Botswana to host Lesotho’s Army General

The three heads of Lesotho’s security agencies leave their motherland for South Africa today (Friday) where they will be kept pending response of the respective countries that have been approached to host them until further notice.

The trio is former Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Commander Lieutenant General Tladi Kamoli, the newly appointed Commander, Maaparankoe Mahau and Police Commissioner Khothatso Tsooaka. The three had earlier signed a declaration dubbed the Maseru Security Accord (MSA) agreeing that they will take leave of absence from their country until after the general election scheduled for February 2015. The trio is being sent to a foreign land to acquit itself how a military works in a democracy. This development therefore is a refutation and negation of media reports suggesting that Botswana is the only country in SADC, African Union and Commonwealth that has offered to take Kamoli after having been rejected by all.

Botswana Guardian has it on good authority that Botswana was not approached by either Lesotho or the SADC Observer Mission Facilitator Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa because at the time when Lesotho and SADC approached other countries, Botswana was still busy with her 11th general election. Botswana Guardian established that after being approached by Ramaphosa AU has accepted to take Tsooaka and Mahau, while fellow soldier, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has accepted Kamoli.

However, it may be too early to conclude such countries will host the trio because Lesotho has resolved to put its fresh request to Botswana to host Kamoli. Botswana Guardian has got in good authority that Lesotho has always wanted to have Mahau and Tsooaka hosted by South Africa where they will undergo special training in one of the colleges. Both SADC Observer Mission and Lesotho preferred to have Kamoli hosted by Botswana because he together with his family can easily settle as they are used to the terrain having stayed here before while he worked for SADC. Kamoli has also schooled in Botswana in 2000.

It is said that Botswana‘s position to the internal SADC observer meeting has always been that if formally approached, they will seriously consider such a request. Speaking to Botswana Guardian Wednesday evening, Lesotho’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and Security Thata Mohosoa confirmed that Lesotho would approach Botswana to host Kamoli anytime from now. Mohosoa said the situation in Lesotho is not so peaceful after Kamoli refused to vacate the position of the LDF Commander and hand over to Mahau. Lesotho with the support of SADC tried to bring certainty to the situation. “We were also able to sign the Maseru Security Accord with the trio, key to that is that the three will stay a distance from Lesotho until after the general election in February 2015.”

Mohosoa said he had personally engaged actively with a number of countries among them United Kingdom, United States of America, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe. “We are still waiting for their official written confirmation,” he said. In the meantime, they have approached South Africa who agreed to host the trio on transit basis until host countries have been identified to keep them. “In the MSA it was agreed that the deadline for the trio to have left the country is Friday 21,” he said. At the time of going to press, Mohosoa was busy preparing for the trio to leave the country. Asked who will look after the trio while in a foreign land Mohasoa said Lesotho will engage with participating countries to see how best to finance them, but if the host countries are unable to assist in that regard, then Lesotho will have to finance their respective stay. He confirmed that indeed both AU and Uganda have agreed to host the trio after being approached by Ramaphosa.

How SADC got involved
The Lesotho troubles started when the coalition government fell apart. And with parliament being unable to seat, the matter was reported to the SADC Troika led by President Pohamba of Namibia. Pohamba sent a mission to Lesotho led by his Minister of Foreign Affairs Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwa to assess the situation. Pohamba later went to Lesotho and invited stakeholders to his country where they signed the Windhoek Declaration. The parties offered to open parliament before the heads of State Summit in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on August 3, 2014. This never took place and the Heads of States ordered that they must implement the agreement. Before the Summit the Double Troika composed of Botswana, Malawi Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho which is the next chair of the Organ never took its position because of the pending problems. When all were looking forward to Parliament opening, another dispute this time in form of military coup hit Lesotho.

Payback time
While Commander of LMI in 2007 Kamoli used to make statement against other political parties and this is what is suspected to have led to his downfall. It is said that Prime Minister Tom Thabane did not have a problem with Kamoli continuing as Commander, but his party supporters put him under pressure to dethrone him. When he could not stand the pressure any longer Thabane promoted Mahau and made him Commander, but he never had the opportunity to wear the General’s uniform as Kamoli refused to vacate the office. It all started with members of Lesotho police demanding that some of the LDF soldiers be submitted to them as they were suspected to have committed some criminal activities. LDF refused to honour the request for fear that they might be tortured. The police then informed LDF that they could feel free to escort their colleagues when they came to assist with investigations but still that did not help. The coalition government then became more dysfunctional with Prime Minister Thabanae clashing with his deputy Mothejoa Metsing of Lesotho Congress Party over allegations of misappropriation of funds. It was during this time that Thabane dethroned Kamoli and replaced him with Mahau. Kamoli refused and ordered the army to raid the police headquarters and police stations. The soldiers obliged as they regard Kamoli as their man and Mahau as a career solder, who  joined as Cadet and rose to rank of Lieutenant.

What both Army Chiefs both have in Common
Sources say both Kamoli and Mahau used the politicians to gain promotion and reach the highest rank in the LDF. Both were at one stage seconded to SADC by their government.
Lt General Tlali Kamoli Was first to be seconded to SADC. He came while still a Colonel. He served from 2008 to 2011 as part of SADC Standby Force Planning Element. The unit was formed after AU recommended that all its five regions must have Standby Forces in preparation for Peace Keeping Missions that could arise. Kamoli served under Brigadier Bottoman of South Africa who was Chief of Staff for the SADC Planning Standby Force. On completion of his contract, Kamoli returned home and was promoted to Brigadier then later Major General and ultimately Lieutenant General as Commander of LDF. All his accelerated promotion happened within a period of three years. This was at the time when Prime Minister Prof. Pakalitha Mosisili led Lesotho. Some say this payback time as Kamoli was believed to be aligned to Mosisili’s Party when he headed the Lesotho Military Intelligence (LMI). Kamoli is said to be a hard worker who joined the army holding a junior certificate qualification but improved his academic qualification until he obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Botswana in 2000.

Lt. Gen. Maaparankoe Mahau
He came to SADC headquarters in 2011 as Chief of Staff holding the rank of Brigadier to take over from Brigadier Bottoman. Mahau is well read. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in Law. Sources said that he found it difficult to serve under a fellow countryman, the retired Colonel Tanki Mothae the Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs. It is said although Mothae was appointed on merit Mahau did not want to serve under his junior. However, his colleagues put him to order as time went on. When he completed his term in 2013, Mahau went back and served under Kamoli. But it was not long before there was a change of regime when he too was promoted to the rank of Lt. General.