As long as dictators and warlords strut the African Union stage and grace its gatherings, the call for "African solutions for African problems" will remain a hollow slogan. Today we are again talking about the chaos in Lesotho. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is in Maseru trying to broker a deal following the killing of Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao, allegedly at the hands of Lesotho Defence Force members. Although the circumstances of his death remain contested, the situation is certainly ripe for another conflict.South Africa should now begin to change its tactics in dealing with conflict in Lesotho, and in other countries on the continent. African solutions for African problems can only be realised if there are consequences for those who violate the rules.It cannot be that those who go against the spirit of democracy and fair political engagement are welcomed back into the fold and protected by other African leaders, just to prove to the West that we Africans are capable of solving our own problems.The Ramaphosa mission will not bear fruit unless Lesotho is told to behave.Although we cannot dictate how Lesotho chooses its leaders, we have a duty to demand that it seek a permanent solution that will transform the country and stop the suffering of the people.Because Maseru is just a stone's throw from South Africa, it makes our involvement even more important. Lesotho needs stability and foreign investment .We hope Ramaphosa will go beyond fixing the current threat to peace and will work hard on dealing with the causes of tensions, and the failure by the executive to honour its agreements.If we fail to influence the Lesotho leadership on these issues, we will continue tacking back and forth, hoping for an African miracle...