Lesotho PM Mosisili fails SADC deadline

Lesotho Prime Minister, Dr Phakalitha Mosisili has failed to meet the deadline set on him by SADC Double Troika to make public the report of the SADC commission that was chaired by former high court judge, Mpaphi Phumaphi.

The Double Troika received and endorsed the report a fortnight ago and ordered the government of Lesotho to implement its recommendations, but not to publish the postmortem pictures of the late former Lesotho Defence Force Commander, General Maaparankoe Mahao who was assassinated by military agents.

Mosisili had up to this week Monday to have complied. But instead he moved swiftly and approached chairman of the SADC Double Troika and President of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi during the past AU meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and requested for a weeklong extension to February 8 so that it coincides with the opening of Parliament.

Although they still remain hopeful, the postponement has members of the Lesotho opposition parties worried as they see this as Mosisili continuing with his tricks to further divide the nation. Member of Parliament for City Constituency, Lesego Makgotlhi of All Basotho Congress (ABC) confirmed the developments.

“We are now worried that our government wants to turn the SADC commission report into a local commission of enquiry, and if that is the case, it will mean that the report will only be released on February 26 after all legal process have been followed as per the Lesotho constitution”.

Makgothi said that the legal notice process of local Commission of enquiry takes 15 days to mature as stipulated by the Commission of Enquiry Act of 1994.