(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU -THE Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) this week launched a robust defence of party leader Mothetjoa Metsing following a vicious attack from Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli.
Commissioner Molibeli told a local radio station last week that Metsing was hell-bent on sowing confusion within the police under the dubious cover of promoting labour rights.
''The LCD leader Honourable Metsing must know and realise that this is not a union,'' Commissioner Molibeli said.
''If he thinks this is a union like the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) he is mistaken,'' he said.
''He comes here to confuse the police and I warn him to immediately stop that.''
Commissioner Molibeli was reacting to Metsing''s media interviews in which he criticised the police boss for blocking the Lesotho Police Staff Association (Leposa) from marching last week.
The LCD''s national executive committee (NEC) member and treasurer, Mamello Phooko, said Metsing was acting within his rights in defending human rights.
She accused Molibeli of stalling the police''s investigations into the killing of Lipolelo Thabane, only to spring into action after he fell out with former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.
Phooko said some high-ranking police officers were also failing to protect the rights of women under Commissioner Molibeli''s watch.
''We started our women''s month with tears and we ended it in the same way,'' Phooko said.
She said the rights of women police officers were still being violated while others are transferred for daring speak the truth.
Phooko said one police woman was assaulted by a high-ranking police officer at Parliament but Commissioner Molibeli did not take any disciplinary action against him.
She added that another woman police officer had obtained a court order blocking her suspension. Commissioner Molibeli had still not lifted her suspension, she said.
''Police women are in danger and do not know where they will seek refuge from,'' Phooko said.
She said Metsing was therefore within his rights as a party leader to comment on the crisis within the police.
Phooko said it was unacceptable for Commissioner Molibeli to order Metsing to leave police matters alone.
She said this was surprising because Commissioner Molibeli himself was once a leader of Leposa in the past.
She said Molibeli had even vowed never to respect Metsing when he was still deputy Prime Minister.
She said despite promising to lead the police to greener pastures, Molibeli had dismally failed to do so over the last three years.
Instead, Molibeli had embarked on a campaign to ''separate the police and ruin their good relationships''.
She said the police do not have boots and sometimes wear worn out uniform.
''During his tenure as the commissioner, more than 70 Basotho have died in police holding cells,'' she said.
Meanwhile, an LCD MP, Lineo Tlali, said Commissioner Molibeli should ''not be allowed to boss or terrorise anyone''.
''He has too much pride,'' she said.
Her argument is that Commissioner Molibeli had obtained a court order that barred the government from firing him but he himself continues to disregard other orders from the same court.
''Everyone in the country is complaining because of Holomo,'' she said.
She said Commissioner Molibeli ''should have granted Leposa a procession permit because it is their right''.
''It is unbecoming for Holomo . . . to tell my leader to return to the mines,'' Tlali said.
She said they are going to push for Molibeli''s ouster until Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro understands that he must go.
Nkheli Liphoto
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