TWO human rights groups have this week condemned Prime Minister Sam Matekane and deputy army commander for issuing statements they said undermined the rule of law. Section 2, an organisation that advocates for the respect of the constitution, and Lesotho Lawyers for Human Rights (LLHR), say the statements are “an abhorrent proposition that echoes the darkest days of autocracy and dictatorship”.
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Section 2 condemned Matekane and Major General Matela Matobakele for “remarks that not only undermine the rule of law but also threaten the very foundations of our democracy and the fundamental human rights of all people”.
“Prime Minister Matekane’s directive to the LDF, urging them to employ the same tactics used in Mozambique to restore peace in Lesotho, is deeply troubling and wholly unwarranted,” Section 2 said in a statement released yesterday.
“Lesotho is not embroiled in a war, nor is it facing extremism akin to that which plagues Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique,” the statement reads.
Section 2 described Matekane’s statement as “inflammatory rhetoric (that) is not only baseless but also dangerous, as it fosters an environment of fear and instability”.
“It is the duty of the Prime Minister to uphold peace through lawful and democratic means, not through militaristic and authoritarian threats,” it said.
The association says Major General Matobakele’s vicious attack on human rights defenders, lawyers, and the judiciary is an affront to the very essence of justice and the rule of law.
“This is a direct attack on the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair trial and the protection of human rights,” it said.
Section 2 reminded Maj Gen Matobakele of his own past experiences and the history of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF).
It reminded him that a few years ago he was forced to flee the country, running from the very institution he now represents.
He, together with several other soldiers, were exiled for years between 2015 and 2017 while many others were arrested and subjected to torture at the Maseru Maximum Security Prison.
“During this dark period, human rights defenders, working tirelessly with the families of those incarcerated, filed habeas corpus applications to secure their release,” Section 2 said.
“Judges, upholding the rule of law, presided over these cases and ordered the release of the soldiers,” it said.
“It is deeply ironic and profoundly disturbing that the same Major General Matobakele, who has previously been a victim of the army’s atrocities, now speaks against the very human rights defenders and judicial processes that once protected him.”
It also reminded him of his April 2018’s public apology to the people at a seminar organised by SADC military experts, “the Lesotho Defence Force terrorised Basotho, everybody knows it,” and pledged to work towards a restoration process to bring back peace to the nation.
“If Major General Matobakele has forgotten his own apology and the role that human rights defenders and the courts played during those troubling times, let it be clear that the people of Lesotho have not.”
In an equal chastisement, the LLHR said it was worried that Maj Gen Matobakele had “declared that lawyers and judges handling cases involving individuals arrested by the army on suspicions of crimes are senseless”.
“Major General Matobakele insinuated that, perhaps, these legal professionals should be subjected to brutality,” the LLHR said.
The LLHR said such statements are a glaring indication that the LDF, as an institution bound by law, “is being led by individuals who are receptive and comfortable with radical and barbaric ways of addressing escalating crime rates and sadly loath of lawful ideas on how to deal with escalating crimes”.
It said the LDF instead, perceived that “crime is the only strategy to end crime”.
The LLHR said by Maj Gen Matobakele’s standards, “the army should be granted carte blanche to undermine the law without consequence”.
“Such an attitude is abhorrent and illegal,” it said.
The LLHR said it underscores that possession of state weaponry does not confer legitimacy or superiority in criminal conduct.
“Lesotho is a democratic Kingdom founded on the principles of the rule of law and accountability,” it said.
It said lawyers and judges should not be threatened to be complicit to the LDF’s violations of human rights.
Majara Molupe
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