’Marafaele Mohloboli

The main opposition All Basotho Convention (ABC) yesterday cancelled its star rally which was supposed to take place today in Ficksburg, South Africa, where party leader Thomas Thabane has been living since he fled the country in May last year saying he feared for his life.

According to the party’s secretary general, Samonyane Ntsekele, the cancellation was to allow for thorough preparations for the rally which is expected to attract a huge crowd.

“South Africa has its own rules and regulations, as well as procedures, which need to be followed ahead of rallies like this one. And it appears the preparatory team had underestimated the magnitude of the rally,” Mr Ntsekele said yesterday.

“So due to the huge turnout expected at the rally, it was agreed by all the people who were part of the meeting we held yesterday to postpone it until further notice.”

Mr Ntsekele said party officials tasked with preparing for the rally would be meeting to plan the gathering afresh.

“We need to make sure that our leader is secure as well as everyone else who will be attending the rally,” Mr Ntsekele said.

Dr Thabane would not comment on the rally yesterday, and referred the Sunday Express to Mr Ntsekele whom he said was handling the matter.

Dr Thabane, Basotho National Party leader Thesele ‘Maseribane and Reformed Congress of Lesotho leader Keketso Rantšo  fled Lesotho in May 2015 saying their lives were in danger.

A summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Double Troika comprising the leaders of Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Swaziland and Mozambique last month recommended the leaders’ return to Lesotho by the end of August 2016.

The summit directed the Double Troika, supported by SADC Facilitator to Lesotho and South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, to assist on the exiled leaders’ return and report progress to the regional bloc’s next meeting to be held next month in Swaziland.