Lesotho opposition MPs escorted out of SADC meeting
Mbongeni Mguni | Wednesday June 29, 2016 09:19
The meeting, called by SADC chair, President Ian Khama, was attended by the presidents of South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the prime minister of Tanzania. The meeting, the second of its kind since January, was called to discuss the political and security conflict in Lesotho, where SADC has outlined the path it requires Lesotho to take for peace and reforms.
Yesterday, as the heads of states arrived at a local hotel and conference centre, opposition MPs and other lobbyists from Lesotho converged in what they termed a silent demonstration against Mosisili. The Lesotho prime minister stands accused of protecting military chiefs who are fingered for numerous murders, attacks, illegal detentions and other crimes against political enemies.
Lesego Makgothi, an MP of the opposition All Basotho Convention told Mmegi that a group of them had been standing by the drop-off point for heads of state, when Mosisili arrived and appeared discomforted by their presence. “Someone who identified himself as a deputy commissioner told us that we had five minutes to disperse from the area,” Makgothi said.
“We were a large group and perhaps the prime minister, having noticed us, became unsettled.
“We dispersed and it was fine with us because we were not invited to the summit. We were standing in an orderly way and it was a democratic way of silently demonstrating that and showing that all is not well in our paradise.
“The MPs dispersed included one whose daughter was recently shot by their gate, while driving her father’s vehicle and it could have been a case of mistaken identity.”
Botswana police were unavailable for comment by press time.
Simmering tensions in the mountain kingdom reached their peak in June 2015 when members of the Lesotho Defence Force killed former military chief, Maaparankoe Mahao, as part of a purge they said was to root out mutiny.
SADC, at the invitation of Mosisili, subsequently intervened, assigning Botswana retired judge, Mpaphi Phumaphi to conduct a Commission of Enquiry.
Phumaphi found that the mutiny allegations against Mahao and other soldiers was a ruse, and that current commander, Tlali Kamodi should be removed and prosecuted. He also recommended an amnesty for all soldiers arrested in the mutiny purge.
The summit was called to gauge Lesotho’s progress in implementing Phumaphi’s recommendations, as well as a roadmap of political and security reforms put forward through the guidance of SADC’s Lesotho facilitator, Cyril Ramaphosa.
By yesterday evening, SADC was yet to release a communiqué on the outcome of the Summit.