Marafaele Mohloboli

THE power struggle in the fractious All Basotho Convention (ABC) deepened on Saturday when 54 out of the party’s 80 constituencies   yesterday voted to “suspended” Dr Thabane, former secretary general Samonyane Ntsekele and newly elected deputy secretary general Nkaku Kabi from all party activities for six years.

Dr Thabane and Messrs Kabi and Ntsekele were “suspended” at a “special conference” of the ABC constituencies in Thaba-Bosiu.

The defiant ABC constituencies took it upon themselves to go ahead with conference after the High Court on Thursday barred ABC deputy leader and his faction of the ABC’s national executive committee (NEC) from holding the event which would have deliberated on the possible expulsion of Dr Thabane and other senior officials from the party.

According to Matšeliso Tuoane-Sepiriti, who was elected interim secretary general by the constituencies, “this special conference had nothing to do with the one that was earlier called by the newly elected NEC of Prof Mahao”.

“The conference has decided to suspend leader of the party, Thomas Thabane, former secretary general Samonyane Ntsekele and newly elected deputy secretary general Nkaku Kabi from all party activities for six years.

“Further to this, the special conference has decided to have Professor Nqosa Mahao hold fort as the leader of the party while the party leader serves his sentence.

“ABC member, Motseki Lefera, who brought the party into disrepute by serving the letters to suspend members of the newly elected NEC has been expelled from the party for life,” Ms Tuoane-Sepiriti said.

He said although 72 constituencies had called for the ‘special conference’, only 54 showed up.

Prof Mahao, Dr Thabane, Mr Kabi and Mr Ntsekele were all not reachable for comment yesterday.

On his part, Mr Lefera said the decisions of the “special conference were null and void because such a conference could only be called by the party leader Dr Thabane”.