Bongiwe Zihlangu
IN more than two years as Prime Minister, Sam Matekane has achieved remarkable progress and accomplishments, a cabinet minister has argued.
He has restored stability for his coalition government and integrity for Lesotho – no small feat in a country whose three previous coalition governments collapsed dramatically, leading to repeated Southern African Development Community (SADC) interventions.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Limpho Tau, praised Mr Matekane’s leadership in an interview with the Lesotho Times this week, crediting his humble nature, spiritual devotion, and remarkable patience and tolerance even in the face of adversity.
Mr Tau said that without PM Matekane’s victory in the October 2022 elections and his outstanding leadership, Lesotho would still be mired in its longstanding political problems with no solution in sight.
“You’ll recall that Lesotho’s previous coalition governments, from 2012-2020, were plagued by infighting and even splits among the senior partners. The ABC and LCD clashed barely a year into the 2012-2015 coalition, and the subsequent 2015-2017 coalition collapsed after just over a year due to a split in the then ruling Democratic Congress (DC),” Mr Tau said.
Similarly, former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane’s 2017-2020 coalition ended in turmoil following a year-long leadership battle within the All Basotho Convention (ABC), Mr Tau said.
“The subsequent coalition led by Majoro and Mokhothu only survived due to the unifying challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than any true unity among the partners,” he said.
“In contrast, the Prime Minister Matekane has maintained a stable coalition government throughout his first two years in office, a notable achievement compared to Lesotho’s recent political history.”
Mr Tau insisted that former Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro and ex-deputy premier Mathibeli Mokhothu’s 2020-2022 “compromise” coalition administration, might also have collapsed prematurely and in dramatic fashion had the Covid pandemic not necessitated unity.
“I still maintain that Covid was their saving grace. Otherwise, the focus would have been on how to share the spoils, as had been the case with Lesotho’s previous coalition administrations. It seems that government in Lesotho is a lucrative employer, which is why everyone is clamouring for political positions. So, I think Covid played a critical role in saving the last coalition before ours,” Mr Tau said.
Although Mr Tau admitted that the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), which was established in March 2022 and went on to win elections six months into its existence, had a rocky start, it was because of Mr Matekane’s resilient spirit and support from his current coalition partners, the Movement for Economic Change (MEC), the Alliance of Democrats (AD) and the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), that he had managed to weather storms tailored to break him.
“Now, in October 2022, the RFP won the elections and established a coalition government with the AD and MEC. The RFP had its own internal challenges, with a few MPs revolting against the leadership. Whether those issues were valid or not is a different story altogether. But the RFP dealt with that quite smartly,” Mr Tau said.
“Since the dawn of democracy in 1993, we’ve never heard of a political party in this country taking its own MPs to task for misconduct and even expelling some of them. But the RFP did that, which I think was a quite nice move because it instilled discipline.”
Under Mr Matekane’s leadership, the RFP had maintained stability within itself as a political party, which translated to stability within the coalition that he leads and the country, he noted.
He, however, acknowledged that the rebellion within the RFP, ultimately reduced their numbers when some MPs were expelled and while other lefts, leading to Professor Nqosa Mahao’s Basotho Action Party (BAP) being brought in.
But Mr Tau clarified that before the BAP joined, the RFP had “actually already saved itself.”
“How? By tactically ensuring reduction of the opposition’s numbers by winning over former SR deputy-leader Mamarame Matela, and mending relations with BAENA-LPC leader Paul Masiu, who had previously fallen out with the coalition and supported the opposition. So, when the BAP eventually joined us, the coalition’s numbers were well above the 61-seat threshold. The BAP’s involvement was simply to fortify the already strong numbers,” Mr Tau said
“That turnaround and the way the RFP averted the collapse of its government, is all thanks to the leadership of Ntate Sam. This stability in the coalition has translated to stability for the country as a whole. For the past two years, there have been no major peace-disrupting incidents in Lesotho – a marked difference from the situation before Matekane’s government came in.”
Additionally, the LDC, MEC and AD having been partners in previous failed coalition, Mr Tau said, decided to unconditionally support Mr Matekane, contributing to the stability of the current coalition administration.
“I also think that our coalition partners, like MEC’s Mochoboroane, LCD’s Metsing, and the AD, actually contributed a lot to the stability of this coalition. Remember, they went through a patch of coalitions under their watch collapsing. That gave them experience on how to deal with such issues going forward. But I also think the MEC, LCD, and AD have confidence in the leadership abilities of Ntate Sam,” Mr Tau said.
“I’ve had the opportunity to attend several SADC meetings, representing the PM. I’ve received very positive comments from foreign affairs ministers, including the former SADC Secretary-General, Dr Stergomena Tax,” Mr Tau said.
“Dr Tax expressed gratitude for the stability Lesotho has attained, especially in the past two years. And the former South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, also said she was encouraged by signs of stability she had observed when we met in Namibia in July 2023. All of this is happening under Matekane’s leadership.”
“It’s no longer a situation of “fires burning in Lesotho” that require SADC to come in and put them out. This stability, both in the coalition government and at the national level, has led to a newfound sense of peace and integrity for Lesotho,” Mr Tau said.
“The country has also been able to attract high-profile visitors, including ambassadors, the UN Secretary-General, and the President of Germany, in the latter half of 2024. Lesotho even made a bid for the Commonwealth Secretary-General position, narrowly losing by just 5 votes – a testament to the country’s growing influence.”
Asked what special qualities Mr Matekane possessed, which enabled him to defy the odds, Mr Tau attributed it to “divine intervention”.
“Matekane’s success can be attributed to the fact that he is a man loved by God and cloaked in God’s grace. The people of Lesotho, a nation that strongly believes in God, feel that divine intervention has protected Ntate Sam and exposed any evil plans against him. For many years, Lesotho was a forgotten country, but now it is emerging as a respected and sought-after partner on the international stage,” Mr Tau said.
“Ntate Sam is an open and accommodating person who is tolerant and patient when dealing with issues or situations. He listens to everyone but makes decisions based on the circumstances, believing in peaceful coexistence. He is not one to talk a lot, remaining quiet even when provoked, and instead focuses on the bigger picture.
“He has a mix of divine and earthly qualities that make him who he is – he is a devout Catholic who attends church every Sunday, only missing service if he has somewhere else to be. He is a man of faith who prays and trusts in God.”
The post Matekane has restored Lesotho’s integrity, political stability – Tau first appeared on Lesotho Times.
The post Matekane has restored Lesotho’s integrity, political stability – Tau appeared first on Lesotho Times.