By Honourable Katleho Mabeleng, MP
The recent opinion piece by Mr. Theko Tlebere, “When a Stalwart Walks Away: What Mootsi Lehata’s Floor Crossing Says About the DC under Mokhothu,” has provoked much-needed national reflection on the state of our political parties and the dynamics of leadership transitions in Lesotho. But as a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) under the Democratic Congress (DC), I find the analysis to be incomplete and, in parts, unjustly skewed. While the author raises valid points about party cohesion and leadership dynamics, his selective framing of defections as a Democratic Congress-specific crisis ignores the broader and more nuanced realities of Lesotho’s fluid political terrain.
Floor-crossing is neither new nor unique to the DC. It is a symptom of a multiparty democracy where political loyalties are increasingly shaped by shifting interests, emerging opportunities, ideological evolution, and sometimes, personal ambition. To single out the DC’s loss of Honourable Mootsi Lehata as a harbinger of its demise, while conveniently omitting similar defections from the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) to the DC, including prominent figures, is not only intellectually dishonest but diminishes the quality of our national discourse.
Mr. Tlebere paints Honourable Lehata’s departure as an unequivocal condemnation of Honourable Mathibeli Mokhothu’s leadership. Yet nowhere in his article does he mention the notable members who have exited the RFP to join the Democratic Congress. Were their departures not equally significant? Did they not also signal dissatisfaction with the political culture, decision-making, or direction of their former party?
Why is it that when a defection benefits the DC, it is brushed aside as opportunism, but when it disadvantages the DC, it becomes a philosophical crisis? We cannot be selective in our indignation. If we are to critique party politics in Lesotho, let us do so with fairness and consistency. Political realignment, for better or worse, is part of the democratic game, and it cuts across the aisle.
I have no desire to downplay the contribution Honourable Lehata has made to the DC over the years. He has served with distinction and commitment, and no party lightly loses a member of his stature. But to assume that his decision to cross the floor is solely a reaction to DC leadership under Honourable Mokhothu is to oversimplify a complex and deeply personal decision.
Honourable Lehata is a seasoned politician who has navigated various political tides over the years. His decision may reflect disagreement, fatigue, or the allure of proximity to power, none of which are new motivations in our politics. But ascribing his move entirely to party dysfunction ignores his own agency and reduces a multifaceted decision to a single narrative thread.
Let us be careful not to canonise every defector as a martyr or to demonise those who remain. Political migration is not always the product of mistreatment or marginalisation. Sometimes, it is simply the product of choice, and that choice, too, must be scrutinised.
One of the more romanticised comparisons in Mr. Tlebere’s piece is that between Honourable Mokhothu and Ntate Pakalitha Mosisili. While we all deeply respect and honour the legacy of Ntate Mosisili, whose contribution to the Congress movement is beyond question, we must not fall into the trap of seeking exact replicas of past leaders. Leadership is not static. It evolves with time, with context, and with the character of the era in which it is exercised.
Honourable Mokhothu inherited the Democratic Congress at a critical moment, one marked by internal reconfiguration, external electoral challenges, and a changing voter demographic. His leadership style, while different, does not make him a lesser steward of the party. He has focused on rebuilding the party’s structures, reconnecting with young voters, modernising communication strategies, and diversifying leadership roles. In short, he is reshaping the party to reflect the realities of a rapidly evolving political climate.
Change is not always comfortable, particularly for those accustomed to established power, but it is necessary. And if leadership requires making difficult, sometimes unpopular decisions for the sake of party renewal and national relevance, then so be it. That is not failure. That is vision.
The DC is not the “hollow shell” Mr. Tlebere suggests. Far from it. It remains one of the most visible, active, and ideologically grounded parties in Lesotho. We continue to attract members, not just disaffected politicians, but community leaders, youth activists, and ordinary Basotho who believe in the values we represent.
The party’s core principles, social justice, disciplined governance, and grassroots engagement, remain intact. Under Honourable Mokhothu’s leadership, we are actively seeking to adapt our methods without abandoning our mission. The path of renewal is never without resistance, but resistance to reform must never be confused with the failure of reform.
We are not stagnant. We are evolving. And evolution, by its very nature, requires reconfiguration and renewal, sometimes painful, always necessary.
More importantly, we must not forget the role of voters in this discourse. Members of Parliament serve at the pleasure of the people. Constituents vote for parties as much as they vote for individuals. When an MP defects without resigning and seeking a fresh mandate, it raises uncomfortable questions about the sanctity of electoral accountability.
This concern is not unique to Honourable Lehata, it applies universally. Whether defections flow from the DC or into it, we must insist on ethical consistency. Any politician, from any party, who believes their conscience compels them to leave their political home, must also be brave enough to return to the people and seek their approval.
This is not a matter of legality, it is a matter of principle.
Lesotho deserves a mature and balanced political conversation. One that acknowledges the challenges facing all parties, the inevitability of internal tensions, and the humanity of those who make difficult political decisions. But such a conversation must be grounded in truth, not in sensationalism; in fairness, not in selective outrage.
We must hold all parties to the same standard. We must resist the temptation to cheer or scorn defections depending on who benefits. And we must focus on the bigger picture: building a democratic culture that prioritises the will of the people over the ambition of individuals.
The Democratic Congress is not defined by one defection. It is defined by its commitment to Basotho, its ability to adapt, and its enduring belief that politics should serve people, not personalities.
To write its obituary is premature. To declare its decline is mistaken.
The DC is here. The DC is working. And the DC is still fighting, for justice, for equity, and for the future of this great nation.
Hon. Katleho Mabeleng is the Member of Parliament for Hloahloeng Constituency under the Democratic Congress.
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