Kabi: the new sheriff in town

THE All Basotho Convention (ABC)’s elective conference last weekend that saw Nkaku Kabi elected party leader was a thunderous clap on Moeketsi Majoro telling him his time was up. It would be a pity were Majoro to resist renewed calls for him to step down as Prime Minister to pave way for the new sheriff in town. It would also suffice to add that the elective conference was in fact a referendum on Majoro himself. And the clear message from the party’s delegates was that they no longer wanted him as their leader. By voting for Kabi, the ABC’s delegates clearly showed that they had lost confidence in Majoro as Prime Minister. Now that he lost that referendum, we think it is time for Majoro to go. The man no longer has the mandate of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC). Without that mandate, Majoro risks operating without the backing of his own political party and that to us is not a viable option. In fact, Majoro will find it extremely difficult to function with a hostile NEC which has made it clear in the past that they want him out. Over the last year or so, Majoro had resisted pressure to step down. He still had the moral footing to do so with those opposed to him largely seen as advancing factional interests. But that has now since changed after he lost what was generally deemed a free and fair election last weekend. The truth of the matter is that Majoro no longer has the mandate of the people. He must now do the honourable thing by stepping down and handing over the prime ministerial reins to Kabi. It is also pertinent to add that Majoro has not raised any objections about the processes that led to his defeat. This was a clean election as it could be. The people spoke and he must now heed their voice. The election result has now strengthened the NEC’s hand; if Majoro resists calls to step down, they should push him out. If the ABC does not take this route, it risks creating two centres of power, a problem that has always haunted the party ever since Thabane stepped down as Prime Minister last year. How would Majoro manoeuvre matters of the state when he has a National Executive Committee that does not want to work with him? Having lost the election, we would like to think that Majoro should act as a loyal cadre of the party by complying with the dictates of his own party. It would be a pity were the ABC to be thrown into yet another power struggle with the election only seven months away. The ABC would be much stronger together. Any split in loyalties will hurt the ABC. As a newspaper our position is very clear: Kabi is the new sheriff in town. He should rightfully be allowed to be the next Prime Minister. Kabi’s task is clear; he must restore the party to its former self. He must mend damaged relations and rebuild the party. But to do so he will need to be magnanimous in victory. His message must therefore be clear – that both the victor and the vanquished all belong to the ABC. That process can only start if Majoro accepts, humbly, that he lost a fair election and it is now time for a change of guard in the ABC.