’Maesaiah lashes out at ABC leadership

MASERU – THE wife of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) founder, ’Maesaiah Thabane, is an unhappy woman.

’Maesaiah said she will no longer associate with the party after its suspended spokesman, Montoeli Masoetsa, laid the blame for the party’s disastrous performance in last October’s elections at her feet and those of her husband Thomas Thabane.

She said she would only associate with the ABC again if the party distances itself from Masoetsa’s disparaging comments.

’Maesaiah, who was speaking to ABC members who had visited her home last Sunday said she wants the party to apologise.

“I will no longer be seen putting on the party’s regalia anymore,” she said, adding that the ABC has hurt her family.

She said her husband was also being hurt by the party on a daily basis.

“He is still holding onto it and exercising patience because he is a man,” she said.

’Maesaiah said Masoetsa claimed in an interview with a local newspaper that the party had been weakened by her and Thabane.

She wants the party to distance itself from Masoetsa’s statement or they will never wear the party’s colours.

She said when Thabane left the ABC, the party had 55 seats in parliament but it no longer has a single constituency in parliament under its control.

’Maesaiah said it was unfair for people to blame them for the party’s failures.

The ABC, which was the dominant political party in Lesotho, was spanked out of power by the newly formed Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) led by Sam Matekane.

’Maesaiah argued that her husband had worked selflessly to set up the party and it was not fair to blame him for the loss last October.

She said she no longer feels at home in the ABC but was still deciding on her next move.

She lashed out at the party’s national executive committee for not opposing Masoetsa’s claim.

“The party’s committee has not yet pronounced itself after Masoetsa’s utterances that we killed the party,” ’Maesaiah said.

She said she would not wear the party’s regalia until the party pronounced itself on Masoetsa’s statements.

“If Thabane is still my husband, he will never wear the party’s regalia anymore,” she said. “I repeat he will not.”

The ABC secretary general, Lebohang Hlaele, said Masoetsa has since been suspended from the national executive committee pending a disciplinary hearing “after he made inappropriate remarks about the party’s founder Thabane”.

“We owe no one an explanation because we took disciplinary action against Masoetsa who accused Thabane and his wife for the party’s downfall,” Hlaele said.

“I will not talk much about the matter as it was said by Thabane’s wife and not Thabane himself,” he said.

“Thabane understands politics even more than me. This is a family matter.”

He said Thabane was not given the party regalia by ‘Maesaiah.

“’Maesaiah found Thabane already wearing those colours.”

He said the ABC only has one leader, Nkaku Kabi, “and we will listen to him only”.

He said a person who has a right to call Kabi is Thabane and no one else.

He said ’Maesaiah is responsible for her branch in Mokhotlong and cannot make any decisions for the ABC.

Hlaele is Thabane’s son-in-law and ’Maesaiah is his stepmother-in-law.

Nkheli Liphoto