Durban - JUST over a year in office as Lesotho Prime Minister, Moeketsi Majoro could be removed as early as next month.
This comes after the biggest opposition party, The Alliance of Democrats, has filed for the motion of no confidence against Majoro. The seconder of the motion is AD MP Kose Makoa.
In a notice of motion to the speaker that the Daily News has seen, Mokhotlong MP Tefo Mapesela has proposed Dr Monyane Moleleki be installed as the new prime minister.
Moleleki is a member of the AD as well as the leader of the opposition in parliament.
Mapesela confirmed to the Daily News on Thursday that his party wanted Majoro to go.
Although he refused to give reasons for Majoro’s proposed removal, adding that the country’s constitution does not stipulate that a reason should be given when one files for a motion of no confidence, but Majoro’s fellow party member, Chalane Phori, did not mince his words about his unhappiness with his rule.
Majoro and Phori are both members of the All Basotho Convention.
Phori said he fully supported the motion against Majoro, whom he accused of undermining them as fellow ABC members.
He said since he took over last year as prime minister, Majoro never worked with them but always consulted the small opposition parties the ABC formed a coalition with to take power.
“Yes, I support the motion against him. Since he took over, he sidelined all the members of his party that supported Tom Thabane when he connived with the opposition to topple him as prime minister. He also undermines the national executive committee of the ABC. He does not want to implement the manifesto of the party, which is why we have decided to work with other parties to topple him,” said Phori.
Mapesela said the parliament is in the winter break, so the date for the motion would be decided when the parliament resumes on September 10.
Although it was AD who have called for Majoro’s removal, it is believed the plot was being engineered by former prime minister Thabane, who is apparently taking revenge because it was Majoro who allegedly plotted his downfall using his apparent link to the murder of his wife, Lipolelo Thabane in 2017.
Thabane and his current wife, Maesiah Thabane, are suspected to have paid hit men R400 000 to kill Lipolelo, who was found shot dead on the side of the road just two days before Thabane was sworn in as prime minister in 2017.
They were in the process of divorcing and separated in 2012. Maesiah had been formally charged for the murder and had already appeared in court, but Thabane had not been formally charged, although he appeared alongside his wife as acted in common purpose according to local press reports.
Majoro, who was Finance Minister under Thabane, was sworn in on May 20 last year as the new prime minister.
Another reason why his party members no longer want him was apparently his decision to reshuffle the cabinet earlier this year, where he removed the Reformed Congress of Lesotho leader as a minister and replaced him with Basotho National Party leader without consulting with the party’s national executive committee.
Daily News