…Mofomobe wants them barred from high positions
…Because they are disloyal to Basotho
… As he lists names of the affected officials
Mohloai Mpesi
MOST ministers in Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s cabinet, including Mr Matekane himself, are South African citizens, which is why their government seems reluctant to fight for Basotho being ill treated in that country.
This is according to Member of Parliament and leader of the Basotho National Party (BNP), Machesetsa Mofomobe, who is pushing a motion demanding that high profile government officials declare their South African citizenships for transparency.
He even wants them to declare when they obtained their citizenships and South African ID cards to prove they were not in violation of the law before Lesotho began allowing dual citizenship in 2018.
The BNP leader says the loyalty of Lesotho politicians and other government officials who hold dual citizenship is divided between South Africa and Lesotho, which is why they are “indifferent” towards the plight of Basotho in the South African diaspora.
Basotho and other foreigners are currently under siege in South Africa. They are being denied access to health services -among other things – by xenophobic South Africans grouped under a lawless organization calling itself Operation Dudula, which seems to operate with total impunity. Operation Dudula members can be seen rampaging through public health institutions, expelling foreigners seeking medical services although some of these foreigners – including Basotho – are lawfully in South Africa.
Mr Mofomobe says nobody in the Lesotho government is speaking for these Basotho because of split loyalties.
Mr Mofomobe told the Sunday Express on Friday that the motive behind his motion was therefore to expose these ministers and Members of Parliament who hold dual citizenship so that they refrain from participating in discussions relating to South Africa because their loyalty to Basotho is compromised.
Mr Mofomobe’s motion, titled Declaration of South African Citizenship, reads: “All members of the National Assembly of Lesotho who are holders of the Republic of South Africa’s identity documents, passports, or any other official instruments of citizenship or permanent residency declare such status in writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Clerk. Such declaration shall be made public by the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Clerk in the interests of transparency and the protection of Lesotho’s sovereignty”.
Mr Mofomobe accused the government of overlooking the plight of Basotho in South Africa, including being denied health services, enduring unprecedented harassment by Operation Dudula, detentions and other injustices, because the ministers have personal business interests in South Africa.
He categorically named Mr Matekane and his deputy, Nthomeng Majara, as some of the people with South African identity cards.
Among the other prominent government officials he cited are ministers Ret?elisitsoe Matlanyane (Finance and Development Planning), Mokhethi Shelile (Trade, Industry and Business Development), Lejone Mpotjoane (Foreign Affairs and International Relations), Lebona Lephema (Local government, Chieftainship, Home affairs and Police), Thabo Mofosi (Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition), Nthati Moorosi (Information, Communication, Science, Technology and Innovation), Matjato Moteane (Public Works and Transport) and Mohlomi Moleko Natural Resources and Energy).
He also said the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) MPs; Issac Malebaleba (Thaba-Bosiu constituency), Ezekiel Mdlokovana (Mohale’s Hoek), and leader of Socialist Revolutionaries (SR) Teboho Mojapela, all possess South African IDs.
Taking orders from Pretoria
“Many developments have happened which Basotho believe show that our leadership takes directives from Pretoria (the South African government). Basotho believe that Dr Lipholo was arrested by the government on orders from Pretoria.
“They also believe that the government is reluctant to fight for Basotho in South Africa aggressively on border movements and against Basotho’s detentions in South Africa. They (the government) are (too) lenient to fight for the conquered territory and are afraid of blocking water to South Africa because they are citizens of South Africa and have personal business interests in South Africa, and that would harm their businesses,” Mr Mofomobe said.
He said the objective of the motion is to expose ministers and MPs who hold South African IDs in order to stop them from participating in discussions that involve South Africa.
“The motion is . . . so that when we discuss issues that affect South Africa, those who know that their loyalty is in both countries should not participate in such discussions.
“The motion that said Lesotho’s boundaries should be publicized — people who are South Africans were not supposed to have participated in that motion because they have loyalty in South Africa for businesses, which they believe is more important than Basotho who gave them political power in Lesotho.
“Basotho should know that when a certain person is reluctant to participate on issues relating to South Africa, it is because they are South African.”
He claimed over 40 Members of Parliament hold South African IDs.
“I know that there are more than 40 to 50 Members of Parliament who have South African IDs. Prime Minister has it, Lebona Lephema, Matjato Moteane, Nthati Moorosi, Mofosi, Nthomeng Majara, Matlanyane, Mpotjoane, Malebaleba, Shelile, Moleko, Hlaele, Mojapela, Modjokovane, and many others, including some judges in the High Court. The motion is meant to expose them.
“The Constitution does not allow one to become an agent of a foreign state,” he said.
Applying the law in retrospect
He said he was going to amend the motion to ask the culprits to include the exact dates when each of them acquired their South African ID.
“This is so that we can look at the time when dual citizenship was not allowed in Lesotho, when Section 41 of the Constitution stated that when one holds the citizenship of another country, they forfeit their Lesotho identity,” he said.
In 2018, the Parliament approved the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, allowing for dual citizenship.
He added: “So, how many people were not Basotho but performing functions of Basotho, yet they had IDs of another country that made them forfeit their Lesotho citizenship? This motion is going to shape the elections of 2028.
“Remember Mr (Lebohang) Hlaele has just amended an Act relating to Section 41 of the Constitution that a naturalised Mosotho should not be a Member of Parliament, Minister, Prime Minister, or hold any statutory position.
“So, if a naturalised Mosotho cannot become a Member of Parliament of Lesotho, why should you become a Member of Parliament when you are naturalised in another country?”
Double standards
Contacted for comment, the Government Spokesperson, Thabo Sekonyela, lashed out at Mr Mofomobe, accusing him of short-sightedness since he was previously at the forefront of pushing for Lesotho to recognise dual citizenship.
“This dual citizenship thing belongs to Machesetsa, who is short-sighted. He was pushing it with Joang (Molapo). Today they are disgruntled about it, yet they made it.
“There has never been any government that worked closely with the South African government more than the current regime, except BNP, whose founder, Jonathan Leabua, was working with the Boers.
“On issues where he is saying the government is reluctant to address South African issues affecting Basotho, no other government in this country other than the BNP regime, worked directly with the Boers.
“Leabua was working with the Boers directly. After Leabua’s time, there has never been a government that worked with the democratic government of South Africa more closely than the current government,” he said.
He added: “He (Mofomobe) is the leader of a party formed by the Boers directly. It was formed by Duncan (Patrick), who said, ‘Leabua’s National Party was my idea, and the name was my idea.’
“There has never been a government that has worked more closely with a democratically elected government of South Africa than this one, while his father, who formed BNP, was working with the Boers.”