Lesotho’s instability irks SADC

The spotlight is back on Lesotho, following the killing of army commander Lt-Gen Khoantle Motsomotso in an alleged shootout between his bodyguards and Special Forces commander Lt-Col Tefo Hashatsi and Lt-Col Bulane Sechele, who were also killed on Tuesday.

In June, the country had spot elections overseen by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in an attempt to bring stability to the Mountain Kingdom after years of political wrangling.

The rivalry between current Prime Minister Tom Thabane, who fled to South Africa in 2014 after an attempted coup, and his predecessor Pakalitha Mosisili is at the centre of that country’s woes.

Pledging allegiance to the two men rather than to the flag and the constitution, rival factions of the army are at war with each other, threatening to embroil the country into a perpetual power struggle.

This ongoing impasse jeopardises the already tenuous coalition government. Owing to this, Lesotho appears less of a state than the adopted child of SADC, with its neighbour acting as guardians over its affairs.

New SADC chair President Jacob Zuma has dispatched a ministerial fact-finding mission to Lesotho to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of Motsomotso.

It is understandable that South Africa would be most keen to get to the bottom of the problems in Lesotho. Territorially speaking, that country is very consequential as its land mass is surrounded by South Africa’s provinces.

But SADC’s constant intervention in Lesotho is unsustainable.

The intervention in the lead up to the June 3 election was tasked to facilitate dialogue in the country towards a consensus for peace. That has seemingly come undone.

Although maintaining peace and stability in the region is one of SADC’s stated aims, the onus to maintain peace and stability within individual states lies with member states themselves.

Both Thabane and his predecessor Mosisili need to take the lead in denouncing the rivalry within army ranks that is being carried out in their name. They need to send out a clear message that the country comes before self, and distance themselves from extrajudicial killings.