Phamotse in hot water

MASERU – THE Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) leadership is furious at Dr Mahali Phamotse for inviting opposition leaders and MPs to her victory celebration in Matlakeng constituency.

The leadership saw Dr Phamotse hobnobbing with opposition leaders over the weekend as a sign that she could be plotting against the party and Prime Minister Sam Matekane.

The indaba which coincided with the RFP’s first anniversary has spooked the leadership amid fears that there could be some political manoeuvring brewing behind the scenes.

The party is already in the throes of bitter internal wrangling and a court battle triggered by vociferous demands for an elective conference.

The feast in Matlakeng reminded some in the RFP leadership that Dr Phamotse was one of the more than a dozen of candidates who forced their way to parliament against Matekane’s will.

Although Dr Phamotse insisted that this was an innocent get-together, she could find herself in hot water because the RFP leadership is not buying her explanation.

RFP chairman Teboho Kobeli told thepost last night that the leadership is shocked by Dr Phamotse’s decision to make merry with opposition leaders and MPs. He said the leadership was not informed about the celebration, adding that Matekane was out of the country.

“It was a surprise because we were never made aware of that decision,” Kobeli said.

He said while there is nothing wrong with MPs celebrating their victories it is unusual for them to invite leaders of other parties.

Describing the decision as a “deliberate act of ill-discipline”, Kobeli said the party will take stern measures against Dr Phamotse.

“The leadership is not happy and will meet soon to decide what to do”.

Last night, Dr Phamotse pleaded innocence and insisted that there was no ulterior motive to her event.

“It usually happens in the RFP that even when I’m just sitting there silent, people say I’m up to mischief,” Dr Phamotse said.

She said it was never her intention to invite the opposition to the event.

“All I did was to invite all the MPs through the Chief Whip and they attended. It just happens that the MPs would be from different parties and some of them would be party leaders from the opposition.”

“I had no other purpose except celebrating the win in my constituency with my people.”

The celebration was attended by leaders of the All Basotho Convention (ABC), the Democratic Congress (DC), the Basotho National Party (BNP), the Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP), the Basotho

Action Party (BAP) and the Socialist Revolutionaries (SR).

Dr Phamotse’s explanation is however unlikely to allay fears within the RFP that she could be plotting against the party.

Kobeli said the party was surprised by Dr Phamotse’s timing because the party is already dealing with “some problems with some people who are demanding an elective conference”.

“Such events should be well-coordinated and the leadership should know.”

Although Kobeli was measured in his characterisation of the event, other senior members of the RFP saw it as an open rebellion and a sign that the plot against the government has thickened.

Isaac Malebaleba, the Thaba-Bosiu MP, was blistering in his interview with a local radio station adding that the event was part of a pattern of insurrection that started some time back.

Malebaleba said “the issue of forming another government did not start now but a long time ago”.

Malebaleba said the fact that some MPs “could form their group to leave us to make a pact with other parties cannot be taken lightly”.

He said some RFP MPs “no longer sing the same song as others because they recently dragged the party to the courts”.

“This shows that we no longer sing the same song anymore.”

Malebaleba said they are aware that some MPs want to form a coalition with other parties and have been offered “big prizes”.

“Such prizes include portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister while others are promised high-ranking positions,” he said.

The Mafeteng MP Motšoane Moeketsi, another Matekane loyalist, vented against the celebration in an audio clip. He said the organisers of the event “have humiliated our leader this past weekend”.

Moeketsi said it was not acceptable for RFP members to feast with opposition leaders who insult Matekane.

“We have shown no respect to Matekane. We have humiliated him with people who insult him day by day,” Moeketsi said.

“Those who did not see what was happening will never see.”

He said some people who have been pretending to be with the leader showed their side over the weekend.

The backlash against Dr Phamotse has served as a warning to her colleague Thabo Maretlane, from the Thaba-Phatšoa constituency, who has hastily withdrawn the invitation he had sent out to opposition politicians to attend his celebration this weekend.

Maretlane was already facing brickbats from some of his supporters who were against him inviting opposition leaders and MPs.

“I have told all the people I had invited that I withdrew the invitations,” Maretlane said in a Thaba-Phatšoa WhatsApp group where some people were already furious at him.

“I decided to buy peace,” he said.

Alice Samuel & Nkheli Liphoto