SR men’s league backs Mojapela

MASERU – THE men’s league of the Socialist Revolutionaries (SR) this week attacked embattled spokesman, Thabo Shao, after he dared to challenge the party leader’s authority.

In a scathing letter written on Monday, the league said Shao should stop “attacking the leader on social media” as the leadership wrangle in the party rages on.

Shao has for the past four weeks castigated the leader, Teboho Mojapela, accusing him of deliberately violating the party’s constitution and promoting undemocratic tendencies.

He was particularly peeved after Mojapela handpicked two stalwarts, Tlohelang Aumane and Tjetsane Seoka, to contest for positions in the National Executive Committee.

Shao argues that the two do not qualify to stand for elections because they had not served in the party for the mandatory 36 consecutive months as members in good standing.

Aumane and Seoka joined the SR late last year, shortly before the October 7 parliamentary election.

The SR is supposed to hold an elective conference next month.

The men’s league’s letter condemns “actions perpetrated by Thabo Shao of going to radio stations and social media platforms attacking the leader and other members”.

“We appeal to Shao to stop immediately with his actions and insults he is howling on radio stations,” the letter reads.

The league appealed to the party members with grievances to “wait and table them in front of the proper party structures and not radio stations”.

Shao, in response, told thepost that “the men’s league does not have a right to write to me as I am their superior”.

“I am a member of the national executive committee. How can a child condemn his father?” Shao said.

He said his patience will soon run out as his opponent, Aumane, is getting backing from the party.

Shao and Aumane have expressed their wish to contest for the deputy leader’s position in the SR.

“He is sending his people to the radio stations to attack me while I am silent,” he said.

He said he has answered last week’s letter in which Mojapela instructed him to give reasons why he could not suspend him from the national executive committee.

Shao had said Mojapela is running the party like a family business.

He went on to attack Mojapela for violating their constitution several times while trying to accommodate his friends.

“I have since answered that letter and the leader texted me attempting to make peace,” Shao said.

He said they will soon start negotiations in the party to resolve their issues amicably, including the violation of the constitution to allow Aumane to contest for the deputy leadership position.

He also accused Aumane of personally visiting several radio stations where he talked badly about him and his followers.

He made it clear that if the leader wants to make peace with him he must also remember the seven members of his camp that he suspended earlier.

“If we forge peace we will have to include all the members of the party who have been suspended for their democratic choices,” he said.

He said if the party continues to hurt him and his followers he “will have to unleash them to respond too”.

Aumane told thepost that it is not true that he has been taking people to radio stations to insult Shao.

“He is the one who has been attacking me personally for some time now, he just recently started insulting the leader,” Aumane said.

He said he cannot send anyone to any media house as he is not the spokesman.
He said he will not let the opportunity to compete pass him just because someone hates him.

“I wish Thabo can stop taking the party issues to the radio and start using the party structures,” he said.

The party leadership has suspended a section in the constitution to allow the new members to compete despite the resistance by Shao’s faction.

Nkheli Liphoto