THE Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) held a crisis meeting last night following a threat to sue by a faction of the party’s youth league. The RFP’s spokesman, Trade Minister Mokhethi Shelile, told thepost yesterday that “we have an emergency meeting tonight to discuss the youth’s demand”.
This content is for subscribers only. To subscribe, Click Here. Or Sign In
This comes after the party leader, Prime Minister Sam Matekane, abruptly stopped the youth league’s elective conference at the 11th hour last Friday.
The conference was postponed to an indefinite date.
The conference was to start on Friday night and run through to Sunday in Maseru and some delegates had already arrived at the venue while hundreds others were in buses coming.
“I do not want to comment on why the conference was cancelled,” Shelile said.
The youths, through their lawyers Thoahlane Legal Chambers, wrote a letter threatening to drag the party to court to ensure the conference is held and that the party respects its own constitution.
The youths who instructed Thoahlane Legal Chambers were ’Mamanehella Mpiti from Qeme and Tebello Mothinya from Hlotse constituencies.
“Clients are members of the Revolution for Prosperity and are eligible to participate in the upcoming National Youth League elective conference,” the letter reads.
The letter says the youths were demotivated when they were informed about the cancellation of the elective conference.
“No reason for postponement was provided,” the letter reads.
It says the youths informed the lawyers that the RFP constitution provides that the youth league committee shall be the highest organ entrusted with youth leadership.
“Currently the youth are not represented in any of the party structures, and this status quo disenfranchises youth participation in all these leadership decision-making structures of the party contrary to the constitution,” it reads.
Moreover, the letter said that the decision to postpone the elective conference perpetuated the alienation of the youth voice within the party.
“Our clients have informed us that the decision to postpone the elective conference has practical deleterious and prejudicial consequences.”
The youth complained that they had a legitimate expectation that the conference would proceed and that all logistical preparations had been made.
“Buses have been paid and food provisions already bought and paid for.”
They added that some of the delegates had already travelled from their constituencies to Maseru.
“This postponement is undoubtedly prejudicial.”
The youths demanded that the postponement should be rescinded and the conference allowed to continue with immediate effect, which did not happen, or else they would sue.
One of the contestants for the youth league committee position told thepost that the RFP management “has always had a sinister interest in the elective conference”.
“They have been supporting one skeleton that they trust,” he said.
He complained that the party leadership had taken sides on the youth league elective conference.
“They have sponsored one skeleton with vehicles and money, while we have been campaigning from our own pockets,” he said.
He added that they will fight for their party to hold the elective conference until they get what they want.
“This party does not belong to the leader, it belongs to us. We will show them.”
Six youths are competing for the chairmanship.
They are Kantane ’Molotsi, Sechaba Pheko, Lesala Maphathe, Tau Lesoma, Lehlohonolo Makhabane, ’Mapitso Lefenya, and Toka Motanyane.
Nkheli Liphoto
