Police vow to crush youth protests

(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU – THE Police say they will come down hard on a group of youths planning a protest march against MPs' M5 000 per month fuel allowances tomorrow.
However, the group which is calling itself the Concerned Youth People says nothing will stop them from handing their petition to Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu as the leader of the House.
They say their members are ready to march to parliament despite the police denying them a permit.

“The march is happening whether the police like it or not. It's happening,” said Motsamai Mokotjo, a former journalist who is one of the leaders.
“We will find a way to hand over the petition to the deputy prime minister.”
The police however say the protest will be illegal because the youths did not secure a permit.
Police spokesman Senior Superintendent Mpiti Mopeli told thepost that“the march will be unlawful and we will consider it a criminal offence”.

The government has banned protests due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
S/Supt Mopeli has warned that participating in the march will be criminal and the police are bound to stop it.
“Before embarking on any protest march, a permit should be issued,” S/Supt Mopeli said.
“The permit is issued by the police, and not having it would be a crime,” he said.

But Mokotjo says they are undeterred by the police's threats.
On Tuesday Mokotjo and his group wrote to the Clerk of Parliament, Advocate Fine Maema, reminding him that the march was going ahead as scheduled from 9am to 1pm.
The group said Advocate Maema should ensure that Mokhothu will be there to receive the petition.
“You will remember that shortly after the regulations were passed by the National Assembly, we wrote a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Sephiri Motanyane, on the 27th April 2021 requesting Parliament that the regulations be revoked as a matter of urgency,” the group's letter said.

“Giving Members of Parliament lucrative allowances when the Covid-19 pandemic is pushing thousands of Basotho into extreme poverty will make Lesotho a society based on poverty for many and prosperity for a few, characterised by islands of wealth, surrounded by a sea of poverty.”
“When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich,” the youths said, quoting Jean Jacques Rousseau, a renowned political philosopher and leading figure in the French Revolution.
“The rich that Rousseau was referring to was anyone in power. We would never wish such a gloomy situation upon this beautiful Mountain Kingdom.”

The youths said Advocate Maema told them that their May 7 letter was“referred to the relevant portfolio committee” but to their shock, they heard that the government had paid the MPs the allowances.
“At this moment, Sir, we believe that expression of opposition to these allowances by way of marching to parliament and handing our petition to the Leader of the House is the only surest way to make our voices heard.”
They said Section 14 of the Constitution guarantees their freedom of association and protects their right to protest by holding peaceful marches and demonstrations.

Mokotjo said the MPs' allowances were legal but immoral because the government is broke and the Covid-19 pandemic had pushed thousands into poverty.
“We were surprised by the regulations as they came during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mokotjo said, adding that“it is unfair that the MPs are getting the allowances while the rest of the public is wallowing in poverty”.
“They act like they are visitors in Lesotho,” he said.
“We do not know if Lesotho is an animal farm where other animals are better than others.”

Nkheli Liphoto

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