Eight opposition parties have launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane’s government, accusing it of orchestrating a “well-crafted plan” to exploit public resources under the guise of reform.
The attack came during a joint press conference this week, where eight opposition parties, the Democratic Congress (DC), All Basotho Convention (ABC), Basotho Action Party (BAP), Basotho National Party (BNP), Mpulule Political Summit (MPS), Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP), and United Africans Transformation (UAT), addressed journalists.
The parties levelled a wide range of accusations against the government, including rampant corruption, nepotism, poor fiscal planning, suppression of parliamentary processes, and a failure to address skyrocketing youth unemployment.
Matekane’s Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), which won power in October 2022 on a platform of meritocracy, clean governance, and economic reform, now stands accused of betraying those promises. According to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Lesotho ranks 99th out of 180 countries, an improvement of two points, but opposition parties say this does not reflect the situation on the ground.
They claim RFP MPs and affiliates have enriched themselves at the expense of the public. BNP leader Machesetsa Mofomobe specifically accused the Minister of Agriculture, Thabo Mofosi, of corruption involving farming inputs and nepotism.
“The Prime Minister is a direct beneficiary of the Mines and Minerals Act,” Mofomobe claimed, adding that Matekane acquired mining equipment and secured contracts but blocked Basotho-owned company Mohahlaula from transporting diamonds. “If you think this man will save Lesotho, you are joking. Those mines are run by white people who are his friends.”
DC leader Mathibeli Mokhothu accused the government of actively undermining the National Assembly and the work of oversight bodies such as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He cited an incident where the PM allegedly pressured PAC Chairperson Machabana Lemphane-Letsie to delay tabling a corruption report so he could review it first.
The opposition also highlighted allegations of impropriety in the renovation tender for Moshoeshoe I International Airport, reportedly awarded to a company linked to the Minister of Public Works.
“It is embarrassing that the PM frowns upon parliamentary oversight and uses the courts to stop MPs from probing corruption,” Mokhothu said.
Indeed, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport recently withdrew a court application aimed at stopping PAC scrutiny. Similarly, the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) has sought to block PAC from questioning it on corruption and mismanagement, raising further concern among opposition ranks.
The opposition further alleged that individuals close to the RFP leadership received shares in taxpayer-funded firms and accused the executive committee of turning the party into a cash cow.
On the issue of youth unemployment, Mokhothu criticised the government for reacting only after the public outcry over long queues of young applicants vying for positions in the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF). “We will monitor this recruitment closely to ensure there is no nepotism,” he said.
Asked what solutions they propose, Mokhothu was tight-lipped. He indicated they did not want the government copying their ideas. “They must take responsibility, they have the funds.”
He also questioned the financing of the government’s promise to create 70,000 jobs, just three months after the national budget was enacted. “Instead of making announcements, the PM should be reporting progress,” he said, while criticising Finance Minister Dr Retšelisitsoe Matlanyane for presenting figures without actionable policy.
The parties also decried the government’s failure to announce plans for winter and summer cropping seasons, and slammed poor support for commercial farming, calling for better subsidies and guaranteed markets for farmers.
Public service delivery also came under fire. The opposition highlighted chronic inefficiencies in issuing national IDs and passports, with reports of citizens sleeping overnight to access services. “Getting an ID or passport in Lesotho is like winning a lottery,” they charged.
They said the government has yet to fulfil its salary promises to village health workers, councillors, and chiefs.
“We want Basotho to receive quality services, but this government is failing them. We will remove them,” Mokhothu said. MPS leader Remaketse Sehlabaka and Mofomobe echoed this, declaring they had lost confidence in the Matekane-led administration.
Mofomobe claimed the PM was “unprepared” for governance and was implicated in the issues plaguing LEC, referencing the continued employment of Energy Principal Secretary Tankiso Phapano despite disputes with former Minister Nqosa Mahao.
He also alleged that Phapano moved Small Business offices to Mpilo Hotel, owned by Matekane, paying rent reportedly around M300,000.
Mokhothu went further, alleging that there were discussions about a possible change of government. “We will oust him through a vote of no confidence,” he said.
BAP leader Prof Nqosa Mahao accused the government of using closed-door meetings with party leaders to suppress debate on corruption reports in Parliament. “Committees have done their job. These reports must be debated in Parliament,” he said.
He decried what he described as the “strategic obstruction” of parliamentary oversight and said the private-sector background of RFP MPs had “created a serious problem.”
UAT leader Dr Mahali Phamotse, a former RFP member, said she saw signs of corruption two months into joining the party. “The Prime Minister doesn’t govern. Those close to him do. This is a system of rot from the head down.”
