(MENAFN- The Post)
MASERU – THE sole MP for the Democratic Party of Lesotho (DPL), Limpho Tau, is crossing the floor in parliament to join the newly formed Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party.
This comes after the party, led by Tau, decided to fold and go under the RFP which is led by Lesotho's most successful businessman Sam Matekane.
The decision means the RFP will now be represented in parliament once he crosses the floor.
Tau told a press conference in Maseru yesterday that his party held a quick meeting last weekend where they resolved to join Matekane's new party.
He said they had reviewed Matekane's speech at the RFP's launch last week and realised they shared a lot of common interests.
“The RFP is preaching the same message as the DPL since its formation in 2016, which is economic enhancement,” Tau said.
He added that both the DPL and RFP mottos were also similar and address the same issue of the economy in the country.
Tau said a consensus was reached at the meeting that there was no point in their party contesting the coming elections where there was a new party that was preaching the same message.
“The party asks every member to support the RFP without any conditions because they are talking about the same issues as we do,” he said.
He said it was also agreed that the DPL leadership will not contest the elections to give the new party its full support.
He said normally any party member who supports or joins another party is suspended from the party“but, we are saying we are removing that law to allow our members to vote for the RFP”.
He said they are joining forces for the sake of the entire nation as there is currently a lack of service delivery, lack of roads and bridges, corruption, and theft.
He recalled earlier last year while he was still part of the coalition government saying they were once asked to give names of party members so that they are employed at the Home Affairs and other government ministries.
“That was evil because Basotho lined in long queues to apply for those posts which were already given to politicians,” he said.
But in a move that is likely to create confusion with his party supporters, Tau insisted that while he was crossing to join the RFP, his party remained intact and will still meet to elect a new committee in February 2023.
“We hope the RFP will be leading the government by then,” he said.
He urged other political parties with the same mandate to join forces and start supporting the RFP“so that our politics grow”.
He stressed that every member of their party who wants to contest for the elections would be allowed to do so.
He criticised the parties leading the coalition government saying they are just broken pieces of the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP).
“That is why their way of doing things is the same,” he said.
He said they trust and believe in the RFP as it is not part of the political parties that have been causing trouble in the country adding that“these BCP chips are always fighting”.
“They fight even when they are in government.”
Tau said Basotho should be hired according to their qualifications and not on the basis of their political affiliations.
Launched on Tuesday last week, the RFP is led by Matekane, a man with extremely deep pockets.
Other businessmen in the party are Thabo Maretlane, Lebona Lephema, and Thabo Mofosi. All are said to be millionaires.
Also prominent in the party are former Central Bank of Lesotho Governor, Dr Ret'selisitsoe Matlanyane, former Chief Justice Nthomeng Majara, and former Minister of Finance Tlohang Sekhamane.
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