‘Re-instate NEC or risk recall’, Thabane warned

MASERU – The long running drama playing out in the ABC took another turn on Monday when its parliamentary Caucus warned party leader Tom Thabane to rescind his decision to fire the new NEC or risk legal action and a possible recall.

All Basotho Convention (ABC) MP for Berea Constituency, Motlatsi Maqelepo threw down the gauntlet when he told Thabane MPs would press ahead with a no confidence motion to dump him as Prime Minister when Parliament resumes should he not back peddle.

In a fit of pique, Thabane last week said he had fired the new NEC for reportedly defying his orders not to organise political rallies parallel to his.

But Maqalepo dismissed Thabane’s reasons for expelling the NEC including

Deputy Leader Professor Nqosa Mahao, Lebohang Hlaele,  Samuel Rapapa, Montoeli Masoetsa and ‘Matebatso Doti.
“These are our Leaders whom we want to actively reshape the image of the party in line with the party’s constitution, we therefore urge Thabane to reinstate them before three days lapse,” he stressed.
Maqalepo said Thabane had erred when he concluded the Mahao group were defying him when they addressed a series of rallies in competition with his, saying “they were indebted to attend rallies in different constituencies called by Committee members in Constituencies”.
He reiterated that ABC is the senior party in the four-party coalition government, and should thus expend its resources on creating employment and economic policies that would lift the country out of poverty instead of bickering.

Thabane told reporters last week he expelled the Mahao faction “due to indiscipline amongst other reasons”.

Additional reporting: Lena