Maseru – Lesotho’s opposition parties have told South African defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and her Zimbabwean and Namibian counterparts here that Lesotho’s controversial army commander Tlali Kamoli must go if peace and stability are to return to the country.
Mapisa-Nqakula is leading a fact-finding mission to Lesotho to try to get to the bottom of the killing of former army commander Maaparankoe Mahao by soldiers of the Lesotho Defence Force last Thursday.
The delegation, representing the Southern African Development Community (SADC), met deputy leaders of the three opposition parties because the leaders have all fled to South Africa, fearing for their lives.
These include Tom Thabane, leader of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), who was prime minister until he was defeated by a coalition lead by current Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
Thesele Maseribane, leader of the Basotho National Party, which was in a coalition with the ABC in the previous government and Keketso Rantso , leader of the Reformed Congress of Lesotho (RCL), have also fled Lesotho.
So the SADC delegation met their deputies who told them that Kamoli was behind the recent surge of political violence and would have to be removed if the country were to return to stability.
A few weeks ago prominent businessman, Thabiso Tsosane, a well known friend and funder of Thabane’s ABC was shot dead as he left a meeting with Thabane.
Mahao was a rival of Kamoli. Last August when Thabane, then still prime minister, fired Kamoli and replaced him with Mahao, Kamoli’s troops attacked Thabane’s and Mahao’s homes and forced them to flee the country.
Thabane was restored to his country and his position with the aid of South African security forces and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa later brokered an accord among the Lesotho political parties to bring forwards elections from 2017 to this February.
Kamoli, Mahao and police commissioner Khothatso Tsooana were all sent abroad under the peace accords to restore stability. But Mosisili immediately reappointed Kamoli after he won the elections and took office.
It is expected that the SADC delegation will hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss its trip and its findings.
ANA