Tensions rise in Lesotho ahead of Phumaphi report
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday January 13, 2016 15:14
The commission, established by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) special summit, is investigating instability in Lesotho and the death of former army commander Brigadier Maaparankwe Mahao.
A SADC troika meeting is expected to meet this week to discuss the commission’s report before issuing its recommendations to Lesotho government for implementation.
In an interview from the mountain kingdom yesterday, BNP spokesperson, Machesetsa Mofomobe said they expect the government to comply and implement the recommendations established in the commission’s report.
He said that stakeholders in Lesotho are satisfied with the investigations carried out by the commission but is concerned that now the government is engaging in some tactics not to accept the report and its recommendations. He said government seems uncomfortable with the release of the report, as it fears that some of its allies will be implicated.
“We expect the findings to bring a lasting peace to Lesotho. The troika meeting should release the report in the coming days after it is tabled to SADC. But we can see government is now trying to block the release of the report,” he said.
Mofomobe said their suspicion is also based on government supporting one of the suspects in the murder of Mahao, Lieutenant Colonel Tefo Hashati, who has filed an application at the High Court for the commission to be suspended disputing its authority to intervene. Hashati is also seeking a court order for the commission not to publish his evidence. “It is common knowledge that Mahao was murdered while some members of opposition party were forced to run out of the country and others jailed since May 2015. It is also worrying that the government has continued with the mutiny case despite the SADC double troika meeting in July 2015 suggesting that the court marshal proceedings should be stopped. We still don’t know why the government is going against SADC.”
“We say since the court has not given any order, the government should go ahead and implement the recommendations once received from SADC. Lesotho government should support the recommendations from the Phumaphi report,” he said. Mofomobe said his country is sitting on a knife’s edge as people are eagerly waiting to know what happened.