Vol 63 No 21 | LESOTHO Populist Matekane promises reforms 20th October 2022 The newly elected Prime Minister vows a reset for Lesotho, but he lacks a majority and must address conflicts of interest Business mogul Sam Matekane is switching his corporate suit for political office as he takes over as Lesotho's new Prime Minister, and is promising populist changes. But he...
Vol 63 No 19 | LESOTHO Dismay as court strikes down reform laws 22nd September 2022 Crucial political reforms have just failed, meaning the 7 October election goes ahead under the system that produced so much instability Polling in the general election will open on 7 October without the expected constitutional reforms designed to rid the country of its notorious political instability, disappointing many in...
Vol 63 No 8 | LESOTHO Prime Minister Majoro to change political rules after winning confidence vote 7th April 2022 Allies of ex-leader Thabane, charged with murdering his estranged wife, have failed in their latest bid for power After surviving a no-confidence vote in Parliament on 20 March, Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro can accelerate the sweeping political reforms demanded by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)....
Vol 63 No 5 | LESOTHO Power struggle intensifies as Thabane goes on trial 25th February 2022 Prime Minister Majoro faces challenges from rivals in ruling party ahead of national elections in September Allies of former leader Thomas Thabane in the ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) party are trying to take over the government in Maseru by organising a no-confidence vote...
Vol 61 No 9 | LESOTHO Thabane out of time 30th April 2020 The cornered Prime Minister Thomas Thabane continues to cling to office but looks to have run out of options. After several days of talks mediated by Jeff Radebe,...
Vol 61 No 7 | LESOTHOCOVID-19 A diversion for the premier 2nd April 2020 One person who may have welcomed the coronavirus was Prime Minster Thomas Thabane, who was in a terminal political crisis when it struck. He had promised to resign...
Vol 58 No 12 | LESOTHO Army shadow over polls 9th June 2017 The alliance of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili's Democratic Congress (DC) and Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing's Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) has lost the snap election that Mosisili...
Vol 56 No 14 | LESOTHO The soldiers return 10th July 2015 Fear and tension have returned after the former Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force, Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, was shot dead on the outskirts of Maseru on 25...
Vol 56 No 6 | LESOTHO Polls fail to relieve tension 11th March 2015 The country’s longest-serving Prime Minister returns to office with chronic political instability little changed by the elections King Letsie III opened Lesotho's ninth Parliament on 11 March and the 120 MPs then elected Ntloi Motsamai as Speaker. The ceremonies were the only uncontentious aspect of...
Vol 55 No 18 | LESOTHO Trouble in the neighbourhood 12th September 2014 South African forces are back in Maseru after what may have been an attempted coup but have no mandate for military action Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has returned to Maseru after fleeing the country after a claimed attempt by Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli, the army chief he had just sacked,...