. . . as bloc engages parties ahead of elections
Billy Ntaote
A SOUTHERN African Development Community (SADC) summit resolution to hold a multi-stakeholder national dialogue in Lesotho before the 3 June 2017 elections has been welcomed as an opportunity to defuse the political acrimony and address issues of impunity.
SADC held an extra ordinary summit of the regional bloc’s heads of state and government last Saturday in Swaziland which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing.
Among others, SADC chairperson King Mswati III of Swaziland, South African President Jacob Zuma and his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa — who is also the SADC facilitator to Lesotho — and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe were also in attendance.
In addition to closely monitoring the political situation in Lesotho, the summit mandated Mr Ramaphosa and the SADC Oversight Committee to hold a multi-stakeholder national dialogue ahead of the 3 June 2017 elections.
The stated aim of the national dialogue is to build consensus and trust among all stakeholders and chart the way forward for the implementation of SADC decisions.
The summit also resolved to convene a Double Troika Summit soon after the elections and formation of a new government. The Double Troika Summit is meant to underscore the need for implementation of SADC decisions and the recommendations of the SADC Commission of Inquiry through a roadmap with clear timelines.
“The engagement should also emphasise the need to address the fundamental challenges, commitment to implement SADC decisions and the consequences of not implementing the decisions and observing timelines,” reads part of the SADC summit communique.
Lesotho will hold its third polls in five years after Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili’s seven-party governing coalition lost a parliamentary no-confidence vote on 1 March 2017.
King Letsie dissolved parliament on 6 March at the advice of Dr Mosisili to the consternation of a four-party opposition alliance that had sponsored the no-confidence motion.
The alliance, which consists of All Basotho Convention (ABC), Alliance of Democrats (AD), Basotho National Party (BNP) and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho had proposed AD leader Monyane Moleleki to replace Dr Mosisili upon the success of the no-confidence vote.
With the outgoing government having embarked on a constitutional, security and public sector reforms at the instigation of SADC, the regional bloc stressed the need for Lesotho to stay the course despite a possible regime change.
“While noting with concern the changed political dynamics that have necessitated the holding of snap elections, summit urged the Kingdom of Lesotho to address the fundamental challenges and bring about political stability,” the communique states.
The Mountain Kingdom has been rocked by bouts of political instability that have prompted SADC’s intervention. After the 25 June 2015 killing of former army commander Maaparankoe Mahao, Dr Mosisili asked SADC to help establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the underlying causes of Lesotho’s perennial instability.
A 10-member SADC Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi of Botswana was established and carried out its investigations between 31 August and 23 October 2015.
Among its recommendations was that government should investigate the killing and prosecute those found to be responsible. It also recommended constitutional, security and public sector reforms to bring lasting peace and stability.
SADC also established a 10-member Oversight Committee in July 2015 to monitor the implementation of its decisions regarding the political and security situation in Lesotho
The committee was also tasked with providing assistance in the implementation of constitutional, security and public sector reforms in Lesotho.
Commenting on the SADC resolution for the holding of a multi-stakeholder national dialogue, AD Secretary-General Mokhele Moletsane welcomed the move, saying they were keen to see what the regional bloc had in store during the dialogue.
“Let them come and we are keen to hear what they have to say. We still want to hear what sort of programme SADC is now coming up with,” he said.
“I don’t think the AD would have any problems with participating in such a forum.”
BNP Secretary-General Reginald Tekateka told the Lesotho Times dialogue was good as long as it did not affect the election campaigns.
“We would want to participate in such a dialogue and give it all the necessary attention. However, the elections also need our undivided attention so that we emerge victorious. But it should be clear that we are still committed to the reforms process,” Mr Tekateka said.
Prominent political analyst Professor Mafa Sejanamane also welcomed the multi-stakeholder national dialogue, saying it was “one of the most positive things to come out of the summit”.
The National University of Lesotho pro-vice chancellor said such a dialogue would help defuse the simmering acrimony among Basotho of different political persuasions.
He said the involvement of foreign actors in the dialogue would engender the public’s confidence in the process since locals were perceived as biased.
Prof Sejanamane also pointed out that dialogue would stop political actors who may want to employ the tactic of intimidation in their tracks.
“Given that there is a likelihood for intimidation ahead of elections, a dialogue process would expose such practices to ensure the outcome of the polls are a true reflection of the will of the people,” he said.
“A key challenge for the country has been the commission of serious crimes with impunity with the government unwilling to prosecute such people.
“Now that the government has been toppled, the perpetrators are scrambling to ensure that the people who protected them return to power and are also destroying evidence of their crimes.”
For his part, Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organisations Executive Secretary, Seabata Motsamai, said a national dialogue was an issue civil society had harped on about for a long time and a welcome initiative by SADC.
“There is a dire need for national dialogue in light of the current political dynamics,” he said.
“We have always believed that dialogue is key to melting the tension between the political actors. Through dialogue, the politicians will have more restraint in their campaign messages.”
Mr Motsamai stressed that the dialogue should not be a mere event but a process to achieve the stated objectives.
“It should not just be a one-day event, but a process that can take time to identify the issues and come up with home grown strategies for reconciling the differences,” he added.