…calls BNP leader a liar
Bongiwe Zihlangu
LESOTHO Congress for Democracy (LCD) Acting Secretary General, Tšeliso Mokhosi, has laid into Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Thesele ‘Maseribane, calling him “a liar” who should not be allowed to comment on government business.
Mr Mokhosi, who is also the Minister of Energy, Meteorology and Water Affairs, took issue with Sports Minister ‘Maseribane’s declaration on Friday that Parliament would not reopen on 19 September as recommended by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) unless the country’s security situation improved.
According to Mr Mokhosi, the reopening of Parliament, which Prime Minister Thomas Thabane suspended for nine months on 10 June this year to escape a no-confidence vote in his leadership by opposition MPs, was no longer an issue as it had already been finalised by SADC last week.
“Security and parliamentary issues should not be mixed, as doing so violates the agreement signed in Pretoria (on 1 September 2014) under the guidance of SADC, and the roadmap that we’ve all agreed upon as coalition government leaders,” said Mr Mokhosi, whose party formed a coalition government with the BNP and Dr Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) after the 26 May 2012 general election had failed to produce an outright majority winner.
“It has also been agreed that the former president of Botswana, Festus Mogae, should be engaged to preside over negotiations leading to a resolution to our security crisis, and as we speak, we are waiting for his arrival. It is, therefore, wrong, like I said, to mix the two issues because they do not relate in any way.”
Mr Mokhosi further said he would not “glorify” Chief ‘Maseribane’s statements against deposed Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Commander Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, whom the BNP leader said had allegedly “emptied” the LDF armory and taken the weapons to a military training camp in Setibing.
He also said it was not true that the issue of security had been raised in Friday’s meeting between the leadership of the LCD, BNP and ABC and King Letsie III, which resulted in the lifting of Parliament’s prorogation being endorsed by His Majesty.
“We have previously requested that ‘Maseribane must refrain from announcing any government business because he always lies about issues; he never tells the truth,” Mr Mokhosi said.
“We were with the observer mission in that meeting and they know what transpired and what they are going to report back. Everybody knows that ‘Maseribane is lying.”
The minister added it had since become clear to all stakeholders that Dr Thabane is the major cause of Lesotho’s problems adding: “These countries have sent their intelligence agents to establish the facts on the ground.
“If the PM does not honour the agreed date for the opening of parliament, then it means he will no longer reach out to SADC when problems arise in Lesotho.
“You will remember that he did not honour the Windhoek Declaration (in which Dr Thabane had pledged to ensure Parliament’s suspension was lifted by 14 August 2014) and failed to immediately open Parliament when he returned from the SADC heads of state and government summit held in Zimbabwe (last month).
“Did you know that he also wanted SADC to deploy soldiers to Lesotho, but that the regional bloc did not buy his story, because they already knew there was no crisis requiring military intervention in this country?”
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