Big storm brews in RFP

 MASERU – A storm is brewing in the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) as disgruntled members gang up to oust the party’s founding National Executive Committee.

The push for an elective conference comes as the party is in the throes of budding factionalism triggered by power struggles and a scramble for positions in the new government.

So far one constituency, Abia, has written to the Sam Matekane-led committee calling for the elective conference.

There are unconfirmed reports that as many as 20 constituencies might also make the same demand.

In the January 20 letter, the Abia constituency’s secretary ’Matlotliso Pakela asked for an elective conference to be held between March 25 and 27.

The Abia constituency chairman, Bishop Sethati, said “it is not a matter of being satisfied with (the executive committee)’s services, we need the party to follow the constitution”.

A feisty Sethati told thepost last night that the party’s constitution is clear that the founding committee must be in office for one year.

This, he said, means the party should elect a new committee in the next two months.

“They should have announced (the dates for the elective conference) before 23 January, 2023,” Sethati said.

He said after 22 March the current committee will not have the authority to run the party.

“We will not take their orders after that day.”

He said the party can either call the special conference to extend the executive committee’s tenure in office or call an election.

He threatened to sue to force the party to hold an elective conference.

“The committee’s reluctance to call the elections shows that there is something wrong somewhere.”

“They are incompetent, they never sent circulars to the constituencies. We always get (circulars) on social media.”

“We held several meetings with the party secretary general asking for an election announcement but to no avail.”

Sethati said they also want to elect their own youth league and women’s league committees.

A member of the Matala constituency committee told thepost that their constituency also wants to write to the party to demand elections “but we have factions here in the committee, including the constituency MP who does not want to push for the election because he is a beneficiary of the status quo”.

Francis Ramosetle, a member of the Machache constituency, also hinted at the growing demand for an elective conference.

“We have been told to wait for the circular yet the secretary general says the current committee will not be changed until five years have passed,” Ramosetle said.

He said the committee’s reluctance to organise a conference is damaging Matekane’s image as leader.

Mokhethi Shelile, the RFP spokesman, has confirmed receipt of the Abia constituency letter but denied that there are more such letters.

Shelile said the incumbent executive committee is “neither hostile nor afraid to go to election” but other pertinent issues have to be considered first.

He said there are important committees that should be elected first before the elective conference for the executive committee is called.

“For example, we still do not have a women’s league committee and a youth league committee.

Without those committees, which our constitution says should form part of elective committee delegates, anyone could successfully challenge the conference in courts,” Shelile said.

“Moreover,” he added, “our committee has been registered as the committee of the RFP that will last for five years.”

“One may argue that the constitution talks about an elected committee. Who says our committee was not elected?”

Shelile said the party leader, Prime Minister Sam Matekane, will give direction but in the meantime, RFP members should understand that the constitution says the committee’s tenure is five years.

Somewhere during the interview, Shelile changed his tone and emphasised that he was now speaking as an ordinary member of the party and not the spokesperson of the RFP.

Speaking as an ordinary RFP member, Shelile said only less than ten power-hungry MPs are causing problems in the party.

“They are not happy that they have not been appointed ministers or given certain positions they were eyeing,” he said.

“They are greedy. They do not understand why the RFP was founded and they are only concerned about their personal benefit, not running along with the party for the benefit of all the people.”

Secretary general, Nthati Moorosi, did not pick her phone when thepost called her numerous times.

However, in a leaked WhatsApp audio clip Moorosi said the RFP “constitution is clear that we will go for elections after five years”.

Moorosi pleaded with the members to wait for directions from Matekane.

Over the past few weeks, social media has been abuzz with names of potential committee members being bandied around.