To be or not to be: BAP’s political fate hangs in the balance
Ruling coalition in turmoil as confusion swirls around BAP’s status
‘MANTŠANG KHUTLISI
Lesotho’s political theatre has once again entered a turbulent chapter as confusion mounts over the true status of the Basotho Action Party (BAP) within the ruling coalition.
While BAP leader, Professor Nqosa Mahao, has publicly declared his party’s withdrawal from the government, other senior officials and even some legislators suggest the party remains formally tied to the coalition agreement it signed in 2023.
As the nation grapples with economic challenges, food insecurity, and governance crises, for BAP and its leadership political uncertainty has become an unwelcome distraction.
The question on many lips today is simple: “Is the BAP still part of the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)-led government or not?” The answer may not be that simple – Lesotho’s political terrain is indeed treacherous!
When Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane formed his coalition government following his RFP’s impressive victory in the 2022 general elections, he invited several parties to join his reform agenda.
The BAP, led by Nqosa Mahao, officially joined the coalition in October 2023 joining the Alliance of Democrats (AD) and the Movement for Economic Change (MEC) and other parties already therein.
At the time, this strategic alliance was seen as a signal of national unity and a robust commitment to democratic governance.
BAP, with its vocal stance on constitutional reform and anti-corruption, was regarded as a valuable intellectual and ethical pillar in the coalition.
But by late 2024, the partnership began to unravel, the breakdown began when BAP raised concerns over alleged corruption in the Ministry of Energy.
The party demanded the reassignment of its Principal Secretary Tankiso Phapano, citing procurement irregularities and lack of accountability.
When their calls were ignored, tensions escalated.
In late November 2024, Matekane dismissed Mahao from cabinet, a move widely interpreted as a definitive political break.
In response, Mahao announced that BAP would be returning to the opposition since the current government no longer reflects the values they signed up for, Mahao further said the BAP cannot serve in an administration that “suppresses accountability and rewards corruption.”
He additionally stated that all BAP Members of Parliament would shift to the opposition benches, pending formal acknowledgment by the Speaker of the National Assembly.
To this day, contradictory messaging from two of the party’s highest-ranking officials, has left both the public and other political actors unsure of where BAP truly stands.
Adding to the uncertainty is the procedural complexity of coalition dynamics in Lesotho.
According to parliamentary rules, a party’s formal withdrawal from government must be acknowledged by the Speaker of the National Assembly before it can be considered official.
As of June, the Speaker has not publicly confirmed receipt of BAP’s withdrawal notice, meaning that, procedurally, the party may still be considered part of the ruling coalition, despite its vocal opposition stance.
From the government’s perspective, the loss of BAP appears more symbolic than substantial.
Public Relations Manager in the Prime Minister’s office Teboho Sekata – veteran politician – has repeatedly emphasized that the ruling coalition remains intact and functional, with RFP, AD, and MEC holding a solid parliamentary majority.
Sekata added that the BAP wants its rivalries to be resolved in parliament whereas they as the party need to “solve their own quarrels without having to track the parliament in it”.
He added that BAP wants to use the courts to rule over parliamentary issues of which it is not allowed procedurally.
Sekata referred to the United for Change grievances as a typical example in which a party once challenged Parliamentary rules by involving courts in their political matters.
That did not work to their favour, Sekata said.
The court ruled in their case that a member of parliament must be afforded the indivdual liberties to use their conscience to make decisions even if such decisions would not be in line with the party’s views.
“The business of government continues, while we respect any party’s internal decisions, we remain focused on delivering for the Basotho people,” Sekata said.
Moreover, Tefo Mapesela the singular Member of Parliament for Basotho Patrotic Party BPP) said the BAP is joined tightly to the ruling government till 2027 as both parties have signed what is called the coalition agreement and that there have not been any other changes.
He said the BAP wants to track the speaker of the National Assembly in their differences and that is not allowed.
Accroding to Mapesela “the speaker was not there when they disagreed in their party but now they want to put him in matters he does not know of.”
Machesetsa Mofomobe, leader of Basotho National Party, himself in Parliament said “technically BAP is still party of the government” adding however that when its – BAP leader has decided otherwise, it becomes a different story all together.
Indeed, government operations appear largely unaffected by BAP’s absence.
Cabinet portfolios have been reassigned, and the Prime Minister has moved swiftly to fill vacancies and maintain legislative momentum.
On the streets of Maseru and across social media, the confusion has fuelled speculation and frustration.
Some citizens view BAP’s departure or attempted departure as a principled stand against corruption.
Others accuse the party of political opportunism or disorganization.
“They need to make up their minds. Either they are in or they are out, this kind of uncertainty erodes trust in our political sphere,” Tšeliso Kopano said.
One of BAP members in Qeme constituency, ‘Matlhokomelo Mosese, said this kind of behaviour by their leaders’ taints the nature as well as the name of the party.
She wishes both fighting parties could just seat down like adults and resolve their issues in a mature and respectful manner.
In addition, Letlotlo Moloi, a BAP youth member from Ha Sekepe said BAP is indeed in deep trouble and he sees no reconciliation anytime soon. The two feuding parties in the BAP need to resolve their issues out of court, he opined.
He added that plenty of money is spent on matters that can be resolved easily.
“They are adults who at first were so close to each now but now have turned in to biggest enemies.”
This is the end of BAP, Selloane Ralimpe said adding she sees no respect as well as order in the party.
Soon the BAP will be just like any party with no substantive political impact in Lesotho.
Ralimpe said she fails to understand who is actually the problem here, as she recalls how All Basotho Convention (ABC) was once so rich in political numbers and later worsened so much that there were two parties in one, some of which were even labelled “Malumara and Likatana.”
BAP leader Mahao was part of that scandalous saga.
Tlhokomelo Letsie, of Qeme said Maqelepo and Mahao formed the party together with the same vision and dream adding ti is mindboggling to understand how “today they are the ones biting each other’s heads.”
He was quick to add that Mahao might be the problem in all this as he sees his name always appearing in matters that involve fights as well as conflicts. He added that Mahao cannot decide on behalf of mature adults who know the good from bad and let them fall in the same pit with him.
Letsie charged that thinks it’s time that political parties work in favour of all their members not in the interest of just one individual.
“If Mahao wants to leave, let him do so alone, why tag others along?” Letsie asked.
Tšeliso Monethi, former member of the Senate said BAP is still part of the government citing the seating arrangement of its majority members in parliament saying up to this far, BAP members are still seated on the government side in parliament and not on the cross bench or rather on the opposition side, “so politically, BAP is part of the ruling coalition.”
In an interview with BAP General Secretary, Lepolesa Makutoane, said BAP is not by any means possible part of the government.
In his response Makutoane stood firm on three point:
He said his first reasoning is the rebellion of the Speaker against the Constitution of Lesotho and Appeal Court. He said the constitution of Lesotho mandates that Lesotho shall be a multi-party democracy, and governments shall be established by coalitions of political parties on the basis of their freedom of association and conscience.
“So simply put, (National Assembly speaker Tlohang) Sekhamane does not allow the liberties of political parties, he is obstructing the BAP to operate democratically in Lesotho politics. His roguish behaviour, by the interpretation is tantamount not only to constitutional breaches, but also treachery and betrayal against constitutional principles of our democracy, not leaving aside abominable disrespect for the BAP,” Makutoane angrily said.
He further stretched his allegations that the BAP suspended its renegade members led by Motlatsi Maqelepo “who is now an RFP agent within BAP employed and deployed to destroy BAP.”
Makutoane said three BAP members of parliament have been suspended whereas the other resigned from the committees by her own volition.
He said this leaves the BAP Parliamentary Caucus with numerical composition of two members of BAP Parliamentary Committee.
“Sekhamane is deliberately fooling himself, and dishonestly fooling the whole nation, ignores the rebels against the Appeal Court judgment, which simply says BAP has no right to discipline its members. With his staunch stance against the constitution and the court, he manifests to me than a mere miscreant, he becomes a degenerate rebel. An unadulterated anarchist.
His claim of majority members of Caucus is not founded, he is meddling and interfering because he does not know the composition of the BAP Caucus which is not a portfolio committee or a cluster in his parliament,” he lamented.
In a litany of accusations, Makutoane says Sekhamane is an infiltrator, who wantonly interferes in internal the BAP administration which is absolutely separate from his domain to moderate parliamentary discussions.
He continues to say when the Speaker was given a notice, and not a request, it was sufficing for him to read the notice, thus bringing to the notice of Parliament the reconfiguration in the National Assembly following that decision of the party, through its Central Executive Committee.
“That was all this is, and nothing more,” Makutane said.
He accused the Speaker of the Parliament of having usurped the powers of the High Court, making threats of declaring vacancies if his arbitrariness is not abided by “which is very wrong and a very egregious constitutional violation, but a calculated misdirection on his part.”
He continues to say on March 5, Sekhamane connived with the BAP renegades, and conspired to obstruct the BAP from crossing the isle to the Opposition seats.
According to Makutoane the BAP leader was disgraced as minister because he denounced RFP perpetuated corruption.
Makutoane said Sekhamane’s roguish tendencies are not a surprise to the BAP, but unfortunately in effect they result in circumvention of the Constitution and disrespect of the Court by “the Right Honourable Speaker” who ought to behave honourably.
Makutoane said Sekhamane appears to be a complete ignoramus on Parliamentary administration, in his misguided opinion and myopia, he seems to presume that caucuses are Parliamentary entities that supersede political parties.
“In fact, a caucus, if it exists, is not a creation of Parliamentary Practices or Norms, the Constitution of Lesotho, or the Statuary Standing Orders. No, it is merely a strategic and coordinative organisation of a political party for efficiencies of its own operations; it therefore cannot be presumed to be anything parliamentary in nature as he ignorantly and insubordinately asserts,” Makutoane further accussed the Speaker.
He said all these errors cannot make the BAP part of government, not when Matekane relieved the BAP leader of ministerial responsibility thus removing the BAP from the formal government structure as constituted under the Coalition agreement.
“We are not, properly and precisely speaking, a part to any coalition, the fact is what has emerged is disgraceful anomalies that verge on anarchy orchestrated by government to defile integrity of constitutional multi-party democracy, which cannot justify our being associated with a corrupt government by our rivals against our will, RFP and the Prime Minister, with the assistance of Speaker, and on some other instances I suspect they have been in cahoots with Justices of the High Court, as you may have seen it,” Makutoane concluded.
The question of whether the BAP is still part of Lesotho’s ruling coalition remains unresolved, a reflection of the country’s complex, sometimes chaotic, political environment.
What is clear, however, is that Lesotho’s political class must embrace transparency and unity if it hopes to lead the nation out of poverty, corruption, and instability.
The drama surrounding the BAP’s status serves as a potent reminder of just how fragile coalition governments can be and how essential clear communication is in times of national uncertainty.
