Is the RFP ready to govern?

Ho petetsane menyakong ea ofisi tsa ‘Maseterata. Ba’ng ba batla ho kena, ha ba bang ba batla ho tsoa. Ke mphete, ke u fete.

The doors of the magistrates court are usually congested, as some are eagerly anticipating to get married and some pushing to exit an ‘oven’ named marriage due to its unbearable heat. “Hee, ho’a chesa ka mona.”

The same could be narrated to our current political situation. Dr Majoro is eagerly waiting to exit the playing field. Yet on the reserve side, Sam Matekane is already warming-up to get onto the field and score. That’s the irony of life. Ke mphete, ke u fete.

But I must say, I’ve never seen Dr Majoro so relaxed and to a large extent, so relieved. I’m sure he can write a book or two on how it feels to be a captain of a sinking ship named Titanic.

Haai, the past week has been a roller coaster ride of emotions. I’ve never received as many calls as I did on Saturday morning of people telling me how my predictions were off the mark. Completely off the mark!

I think the election results also came as a shock to the RFP. You know when you want something so bad and actually receive it unexpectedly, it just shocks the system. I would have made a certain example had I known that my mother and uncle wouldn’t read this piece.

In any case, the voters have spoken and democracy has prevailed. We need to congratulate the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for conducting a credible election on a shoestring budget.

This then calls for the incoming government to set-up an election/electoral fund and start depositing some funds into the pot towards the 2027 election.

Just set aside 60 million per annum towards elections (about 5 million Maloti per month). It really shouldn’t come as a surprise every time we have to hold elections that funds are running short.

Secondly, the IEC really needs to start searching for a plot and build an IEC or Election House, as a matter of urgency. This is long overdue. If you need help searching for a site, option one is to house an Election House next to the new parliament buildings.

There’s plenty of space there. Akere re isa paramente Thaba-Bosiu ( We are taking the government to Thaba_Bosiu). The buildings will soon be derelict.

Alternatively, talk to Maseru City Council and negotiate a plot between the new museum and the old traffic department. There is a beautiful plot there, on the corner of Moshoeshoe Road and Assissi Road (who is Assissi by the way?) The site has ample space for parking and IT storage facilities.

Now, let’s talk about the election results. How many of you had to check-in to the doctor to get some medication to calm the high-blood pressure? I also heard that there’s a certain political leader that took a knock due to the election results and went straight to bed on Saturday. Haesale a sama.

But I’m still shocked by the dismal performance of the ABC and BNP. Literally from Hero to Zero. The ABC has really taken a knock from 50 constituencies in 2017 to zero literally five years later.

Not even one constituency in the bag. Khele! Athe BNP eona e oele ka moholokohlong (as for the BNP, it is completely finished).

And I warned the BNP about this issue a while ago. People are just tired of being told about Chief Leabua’s legacy and fefenene. Morena Leabua this, Morena Leabua that.

Just tell us about ways to put bread on the table. It’s 2022. We also need to pay school fees. Tell us how you’ll create jobs for the parents.

Now, let’s talk about the new kid on the block. The new girl in the neighbourhood. A big and hearty congratulations to the Revolution For Prosperity (RFP). Ebile Moruo!

This is a true revolution. There are so many people that have expressed relief that the RFP blocked Mathibeli Mokhothu from being the next Prime Minister.

Truly thankful! And some are happy that corrupt and arrogant leaders will for the first time learn that the real power is in the hands of the people.

The masses have fired a warning shot to arrogant politicians and I truly hope and pray that the RFP leaders won’t be arrogant like many others.

This warning shot places immense pressure towards the RFP because expectations are extremely high on the ground.

The masses truly believe in their heart and souls that Ntate Matekane will use his own money to provide jobs. “Ntate Matekane o itse o tlo re fa mesebetsi.”

But the question that needs to be answered is: Was this victory a vote of confidence in Matekane or a vote done out of desperation? The other question that needs to be thought out carefully is as follows: Is the RFP ready to govern?

This brings me to a question that an ANC leader and my hero once asked when the African National Congress (ANC) was gearing up to lead South Africa in the new democratic dispensation.

Oliver Reginald Tambo repeatedly warned the ANC Comrades (Comlades) that to govern is far more difficult and complicated than to fight for freedom (Mzabalazo). Ho bua, ha ho tšoane le ho busa.

As you may remember, in the early 90’s, the ANC made several promises to the electorate leading to the 1994 general elections.

The promises were high and wide. From free housing, to free electricity (hence the load-shedding crisis), to free water and education. The promises were big.

What the ANC failed to witness is that the Apartheid regime made a warning to its members that, “Hela! We’re about to lose power. Hoja la roalla le sa sele.” (Prepare groceries).

This means, you better start gathering land and resources because the political landscape is about to change. This warning was done around 1986 and the looting started on a massive and grand scale.

When the ANC got into office at the Union Buildings the state coffers were empty. Remember, the promises were big but there was simply no money to put words into action.

An important matter that Tambo highlighted to the ANC comrades is to conduct and compile policy documents titled; ‘Ready to Govern’ and the ‘Ready to Govern’ policy conferences were held in the early 1990’s.

I think the RFP is in a similar predicament. The promises are big, expectations very high and no money to fulfil them. There’s also no will from public servants to shift gears in motion.

The RFP needs to hold a ‘ready to govern policy conference’ as a matter of urgency and start debating and looking into pressing policy frameworks.

For instance, the RFP needs to hold a debate on the macro-economic policy framework. Without a sound understanding of how the macro-economy operates, there’s just simply no way that an economy can work.

Lastly, due to the expectations and impatience of the voters, the RFP needs to hit the ground running. There shouldn’t be any space for time-wasting activities like the ones taken by the ABC when it assumed power in 2012. A lot of ministers were caught with their pants down.

Ministers and PS’s took well over a year acclimatising to being in public office. All they did all day was to dip biscuits into a teacup.

It got even worse in 2017. U so ka inahanela litla-morao tsa ho etsa teraefara kapa kontae ea taxi letona. (You can imagine the consequences of making a taxi-conductor a minister).

The RFP needs to hit the ground running but it will be skating on very thin ice. The electorate is very impatient and has no time for manga-manga business (lies and empty promises). If you don’t perform, they replace you.

But I understand that the RFP has proposed a cabinet of 15 ministers. This reminds us of an important point that, in 1993, the BCP government only had 12 ministers.

In closing, my friend was deeply disappointed last Tuesday, when he heard that the RFP had formed a coalition alliance with the Alliance of Democrats (AD) and the Movement for Economic Change (MEC). He said, “Keore AD eona ekare lethopa. O le pepeta nka nkong, le fihla le mathela ka…….” (The AD is like festering boil, you squeeze it out of your nose it goes…)

‘Mako Bohloa