Ithabeleng Qhasho
All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader, Nkaku Kabi, has firmly refuted claims that his party is engaged in negotiations with the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) to join its coalition government.
Speculation arose after Mr Kabi was seen in conversation with Prime Minister Sam Matekane at Parliament this past week, fuelling assumptions that backdoor coalition talks were under way.
This after three RFP legislators ditched the party to join Basotho Action Party (BAP, 2) and Democratic Congress (DC, 1).
However, Mr Kabi moved swiftly to dismiss the rumours, saying the encounter was purely incidental.
“The Prime Minister met me along the way and stopped for a casual chat,” Mr Kabi said at a press briefing in Maseru on Thursday.
“Our discussion was informal and centred on farming matters, particularly the breeding of rams. There were no political negotiations.”
He expressed concern that the interaction had been misinterpreted and blown out of proportion.
“There are no negotiations taking place,” he said emphatically.
Mr Kabi also said he was not opposed in principle to engagement with the government — provided it was grounded in clear policy direction and genuine reform.
“If the RFP is prepared to engage on substantive issues — policy reforms, measurable outcomes and national direction — there could be room for discussion. But not in the context of secret negotiations simply to join the government.”
He questioned the logic of joining what he described as a “failed system” without a clear roadmap for change.
“Why should the ABC be part of a failed system for the sake of it, without a clear plan and measurable outcomes?”
Mr Kabi warned against what he described as a recurring pattern in Lesotho’s coalition politics, where parties enter government enticed by promises of rewards, only to exit later having delivered little to citizens.
“I have seen many join for the promise of rewards. When those promises fail to materialise, they walk out, and Basotho are left with nothing.”
He said politics should not be reduced to “musical chairs” driven by personal benefit rather than national interest.
“What concerns me most is the growing focus on closing political gaps merely to remove certain individuals from office, instead of closing the developmental gaps that continue to suffocate ordinary Basotho,” he said.
Mr Kabi also raised concerns about economic policy uncertainty, citing Lesotho’s reliance on the United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
“Historically, AGOA was renewed for 10 to 15 years, giving investors certainty. Recently, the renewal has been for only one year. What message does that send to investors? It signals uncertainty and risk.”
He questioned whether the government had a contingency plan should AGOA be terminated, asking whether the economy had been sufficiently diversified or whether the country remained overly dependent on foreign investment and preferential trade agreements.
“Foreign investment is important, but no country can sustainably build its future on temporary arrangements and external goodwill alone. National resilience requires internal capacity, innovation and strategic planning.
“These are not abstract academic questions. They are urgent policy matters that must be answered before anyone speaks about joining the government.”
Mr Kabi also reflected on the departure of “the Professor”, a reference to BAP leader Professor Nqosa Mahao, from the coalition. government, questioning whether such exits from government were driven by principle or political convenience.
Prof Mahao was fired as Minister of Energy by Mr Matekane in November 2024.
“Too often, political actors are more interested in ‘licking the custard’ placed on the Prime Minister’s table than in examining the deeper reasons why parties enter and exit coalitions,” he said.
He insisted that any decision by the ABC to join the government would only be taken on the basis of policy clarity, economic sustainability, institutional reform and measurable service delivery.
“If we are to join any government, it must not be for positions, access or comfort. It must be for the people.”
Meanwhile, more Members of Parliament are reportedly planning to ditch the the ruling RFP amid growing internal dissatisfaction over leadership and governance style, with three already having left.
The Peka and Matala legislators, Mohopoli Monokoane and Tseliso Moroke, joined BAP while Thuso Makhalanyane of Abia constituency joind DC.
However, the RFP appears unfazed by their departure. Its deputy spokesperson, Thabo Maretlane, also dismissed allegations that the RFP was lobbying the ABC to bolster the government’s numbers in Parliament.
“We are comfortable with our numbers. Claims that the ABC is joining us are something I have only seen on social media. As a member of the (RFP) executive committee, I am not aware of any meeting that has been convened to discuss the ABC joining us.”
He added that the rumours were not new.
“This is not the first time such claims have been made. Every time something happens in Parliament, these allegations resurface — that the ABC wants to join us. I don’t know anything about those claims,” Mr Maretlane said.