adminThe world yesterday woke up to disturbing news of a military coup in Lesotho, a country that has been rocked by instability in the past. This comes hard on the heels of a Sadc Heads of State Summit held in the country in Victoria Falls recently, where the region re-affirmed its commitment to democratic ideals. The southern African country was rocked by instability yesterday morning with reports that elected Prime Minister Thomas Thabane was in hiding having fled his official residence after the army went on the rampage and surrounded even the main police station in the capital while broadcasting stations were shut down, and only played music much later as some semblance of calm returned.
Interviewed by South African media yesterday, Prime Minister Thabane described the military action as a coup since as the commander-in-chief he had not ordered any of the deployments by the army. He also called on countries in the region, especially South Africa, which entirely surrounds Lesotho, to come to his country’s aid. We understand that the developments yesterday came as activists planned anti-government protests for Monday and that police had disallowed the protests, raising questions over the link between the protests and the military action. Sadc should move with speed and renewed vigour and act with the necessary determination and force if necessary to show like-minded elements within the region that military takeovers shall not be tolerated.
South Africa heads the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, and it is our hope that it will get the region behind the civilian government in order to restore order in Lesotho in the shortest possible time without unnecessary loss of life. We believe after the recent meeting of leaders in Victoria Falls, such action by the Lesotho military come as a slap in the face of regional initiatives to drive economic growth on the back of a peaceful southern Africa. Let no one blot that record in Southern Africa of democratic change of governments, and President Mugabe, the new Sadc chairman and firm believer in democracy, should rally the region towards peace and respect for civilian governments while keeping foreign interference out.
According to Lesotho’s Prime Minister, meetings were expected to have been held by the end of the day yesterday to apprise the region on the state of affairs in his country as well as agree on a course of action in which South Africa was expected to take the leading role.
The growth of foreign funded pseudo-democracy movements across the continent must be a cause for concern to regional governments. Surely, if military coups take place on the eve of protests against an elected government, should we not be persuaded to think that the two events are related? The earlier the region gets to the bottom of the issues in Lesotho the better for regional peace.
The mutinous elements should be dealt with in a manner that will send a clear message to like-minded malcontents regionally that military coups have no place in this age and that the military men should respect the wishes of the majority that elected the government in place, and that peaceful means could always be used to resolve conflict instead of resorting to the use of arms.
We say no to destabilisation elements and their handlers and urge regional governments to be on alert for groups masquerading as liberators while seeking to torpedo rule by majority. Our regional solidarity will triumph over all this because our people rely on governments that they elected for security.
A restoration and of that is all we ask for and a guarantee that such shall never be allowed to happen again in our region.
Online Reporter