. . . as MP files motion on cabinet corruption
Mohloai Mpesi
MEMBER of Parliament (MP) and leader of the Mpulule Political Summit (MPS), Remaketse Sehlabaka, has filed a motion seeking the government to urgently address rampant corruption within the Cabinet.
This comes after 19 Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) legislators earlier this month penned a petition to the leader of their party, Prime Minister Sam Matekane, asking him to take decisive action to urgently address “rampant corruption and mismanagement” within government ministries.
After failing to get a response from Mr Matekane, the RFP MPs have since the 3 November reconvening of parliament from the Independence recess, decided to boycott parliamentary sittings prompting the Prime Minister to call an RFP caucus to reprimand them.
One of the MPs, who attended the caucus but asked not to be identified, two weeks ago told our sister paper, the Lesotho Times, that the RFP MPs took the opportunity to vent their frustrations over poor service delivery and what they described as the underperformance of several ministries.
Seeing that no action had been taken to combat the rampant corruption within government ministries, Mr Sehlabaka launched a motion on the 14th of November 2025, which has still not been tabled before parliament for debate.
“The motion . . . seeks to urge the Lesotho Government to urgently map out a comprehensive plan to purge the rampant corruption from within government ministries and create a conducive political, economic and social environment for national development, peace and stability as a result thereof,” Mr Sehlabaka’s motion reads.
In an interview with the Sunday Express on Friday, Mr Sehlabaka, who is a member of both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Committee and that of the Social Cluster, said they work with several ministries and they uncover corrupt activities.
After such discoveries they make recommendations to the House and await reports from the government to see whether their recommendations have been implemented.
However, since they (the Committee) do not get Cabinet reports, he took it upon himself to file the matter for the House to debate it and pressurise the government to implement parliament’s decisions.
“My observation is that since I am a member of two committees, SDGs and Social Cluster, we look at ministries’ work and pass recommendations before the House and wait for reports. We do not get them; hence I made this motion so that the government can be pressed by Parliament to act on corruption,” he said.
Evidence of corruption
He said there is tangible evidence of corruption presented to the government but nothing is being done to address the rampant corruption within the ministries.
He said there is evidence of corruption which they share with Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) and the Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS) but it seems Mr Matekane wants someone to sue on his behalf.
Mr Sehlabaka warns that the country could explode one day.
“The government is not taking any action with tangible evidence. Things are getting worse every day.
“It is a big problem in all those ministries . . . and no one is doing anything about it. After getting all this evidence, it’s like the Prime Minister wants someone to sue on his behalf. I don’t understand.
“There is evidence that we get as committees, that we even share with the DCEO and police through our work as parliament, and all those things are taken for granted, while corruption continues to happen. This country will explode one day, if there are no leaders acting on simple matters,” he said.
He said the motion has not been tabled but remains stagnant in the Speaker’s Office, Tlohang Sekhamane. Instead, he is only being assured that it will be tabled.
He added that he is yet to make further follow-ups tomorrow as he realised the matter was not added to next week’s Order Papers.
“The motion has not been tabled; it is still blocked in the Speaker’s office, I don’t know what the problem is. I made several follow-ups and I was promised that the motion will be tabled but until now it has not been tabled.
“It is now two weeks and when I look at next week’s paper (Order Paper) I do not see it. I don’t know what will happen, but I will make further follow ups on Monday (tomorrow),” he said.
DPM Majara responds
The Chairperson of Business Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara told the Sunday Express that the committee passed Mr Sehlabaka’s motion to the office of the Clerk, Advocate Fine Maema (KC).
“Mr Sehlabaka’s motion is one of the motions that have been passed by the Business Committee, and the Business Committee’s work ends there.
“The Order Paper is passed daily by the Clerk’s Office, and that is not the responsibility of the Business Committee,” she said.
Asked to comment on the rampant corruption that has been making headlines and the government’s inability or reluctance to address it, Ms Majara said that the government does not have a problem of taking action on corruption when tangible evidence is presented.
“It is incorrect to say the government does not want to address issues relating to corruption. When matters relating to corruption come to our table with evidence or intelligence taken to DCEO, the government acts. It does not work on information which has not been tested.
“Investigators have to come with tangible evidence that they have conducted investigations on such a person and therefore, action should be taken.
“The most logical step is that when they have finished (investigations) they go to court for prosecution. But if there is something tangible that can be taken to us, the government, after advising itself, and having realised that there can be a potential lawsuit, one can be suspended. Remember the government is not only Cabinet, but officers too.
“If there are serious allegations, and basis to support those…it could not be correct for people to say we do not want to address corruption issues,” she said.
She added, “Maybe there is even a fear that the motion will not see the light of the day….”
Surviving ouster
Mr Matekane’s administration recently celebrated its third anniversary since his 28 October 2025 inauguration.
It held a Cabinet retreat in Mohale’s Hoek to reflect on the past three years and plan ahead for the remaining two years.
The Prime Minister vowed at the retreat that his Cabinet would complete outstanding projects within the remaining two years of his term.
Mr Matekane narrowly survived a motion of no confidence filed on 16 October 2023 by opposition Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Machesetsa Mofomobe, with support from then-DC legislator Mootsi Lehata, who has since ironically defected to the RFP.
The motion was aborted after it was challenged in court by another RFP MP, Puseletso Lejone.
Mr Lejone argued that the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution — which prevented a sitting prime minister from dissolving parliament when faced with a no-confidence vote — was unconstitutional.
The Constitutional Court ruled in his favour, and the opposition’s appeal to the Court of Appeal also failed.
While that court process played out, Mr Matekane took the opportunity to co-opt more opposition MPs and consolidate his numbers in parliament.
He seems secure now, but speculation is now mounting that the letter written to him by the disgruntled MPs from his own party marks the beginning of a new push to seek his ouster.