Summit endorsed Ramaphosa’s recommendations and urged the Government and all political stakeholders to implement them.
- Summit approved the establishment of an Oversight Committee to act as an early warning mechanism in the event of signs of instability, and intervene as appropriate in consultation with the SADC facilitator.
- Summit urged government and all political stakeholders to urgently undertake constitutional and security sector reforms, assisted by SADC.
- Summit decided, as a matter of urgency, to establish an independent Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Brigadier Mahao, and its deployment with immediate effect.
- Summit requested full collaboration and cooperation of government in facilitating the work of the Commission of Inquiry.
- Summit urged Government to create a conducive environment for the return of the Opposition Leaders to the country.
- Summit urged the Double Troika to remain seized with the developments in Lesotho.