The goal of a Lesotho that Basotho want remains elusive. “The Lesotho we want†is but a dream and can become a nightmare. In fact, it was slowly becoming one at the winding down of the 10th Parliament, as it looked as though some people were using their position of advantage over others to advance personal aggrandizement at the expense of national glory.
Somehow, it is as if the Lesotho that the majority of Basotho want is not the one wanted by particularly, the politicians, especially those who made up the chunk of the just dissolved Parliament.
Ironically, most are looking to be restored to their seat of influence and grandeur! At whose expense? You ask. Well, at yours as the electorate.
When they were seated at the top of the food chain, basically making decisions about who lived (themselves obviously) and who died (the voting masses), they seemed to suffer from a kind of selective amnesia forgetful that the very people they were disenfranchising are in fact boss.
The voice of the people equals the voice of God. Vox populi, Vox Dei!
This is the reality the politicians only ever come to terms with when they want the public’s mercy of being voted into power, and thereafter, they simply just forget.
It is for this reason that they were busy playing juvenile games in the august House instead of working for an entire five years of the term of Parliament, waiting literally for the 11th hour to try and pass a bill entailing the national reforms, which was a clear blue print and loud voice from Basotho on how they want to be governed in order to attain lasting peace, stability and prosperity.
Yet even in those dying moments of the 10th Parliament in the 11th hour, they were still desirous of advancing selfish intents choosing those provisions in the Reforms entailing bill favouring them, in total disregard of what the people said – in Plenary II. How pathetic!
This is despite the fact that in April 2017, political parties signed a pledge committing to prioritize reforms after the June 3, 2017 elections.
This pledge was described by the Development for Peace Education (DPE), a local civil society organization, as a major victory for the nation.
An agreement to establish a statutory National Legislative Reform Authority that would coordinate the national reforms process in Lesotho was signed on Thursday July 4, 2019.
The agreement stipulated that the reform authority would be constituted in terms of an Act of Parliament and that the authority would guide the country in effecting constitutional, governance, security and media reforms.
The signing of this agreement took place on the day of a working visit to Lesotho by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as SADC Facilitator on the national reform process in Lesotho.
On May 27, 2022, leaders of 14 political parties represented in the National Assembly signed a pledge to the national reforms process and to the passing of the 11th Amendment to the Constitution Bill 2022, commonly known as the Omnibus Bill.
This was less than two months before the term of parliament expired.
The parties further committed themselves to other related bills that would be tabled before parliament for the attainment of peace and stability in Lesotho.
And yet today Lesotho has nothing to show for the many agreements that were signed by political leaders.
It was as one political leader had become infamous of usually saying ba ingola meno ka enke (loosely translated to mean wasting precious ink on teeth, thus wasting time).
The country has even failed to implement electoral reforms to enable the smooth running of credible, free and fair elections due in about 70 days.
