MPs clash over state of emergency

There was fierce debate in parliament yesterday over the government’s plans to declare a state of emergency. The motion to declare a state of emergency was tabled by Thabo Maretlane, the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party MP for Thaba-Phatšoa constituency.

This content is for subscribers only. To subscribe, Click Here. Or Sign In

Maretlane asked parliament to urge Prime Minister Sam Matekane to declare the state of emergency in response to the rampant murders in Lesotho.

He said 622 people were murdered countrywide in the last six months.

He said the motion was meant “to rescue Basotho from criminals who are hurting them”.

“Basotho will not die while we are here as MPs. We must do something about it,” he said.

He said once a state of emergency is declared, the government will not tolerate the assault of innocent citizens by security agencies.

“The government has to establish committees to ensure that the current situation is brought under control,” he said.

Napo Moshoeshoe, an MP from the Movement for Economic Change (MEC), which is part of the ruling coalition government, seconded the motion.

He said the state of emergency will allow the security agencies to operate outside the parameters of the law.

“The state of emergency will help the government to operate above the structures of law and use the laws that are designed for specific purposes like now,” Moshoeshoe said.

Moshoeshoe argued that a state of emergency should not be opposed just because of the stigma against the army.

“The state of emergency is the only climate that can allow (difficult) issues to be solved quickly,” he said.

Moshoeshoe said “the law infrastructure” is now flooded by criminals who have found loopholes to evade justice, adding that some criminals are granted bail after a few days.

The motion was met with a vicious response from opposition MPs with Dr Mahali Phamotse, who is the MP for Matlakeng saying “it is not true that a state of emergency allows the government to operate beyond the confines of the law”.

“That is not true, nothing has to be done outside of the perimeters of the law,” she said.

The Basotho National Party (BNP) leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe, said even before a state of emergency was declared, the army was already beating up people mercilessly.

“People were beaten in Khanyane this past week,” he said.

Popular Front for Democracy (PFD) leader, Advocate Lekhetho Rakuoane, said instead of introducing a state of emergency in Lesotho such an emergency “should be declared in South Africa because the perpetrators do not live in Lesotho”.

“How will it help us? You know that the people who commit the killings only come here to kill and go back to South Africa,” Rakuoane said.

Speaker Tlohang Sekhamane postponed the debate after the opposition insisted that Police Minister Lebona Lephema should come to parliament to explain the gazette banning famo organisations.

“We do not know what to tell the people in constituencies,” Tšitso Cheba, who is the Democratic Congress (DC) secretary general, said.

Staff Reporter

Enjoy Unlimited Digital Access

Already a subscriber?
Share the post
What to read next...

Comments

  1. Edwardket

    April 23, 2025

    olympe casino cresus: olympe casino avis – casino olympe

  2. Robertsam

    April 25, 2025

    https://pharmafst.com/# pharmacie en ligne sans ordonnance

  3. Petersot

    April 25, 2025

    Cialis en ligne Tadalafil achat en ligne Acheter Viagra Cialis sans ordonnance tadalmed.com

  4. Bradleymeemo

    April 25, 2025

    kamagra pas cher: kamagra livraison 24h – kamagra 100mg prix

  5. Robertsam

    April 25, 2025

    https://tadalmed.shop/# cialis sans ordonnance

  6. BernardTes

    April 26, 2025

    Kamagra Commander maintenant: Achetez vos kamagra medicaments – Achetez vos kamagra medicaments

  7. Bradleymeemo

    April 26, 2025

    Acheter Cialis 20 mg pas cher: Acheter Cialis – cialis prix tadalmed.shop

  8. Petersot

    April 26, 2025

    Kamagra Oral Jelly pas cher Achetez vos kamagra medicaments kamagra pas cher

  9. Robertsam

    April 26, 2025

    https://tadalmed.com/# Acheter Viagra Cialis sans ordonnance

  10. Bradleymeemo

    April 26, 2025

    vente de mГ©dicament en ligne: Livraison rapide – pharmacie en ligne pharmafst.com

  11. Robertsam

    April 26, 2025

    https://kamagraprix.shop/# Acheter Kamagra site fiable

  12. BernardTes

    April 26, 2025

    Acheter Viagra Cialis sans ordonnance: cialis sans ordonnance – Pharmacie en ligne Cialis sans ordonnance tadalmed.shop

  13. Bradleymeemo

    April 26, 2025

    kamagra oral jelly: kamagra pas cher – Kamagra Commander maintenant

  14. Robertsam

    April 26, 2025

    https://tadalmed.com/# Achat Cialis en ligne fiable

  15. BernardTes

    April 26, 2025

    kamagra pas cher: kamagra oral jelly – kamagra en ligne

  16. Petersot

    April 26, 2025

    pharmacie en ligne livraison europe Meilleure pharmacie en ligne pharmacie en ligne pas cher pharmafst.shop

  17. Bradleymeemo

    April 26, 2025

    pharmacie en ligne avec ordonnance: pharmacie en ligne france fiable – pharmacie en ligne france livraison belgique pharmafst.com

  18. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    Acheter Viagra Cialis sans ordonnance: Acheter Cialis – cialis generique tadalmed.shop

  19. Petersot

    April 27, 2025

    cialis sans ordonnance Acheter Cialis Acheter Cialis tadalmed.com

  20. Bradleymeemo

    April 27, 2025

    Acheter Cialis: Cialis sans ordonnance 24h – Tadalafil 20 mg prix en pharmacie tadalmed.shop

  21. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    acheter mГ©dicament en ligne sans ordonnance: Livraison rapide – pharmacie en ligne fiable pharmafst.com

  22. Robertsam

    April 27, 2025

    http://kamagraprix.com/# Kamagra pharmacie en ligne

  23. Petersot

    April 27, 2025

    achat kamagra Kamagra pharmacie en ligne Kamagra Commander maintenant

  24. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    kamagra pas cher: kamagra gel – kamagra pas cher

  25. Robertsam

    April 27, 2025

    https://pharmafst.com/# pharmacie en ligne sans ordonnance

  26. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    achat kamagra: achat kamagra – Kamagra Commander maintenant

  27. Robertsam

    April 27, 2025

    http://pharmafst.com/# pharmacie en ligne fiable

  28. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    Tadalafil sans ordonnance en ligne: Pharmacie en ligne Cialis sans ordonnance – Tadalafil 20 mg prix en pharmacie tadalmed.shop

  29. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    pharmacie en ligne sans ordonnance: Meilleure pharmacie en ligne – acheter mГ©dicament en ligne sans ordonnance pharmafst.com

  30. BernardTes

    April 27, 2025

    pharmacies en ligne certifiГ©es: Meilleure pharmacie en ligne – pharmacie en ligne sans ordonnance pharmafst.com

  31. Robertsam

    April 27, 2025

    http://pharmafst.com/# pharmacie en ligne fiable

  32. BernardTes

    April 28, 2025

    pharmacie en ligne france livraison internationale: Livraison rapide – vente de mГ©dicament en ligne pharmafst.com

  33. Bradleymeemo

    April 28, 2025

    kamagra oral jelly: kamagra en ligne – Achetez vos kamagra medicaments

  34. BernardTes

    April 28, 2025

    kamagra oral jelly: kamagra oral jelly – Kamagra Oral Jelly pas cher

  35. Robertsam

    April 28, 2025

    https://pharmafst.com/# Pharmacie Internationale en ligne

  36. Petersot

    April 28, 2025

    pharmacies en ligne certifiГ©es Meilleure pharmacie en ligne pharmacie en ligne livraison europe pharmafst.shop

  37. BernardTes

    April 28, 2025

    pharmacie en ligne fiable: Pharmacie en ligne France – Pharmacie en ligne livraison Europe pharmafst.com

  38. Bradleymeemo

    April 28, 2025

    kamagra pas cher: kamagra 100mg prix – Kamagra pharmacie en ligne

  39. Daviddut

    May 27, 2025

    https://biotpharm.com/# buy antibiotics from canada

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *