Lesotho on the boil

02 March 2015 - 02:04 By Graeme Hosken
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
TAKING NO CHANCES: An armed cattle-herder in Leribe, Lesotho, yesterday as supporters of the country's main political rivals celebrated in anticipation of victory in Saturday's election
TAKING NO CHANCES: An armed cattle-herder in Leribe, Lesotho, yesterday as supporters of the country's main political rivals celebrated in anticipation of victory in Saturday's election
Image: MOELETSI MABE

Factionalism in the Lesotho Defence Force has raised security threat levels as Prime Minister Tom Thabane takes an early lead in the hotly contested national elections.

Local radio station Harvest FM has carried unconfirmed reports that the military's special forces and other specialist units, which are said to side with Thabane's rival, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing, were planning to infiltrate election victory celebration rallies later this week.

The special forces are said to have cached heavy weapons, small arms and other equipment.

Defence force spokesman Major-General Ntlele Ntoi yesterday failed to return calls or SMSes asking him for comment.

On Saturday, Metsing, who leads the Lesotho Congress for Democracy party, said after casting his vote that he had no control over the defence force.

"I am not commander-in-chief. I can do nothing to control them. It's not my job to. This is nothing but a plot by the prime minister, who loves instability."

On Saturday, Thabane, leader of the All Basotho Convention, said he would ensure that the soldiers who tried to overthrow him in a coup in September, during which he fired army chief Tlali Kamoli, were prosecuted.

In June, Thabane dissolved parliament before it could vote on a motion of no confidence in him. The motion followed his call for Metsing to be investigated.

As LCD and Democratic Congress supporters took to the streets of Maseru in anticipation of victory last night, armed police deployed throughout the city.

Police shut off streets around banks, police stations and near the king's palace, as well as roads leading to military bases, and ordered people off the streets.

When the Independent Electoral Commission closed its results centre for the night, Thabane's ABC party had obtained 35 constituency seats, followed by DC with 10 and LCD with two.

According to an IEC representative, it was still to early to predict a winner, with bad weather over the northern Drakensburg delaying helicopters collecting ballots.

Itumeleng Shale, of the Lesotho National University's law school, said alarming splits were emerging in the defence force . Shale said if Thabane won the election, most military officers would not accept the result and violence would ensue .

"If Thabane wins, Metsing will be prosecuted for corruption. If that happens there are big problems for Lesotho," she said.

Patrick Shale, president of the Lesotho Law Society, said there was a strong possibility of post-election violence.

"What is more worrying is that, other than the special forces supporting Metsing, there is another faction emerging whose allegiance is unknown.

"No one knows if they will try to do something on their own. Soldiers have been conducting 'operations' on their own in the districts. No one knows what they are doing. They seem to have no command structures.

"No one knows what's going on. Trouble seems to be coming. We don't need a return of the horror of 1998," he said.

A Lesotho police officer, speaking in Metsing's stronghold of Leribe, said the police were aware of the dangers.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now