The honeymoon is now over

REVOLUTION for Prosperity (RFP) leader, Sam Matekane, is set to take over the reins as Lesotho’s next Prime Minister after a stunning victory in the October 7 general election.

We must admit that Matekane’s victory came as a surprise to us. In the absence of credible election surveys, we did not see this coming.

What makes the RFP’s success stunning is the fact that the seven-month old party was competing against much older political formations that had been in the business for decades.

Matekane’s victory could potentially usher in a new phase in Lesotho’s politics where the leadership is not encumbered by the baggage of the past.

But that will be dependent on Matekane striking the right notes, particularly with his selection of his Cabinet.

As Prime Minister Matekane will wield immense power to do things differently and in the process set Lesotho on a fresh trajectory.

This, however, will not be easy. The nature of Lesotho’s coalition politics over the years does not give much hope that this new deal will hold out for the next five years.

Monyane Moleleki, who leads the Alliance of Democrats (AD), has so far sought to allay Basotho’s fears by highlighting that he holds no ambitions beyond what the coalition agreement entails.

That is refreshing.

But we know that before the ink dries on the coalition agreement, the parties will seek to consolidate their grip within government and begin preparations for the next electoral battle.

Winning elections was the easiest part for Matekane and his RFP. The biggest challenge will come immediately after he is sworn in as Prime Minister.

The calibre of ministers he will appoint will also determine if he succeeds or fails. It would be tempting for Matekane to think of appeasing certain interested groups within his own party who contributed so much to his stunning victory.

But that would be a mistake. The truth of the matter is that it is these groups that could lead to his undoing if not managed properly.

If he is to succeed, Matekane must not bend to the whims and wishes of these factions as they push to be rewarded for their hard work during campaigns. He must focus on the bigger picture and come up with credible policies to transform Lesotho’s economic fortunes.

As a businessman and a leader in the corporate sector, Matekane is familiar with the challenges in identifying and nurturing talent. He is also familiar with issues of performance appraisals.

Matekane must transfer everything he did well in the corporate sector to the government and ensure that he streamlines government business operations for the benefit of citizens.

The people want to see Matekane bringing a culture of good corporate management into government. They want to see a culture of accountability. They want to see his government deal decisively with the cancer of corruption.

Previous governments have been accused of being too soft in dealing with issues of corruption because their own party officials were knee-deep in some of the most egregious acts of corruption ever seen in Lesotho.

As a result, they could not launch a crackdown on corruption lest their own people were caught in the dragnet.

All this must now change. The corrupt and indolent ones must go. Matekane must waste no time in snuffing out corruption. If he fails to do so, voters, who are expecting swift change, will punish him at the polls in the next five years.

Matekane sought a mandate from Basotho to govern. He now has that mandate. The honeymoon is now over.