—Over unauthorized UN lobbying
Seithati Motṧoeneng
BASOTHO Covenant Movement (BCM) leader, Dr Tṧepo Lipholo has been accused of “constitutional delinquency” by the Policy Engagement Action for Civic Education (PEACE) organization.
The accusation stems from Dr Lipholo’s efforts to reclaim what he describes as Lesotho’s historical territories ‘stolen’ by South Africa, through an unauthorized lobbying trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York early this year.
According to PEACE, Dr Lipholo’s actions represent a blatant violation of the Lesotho Constitution and a dangerous usurpation of the executive branch’s authority. Dr Lipholo is a legislator under the banner of his BCM which commands a single seat in parliament.
PEACE says that Section 71(1) of the Constitution, requires MPs to “take an oath of allegiance”, while Section 86, “vests executive authority in the King and the government”.
PEACE argues that Dr Lipholo did not have a mandate from either the government or Parliament to engage in this sensitive foreign policy matter.
In a statement this week, PEACE describes Dr Lipholo as a “constitutional delinquent” who overstepped his role as an individual MP.
Regarding the historical land claims, PEACE contends that the pre-independence borders “cannot be restored based on UN Resolution 1817 (XVII) due to limitations in the UN Charter and the Constitutive Acts of the African Union”.
Instead, the organization suggests that “diplomatic means to establish special relations between Lesotho and South Africa” would be the appropriate way forward.
PEACE has thus called for Dr Lipholo to be held accountable by both the National Assembly and the government, warning that the “consequences of his actions are too ghastly to contemplate.”
PEACE is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to fostering positive change and promoting constructive political discourse.
PEACE’s initiatives also focus on key areas including civic education, conflict management, legal matters, and election-related activities.
The concerned founders are professionals and change agents from diverse fields with extensive experience in active citizenry within Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO)s, elections observation and management, conflict management, capacity building of parliamentary and governance systems in Lesotho and the SADC region.
PEACE is run by among others, former Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson, Dr Fako Likoti and Mr Sehoai Santho, an academic and long-standing public and development strategy researcher and activist. Mr Santho co-founded the Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN) in 1990 and Lesotho Network for Conflict Management (LNCM) in 1999, after the 1998 Lesotho post-election political riots.
The PEACE board of directors also comprises professionals with extensive public, private sector and NGO management experience, election management systems.
Meanwhile, local NGO Naka la Mohlomi, and the Chiefs’ Association of Lesotho (CAL), have warned Dr Lipholo and his supporters, who describe themselves as “Malatanaha” (those who are fighting to reclaim their land), to stop their land claim. They argue that such actions could lead to division and war.
During last week’s media briefing, the founder of Naka la Mohlomi, Moorosi Moshoeshoe, criticized Dr Lipholo for overstepping his bounds. Mr Moshoeshoe said that Dr Lipholo had “no right to involve himself in this matter”, as the issue of “conquered lands” should be dealt with by the royal family and the government, “not politicians seeking political clout”.
Mr Moshoeshoe further asserted that Dr Lipholo’s attempt to reclaim the “conquered land could lead to rebellion and disrupt the peace, as the land already has occupants”. Dr Lipholo had not outlined a clear plan of what would happen to these occupants, he said.
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