by Phyllis Johnson
Conflict in Lesotho is embedded in the politics of internal intrigue, but heavily burdened by the all-pervasive influence and history of neighbouring South Africa, which completely surrounds it.
“The mountain kingdom”, with a population of just 2.1 million, is generally a peaceful place but internal conflict, once easily fuelled by its powerful apartheid neighbour, is now of considerable concern to neighbouring countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The most recent chain of events began in late 1995, although “began” is a misnomer because the political instability in Lesotho “continues” rather than beginning or ending.
There has been steadily growing dissatisfaction with the elderly and ailing Prime Minister, Ntsu Mokhehle, who at 78 is the same age as Nelson Mandela but not nearly as fit
Mokhehle was removed as leader of the Basotholand Congress Party {BCP) on 2 March when the party’s national executive committee endorsed a decision of the party congress held the same weekend. A report by the party’s secretary-general said Mokhehle failed to perform his duties effectively, disregarded administrative duties, and failed to attend meetings of the executive committee.
Late last year, he dismissed as “blatant lies” the South African media reports alleging he was involved in former security police activities at the notorious Vlakplaas base near Pretoria. He said he was unaware that the farm was a security police base, but the opposition parties in Lesotho attacked, saying he should come clean on the allegations.
It was well known during the 1980s that Mokhehle’s Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA) conducted military operations from bases in South Africa.
However, his party reacted strongly to a public statement by President Nelson Mandela that Mokhehle’s alleged involvement with the former security police would be investigated.
Monthly Review Bulletin (MRB) said in December that the accusations would further weaken “an elderly and ailing leader, who has shown in the past that he needs regional backing to secure stability in the country.”
MRB predicted that his position could be precarious at the new party congress early this year, after the High Court ruled that the governing party must re-elect its national executive committee. The annual general meeting last year was declared null and void. Four BCP constituencies had taken their leadership to court early last year following complaints of irregularities.
Two factions within the governing party support either the deputy party leader, Molapo Qhobela, or the deputy prime minister, Phatelitha Mosisili. Qhobela was seen to have the larger turnout at separate rallies in December, and also had a larger following at the annual conference which was annulled.
In early February this year, Mokhehle left the country again for hospital in South Africa, and the gulf between supporters and detractors within his own party deepened.
Police and soldiers patrolled the streets o( Maseru after the shooting of a policeman and the subsequent arrest of 11 former members of the LLA at the beginning of February. They were taken from the offices of the BCP Youth League. The supposedly defunct LLA is widely considered as an unofficial security wing of the BCP.
A few days later, eight mutinous policemen, who had resisted arrest since the death of three colleagues in a shoot-out at the central police station in October 1995, •dismissed• the police commissioner, Maj-Gen Bolutu Makoaba, and seized control of the headquarters. Makoaba insisted that he was still in command.
The confrontation grew as opposing factions in the police both claimed control of the force. South African police sources said they were on standby to intervene. However, President Mandela said South Africa would not intervene unless asked to do so, adding that he was in contact with Prime Minister Mokhehle.
The number of mutineers grew to 400, and eventually to 2,000, two-thirds of the total police force. Senior officials of the ruling party joined civic, religious and opposition leaders at a press conference in mid-February, urging peaceful negotiations. Together, they accused the government of refusing to speak to the renegade policemen to •negotiate an amicable solution to the political crisis. • They said government plans for military intervention was “a recipe for civil war.”
A spokesman for the rebel police, Second Lt Phakiso Modise, said the crisis was caused by the ruling party’s crackdown on perceived political opponents, including churches, teachers and medical workers. He called on SADC to send an investigation team to make recommendations, “and those recommendations must be implemented. We are happy with that.”
President Mandel a shuttled to Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique, while his director-general of foreign affairs. Rusty Evans, made an emergency visit to Lesotho.
Evans’ department later issued a statement in Pretoria saying South Africa supports the government of
Lesotho and “cannot accept an unconstitutional challenge to the democratic order in that country.”
The statement said it trusted the Lesotho government would take •timeous and appropriate measures• to “restore orderly administration in the police services.”
The following day, despite a delicate mediation exercise in progress by the churches, Lesotho military units converged on the police with heavy artillery to end the mutiny. They claimed no one was killed or injured.
The leaders of the police mutiny fled, later seeking and being granted asylum in South Africa. Mokhehle claimed they had taken refuge in the royal compound.
Mokhehle’s removal from his party position should automatically mean his removal as Prime Minister. But some BCP members of parliament have expressed support for him in a parliamentary motion. This caused 17 other MPs to walk out of parliament twice during the first week of March.
The ruling BCP holds all of the seats in parliament since sweeping to power in the multi-party elections in 1993. Lesotho has been in turmoil ever since.
Late last year, Mokhehle announced the establishment of an independent electoral commission, charged with registering and educating voters, and conducting the next national elections scheduled for 1998. (SARDC)
