Lesotho in quick about-turn on report

MAPUTO: Faced with the threat of suspension from the Southern African Development Community, the government of Lesotho has reversed the position it took on Monday.

It now says it will receive the report from a SADC commission of inquiry looking into the assassination last June of Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao, former head of the Lesotho Defence Force.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, head of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, told reporters in Maputo yesterday that he had received a phone call from the current SADC chairman, Botswana President Ian Khama, informing him of Lesotho’s about-turn.

At a meeting of the SADC double troika in Gaborone on Monday, Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili refused to receive the report.

The double troika consists of the leadership of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation (Mozam- bique, South Africa and Tanzania) and the SADC presidential troika (Botswana, Swaziland and Zimbabwe).

Mosisili claimed he could not receive the report because the commission of inquiry is being sued criminally in the Lesotho High Court.

Nyusi said the SADC leadership “did not receive any collaboration from the Lesotho government”. SADC was surprised when the case was taken to the courts “because the commission of inquiry is not under the jurisdiction of the Lesotho courts”.

Angered by the attitude of the Lesotho government, the Gaborone meeting decided to propose the suspension of Lesotho from SADC at the next SADC heads of state summit. In the meantime, it would push ahead and publish the report.

Nyusi confirmed that the report recommends the removal of Defence Minister Tšeliso Mokhosi, as well as of Mahao’s replacement as army commander, Lieutenant-General Tlali Kamoli. – Foreign Service