Matekane ouster plot collapses

MASERU – A plot by the Democratic Congress (DC) to block Sam Matekane’s appointment as Prime Minister collapsed this week.

The first part of the plan hatched two days after the election was to persuade the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP)’s Dr Mahali Phamotse to defect to the DC together with some disgruntled MPs.

The DC was banking on attracting more than a dozen RFP MPs who had sued the party to contest under its flagship after being initially side-lined by the leadership despite winning primary elections.

The second phase of the plot was to then test the RFP’s support in parliament during the election of a Speaker.

The challenge to the RFP’s candidate for the Speaker was to test the level of Matekane’s support among his MPs.

The DC also wanted to gauge Matekane’s support from the MPs in the Alliance of Democrats (AD) with which the RFP has formed a coalition government together with the Movement for Economic Change (MEC).

This explains why the DC supported the AD’s deputy chairman Kose Makoa’s candidacy for the Speaker’s position against the RFP’s Tlohang Sekhamane.

The DC targeted Makoa because of his nasty fallout with the AD during the primary elections. Makoa had to sue the AD to be its candidate in Mt Moorosi.

The entire plan however unravelled when all MPs from the RFP, AD and MEC voted for Sekhamane.

DC spokesperson, Serialong Qoo, confirmed the plot and claimed that Phamotse was central to it.

“The plan was that we would vote for Kose Makoa as the Speaker. Succeeding in this would signal to us that we could vote for the prime minister,” he said.

Qoo said it was Dr Phamotse who came up with the idea after she had agreed to work with the DC in exchange for being appointed deputy prime minister if the party formed a coalition government.

“It is her (Dr Phamotse) who came up with this idea,” Qoo said, adding that Dr Phamotse approached DC leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, with the plan a few days after the election.

He said Dr Phamotse promised to bring along the disgruntled RFP MPs.

Dr Phamotse has however vehemently denied Qoo’s allegations, insisting that it was the DC that approached her and she rebuffed them.

“The DC is the one that gave me an offer of becoming the deputy prime minister,” said Dr Phamotse who is the former secretary general of AD.

“The DC people approached me early after the election. It was very early. They came to me and asked for a meeting. I don’t know who told them that there could be RFP MPs who were dissatisfied but they came to me in the belief that I could influence them.”

“They thought these MPs could be so vulnerable that they could defect.”

She said she immediately informed the RFP about the DC’s approach, adding that Qoo is now making the allegations because she rejected their overtures.

“They became mentally disturbed when I rejected their offer.”

“There have been massive rounds of lobbying after the elections. Lobbying has not stopped.”

Makoa said he was approached by some DC MPs to contest for the Speaker’s position.

He also said he was also encouraged by some AD members “who said they were not satisfied with the way the RFP is treating our party”.

“The RFP is treating us like we are not partners. They treat us like they have just given us a lift. So, some members of the AD who were not satisfied approached me with the proposal that I avail myself for election,” Makoa said.

The AD has since distanced itself from Makoa’s move and says it would soon summon him for an explanation.

Makoa, however, said he is surprised that some AD MPs are now pretending that they were not part of the plan.

“I say the AD has always been part of this plan from the beginning, I only got surprised when they now acted like they knew nothing,” he said.

“Perhaps it is because they see that they will benefit personally. But I want to confirm to you that the AD was part of this plan from the beginning.”

With the DC’s plan in tatters, Matekane is set to be inaugurated tomorrow at an event that is expected to be attended by an unprecedented number of foreign delegates. Among them is Nigeria business mogul Aliko Dangote.

The presidents of South Africa, Namibia and Rwanda are also expected. So are some of Matekane’s business friends.

But Qoo said the DC has not abandoned its fight against Matekane.

“I will remove him despite the fact that I’m not in parliament,” Qoo said.

“I’m used to that.”

Majara Molupe