Metsing moves to suspend Sekata

MASERU – THE messy fight within the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) has gone a notch higher after party leader Mothetjoa Metsing last Friday initiated a process to suspend embattled secretary general Teboho Sekata.

Metsing has demanded that Sekata should explain why the LCD should not suspend him from the National Executive Committee (NEC) for bringing the party’s name into disrepute.

Sekata, who is locked in a fierce leadership tussle with Metsing, wants to challenge his boss for the leadership position of the party at an elective conference scheduled for next month.

If Metsing succeeds in suspending him, Sekata could be disqualified from the race.

In a four-page letter delivered last Friday, Metsing accused Sekata of a litany of misdemeanours ranging from deliberately defying the party to settle personal scores.

He also accused Sekata of defying the LCD parliamentary caucus in the past parliament by blocking deputy leader Tšeliso Mokhosi’s election to the post of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman.

Sekata, instead, submitted his own name and beat Mokhosi to become the PAC chairman.

“This was in violation of the directive under (section) 7.9.2 (of the LCD constitution) which reads as follows: ‘All members of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy are bound to abide by and to execute all resolutions,’” Metsing’s letter reads.

Metsing said after Sekata defied the party, the LCD parliamentary caucus sat down to reprimand him.

“It was at this sitting where the committee unanimously reached a conclusion that you had violated the provisions of the constitution,” he said.

“The caucus only decided to caution you.”

Metsing reminded Sekata that section 7.9.2 of the LCD constitution states an MP for the party “who deliberately takes a different (position) from the one agreed upon by the caucus will be regarded to be misbehaving”.

“Action taken against him can lead to expulsion from the LCD,” he said.

Metsing said Sekata had also appeared on social media platforms where he attacked the NEC’s decisions.

He cited the controversial issue of M5 000 petrol allowances which MPs gave to themselves in the last parliament amid a public outcry.

The LCD had resolved that it would oppose the allowances but Sekata defied the party’s position and supported the move.

Metsing quoted section 12 (f) of the LCD constitution where it says any member of the LCD, or any of its groups of committees that will oppose the resolutions of the party “will be regarded as fighting against the Lesotho Congress for Democracy”.

He added that Sekata had also refused to release a party vehicle which was in his possession to selected constituencies to allow candidates to campaign for elections.

Metsing also accused Sekata of tainting the party’s image after last year’s election “by causing frictions and provoking breach of peace in the party and sowing confusion among the public in general”.

Metsing said Sekata had also gone to the media where he complained that the party had treated him unfairly when it blocked him from being appointed a senator.

He said Sekata had instructed his lawyers to write to the party demanding to be nominated for the senate “without following procedures in the party knowing well that you were misleading the nation and the party members directly because it is the national executive committee and the leader only who have powers to nominate”.

Metsing said Sekata had not bothered to pick the phone when he called him on several occasions when he called him to arrange meetings of the NEC.

He said Sekata never showed any contrition.

Metsing also accused Sekata of allowing the deputy secretary for the Likotsi constituency, Motebang Masike, to go on air announcing that Metsing had plotted to assassinate Sekata, a charge he says was false.

“You even called on air in that radio (programme) to corroborate Masike’s claims and said the leader said he would kill you, giving credence to this allegation,” the letter reads.

He also accused Sekata of setting the police on him during a recent sitting of the national executive committee in which the police came looking for him.

“According to the Lesotho police, you the secretary-general, reported to the police that the leader had (plotted) or he wants to kill you.”

Metsing wrote that “the required trust between people working together, which kept dwindling time after time as these things kept happening, has finished”.

“Give reasons why you cannot be suspended from the national executive committee of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy within seven days of receipt of this letter.”

Sekata declined to comment saying he was not ready to talk to the media.

Nkheli Liphoto