IN a rather disturbing development, Basotho Action Party Youth League (BAPYL) leaders convened a press conference where they spewed venom against the?Sunday Express, its sister paper, the?Lesotho Times?and?The Post?for “fraternising” with the party’s “enemies”. They described the media houses’ scribes as being ‘embedded’ to their enemies.
This attack, which is ludicrous to say the least, was triggered by the Editorial Comment in the July 11 issue of the?Lesotho Times, wherein the paper interrogated the mass departure of senior BAP officials from the party and from its central executive committee (CEC) and how these ubiquitous?exits reflect negatively on Professor Nqosa Mahao, the party leader.
It is common cause that a slew of senior BAP officials have quit its CEC in the space of a year.? Others were either booted out or quit to form their own parties or join others.
This is what the?Lesotho Times?said: “Despite being roped into Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s coalition to help the premier thwart a no confidence vote in late 2023, the BAP has been on a downward spiral. The advantage of being part of government has not brought it any cohesion. In fact, it has fragmented the party even further. Now with most of its senior officials deserting, it seems the BAP’s slide into oblivion is a matter of time. The question becomes inevitable: Is Prof Mahao, the Minister of Energy under Premier Matekane’s seven-party coalition administration, a poor leader or simply an unfortunate man? In less than a year, Prof Mahao has lost former secretary general Lebohang Thotanyane, chairperson Tello Kibane, deputy secretary-general Hilda Van Rooyen and now treasurer ‘Mamoipone Senauoane. They all quit the CEC and Mr Thotanyane has proceeded to form his own party, the Transformation For Change (TFC). BAP youth league spokesperson, Chabeli Mojapela, who featured in the CEC, also dumped the executive committee in March this year. His resignation shocked many including his youth counterparts from other political parties, because he was seen as one of Prof Mahao’s right-hand men.”
This was just an opinion. As a publication, we are entitled to hold an opinion in our comment section. It doesn’t mean we are right. Those who disagree with the opinion are free to express themselves and we are more than ready to publish their views. In the news pages however, we are duty bound to publish facts. We also don’t get it right all the time. Where we make errors, we are always ready to correct and retract.? However, fights in political parties, which often play themselves out in the public, are not an area in which the media can struggle to obtain accurate information.
When several key members of a major political party decide to abandon it or its executive structures, that is always a key development, which plays itself out in full public view. The BAP is part of government and with?six seats in parliament, it is a significant player in Lesotho’s fractious politics. ??The media cannot be expected to turn a blind eye on the goings on in the party. ??
As we have argued before, if it were not for the emergence of the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), we believe a coalition anchored by the Democratic Congress (DC) and the BAP would have been a distinct possibility.? Being part of the current government alone means the BAP is a significant player in the life of Basotho. Its internal ructions inevitably affect its performance in the government as we have too often seen with other political formations in Lesotho.
Now, instead of interrogating why there is turmoil in their party and whether?Prof Mahao is doing enough to hold his party together, the political greenhorns who call themselves the BAPYL, find it convenient to shift blame on the media and embark on expletive laden and homophobic sentiments against the owners of these media houses? How regrettable? For the record, it is not our fault that the BAP is in turmoil. We have not created the ructions in the party. Our role is to only report and mirror society.
We are also entitled to hold an opinion as the media, just like everybody else, hence the?Lesotho Times?editorial.
It is not us the media that encouraged BAP officials to “clandestinely” meet with Mr Matekane – as claimed by the BAPYL, to urge him to fire Prof Mahao from the Ministry of Energy.? ?
It is a given that most senior BAP officials who founded the BAP together with Prof Mahao, have now fallen out with him. They have quit the CEC. Even his once trusted lieutenant, Ministry of Energy Principal Secretary, Tankiso Phapano, is part of the group that does not get on well with Prof Mahao anymore. It is now well documented that the two no longer see eye-to-eye. The media have only reported on these disputes in lieu of our role.? We have not created them.
Granted, no one likes bad publicity. But it is not our duty to pepper over issues. The BAPYL certainly does not understand the role of the media in a democracy. ?
Why make the media scapegoats for what are internal party disputes which are as clear as night and day.
We, the?Sunday Express?and?Lesotho Times,?have repeatedly?given Prof Mahao the platform on several occasions, to give his side of the story on the ongoing conflicts in the BAP.? He has on various occasions elected not to speak and take Basotho into his confidence about what is happening in his party. That cannot be our fault.
If we did not give him an opportunity to speak, we would be guilty of offending the basic journalistic tenet of fairness and balance. But we can confidently plead not guilty to offending that principle because it is his choice to bury his head in the sand.
The unravelling of the BAP, a party started with so much promise cannot be ignored.
We have equally reported on the divisions in the BAP’s coalition partner,?the RFP.? To their credit, they have not wasted their time blaming the media for their woes. They have taken action to quell their internal issues including expelling and re-admitting their officials.
The BAPYL needs to be schooled about the role of the media in a democratic society.
Our role if to inform, educate and entertain.? We are the fourth estate and society’s watchdog. As Nelson Mandela trenchantly remarked, “the media is the lifeblood of society” that should and must mirror its happenings.
We would have failed in our duties if we publish deliberate falsehoods.
No doubt the?BAPYL would have been happy if we were reporting that all is well in the BAP? There are no senior members ditching the party and its CEC?? The party is so cohesive it will win a landslide at the next elections. There is no rift between Prof Mahao and Mr Phapano.? The BAPYL would certainly be rubbing their hands in glee. have given us a pat on the back.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a parallel universe. And we also have no intention of becoming a Pravda. We leave it to the BAPYL to establish what Pravda was and how destructive it was to the profession of journalism.
We have an obligation to report the truth. Granted, no political party wants negative publicity. We fully acknowledge that. The best way to avoid it is to be as cohesive as possible and to behave?purposefully; ie promote policies that benefit the masses and win elections and implement those policies. Unfortunately, political parties never do that.? Infighting in Lesotho’s political parties is a kind of national sport.? We only report on that sport as we do with Likuena and others.
The BAPYL youth league would have done better to respond to the real issues in their party and how they are being resolved and not to make a silly spectacle of themselves. After all, they have a right to give their side of the story. But they proved that where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise. Common sense, they say, is not that common after all.
Despite all that, we are happy we were able to give their vacuous and homophobic attacks on the media full publicity and prominence. We did not censor them. That’s what a professional media does. And judging from the widespread negative feedback we are getting from Basotho against the?BAPYL, we can only urge the BAPYL to begin some serious soul searching.? There is never a benefit in shooting the messenger.? Rather address the message, at least that’s what a majority of Basotho are suggesting.? It’s for you to heed or reject that suggestion?BAPYL.?