Sekata defection hits LCD hard

MASERU – THE defection of Teboho Sekata could significantly weaken the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) ahead of this year’s local government elections, thepost heard this week.

The LCD is battling to rebuild its structures in the constituencies after the party was hit by massive defections to the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) in the run-up to last year’s general election.

Sekata, who was seen as a pivotal workhorse and an astute organiser, will be sorely missed in the LCD.

The party only bagged three seats, down from the 11 it held before the polls.

Sekata has pulled with him a sizeable number of influential party officials from several constituencies and many other ordinary members to the RFP.

Influential campaigners who defected with Sekata last week include ’Mapalesa Thakhisi, a councillor from Hololo constituency.

Another defector is Jaase Makafane who was the spokesman of the Machache constituency and was a promoter in the last 2022 national elections.

The LCD has also lost Litšitso Malataliana who was a candidate of Mabote constituency, and ’Maisaka Monyolo, a member of the women’s league committee.

Monyolo was the women’s representative in the LCD’s national executive committee.

Another defector is Baphuthi Mokone who chaired the LCD Youth League.

Bakwena Moletsane, the LCD candidate for the Taung constituency, has also defected with Sekata to the RFP.

They also defected with the Stadium Area constituency committee members including its secretary, deputy secretary and chairman.

The chairmen of Machache and Lithabaneng constituencies have also defected with Sekata.

Sekata had made a name for himself as an astute campaigner, not for only his ’Maletsunyane constituency, but for the party at large through various radio interviews he arranged.

When party leader Metsing was self-exiled in South Africa in 2017, it was Sekata who ran the show in the party, keeping the fires going.

He also helped the needy in the constituencies, sinking boreholes and paying fees for destitute children.

In last year’s poll the DC won the ’Maletsunyane constituency with 1 790 votes, followed by the RFP with 989 and Sekata with 877, giving the party 16.2 percent of the total vote in the constituency.

Sekata worked hard to sell a party that was a hard-sell.

Out of the 80 constituencies that were up for grabs, only 10 candidates for the LCD received over 500 votes. Metsing received 1 414 votes in his Mahobong constituency.

Sekata told a press conference last Friday that they had lost hope that things will change in the LCD.

“We saw that instead of getting better they became worse; that is when we took the decision to leave,” Sekata said.

He said a signal that things were really bad in the party was when the national executive committee instructed him to stop helping villagers with his own resources outside his constituency.

Sekata said the party felt that he was beginning to shine more than the leader.

The LCD’s spokesman Apesi Ratšele said each member enjoys freedom of association and Sekata is not an exception.

“We all have freedom of association, Sekata joined LCD when he wanted to and now that he has joined RFP, we cannot do anything because he has freedom of association,” Ratšele said.

“Sekata is allowed to associate with any party he wants to,” he said.

Asked about how they take it that they lost a hard worker like Sekata, he said they are hurt because losing is never good.

“Even if we had lost a member that did not work at all, we would still be hurt.”

Mpolai Makhetha