THE Court of Appeal has ruled that convicted businessman Osman Moosa is the legitimate chairman of the Private Sector Foundation of Lesotho (PSFL).
We believe that decision should put an end to the power struggles that have dogged the foundation over the past year.
The Leonia Mosothoane-led faction which has been fighting to topple Moosa’s executive must now accept the decision and move on.
After their defeat in the highest court in the land Mosothoane and her backers must accept that Moosa is the rightful leader of the foundation.
They might not like it but that is the reality.
To remain relevant Mosothoane and her group must now support Moosa’s executive and contribute to the revival of the foundation.
They too have a role to play in the foundation.
There is no doubt that the power struggles have damaged the PSFL.
As the two factions fought in the courts the core functions of the foundation were forgotten.
Critical issues that concern the private sector in Lesotho were sidelined as the factions tussled for power.
The PSFL’s reputation is in tatters and its goodwill from the government has suffered.
Thanks to the uncertainty that the battles have created, PSFL members have become disillusioned.
The members have watched helplessly as an organisation which was supposed to fight for their interests become a battlefield for power-hungry individuals.
Some members have left the organisation after being put off by the fights.
Now that the Court Appeal has made a decision it is time for the PSFL to get back to the business of improving and helping Lesotho’s business sector.
There is more to be done. They must advocate more reforms that ease doing business in Lesotho.
They must push the government to improve the infrastructure to make business prosper.
The red tape that potential investors face when they want to start businesses in Lesotho can only be eliminated if the PSFL engages the government as a united organisation.
The PSFL should encourage the government to avail more incentives to the business sector.
All these cannot happen if the foundation is dysfunctional like it has been over the past few months.
Mosothoane and her team must accept Moosa as their leader.
They don’t have to like Moosa in order to work with him.
The PSFL is bigger than love and hate emotions.
We understand that Mosothoane and her team loathe to be led by a man of questionable integrity like Moosa.
They are right to argue that Moosa must resign because his conviction for tax fraud and evasion has robbed him of the high moral standing he needs to effectively engage the government.
Yet these legitimate concerns should not blind them to the broader agenda of the foundation.
If they want to remove Moosa then they must do so through proper channels.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling has shown that conniving and conspiring does not work.
It’s time to do things the right way. But while they work out their plan to push Moosa out through legitimate means they must not forget that the PSFL has work to do.
And that work must not stop because Mosothoane and her faction are unhappy with the current leadership.
Unity is what the business community needs if it is to effectively engage the government.
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