Maisa Mourned

(MENAFN- The Post) MASERU – PITSO Maisa, who died last weekend at the age of 53, has been described as an able campaigner who was determined to entrench democracy at the grassroots level in Lesotho.

Maisa died at his home in Motimposo last Saturday after complaining of illness.

His daughter, 'Mamotheba Maisa, told thepost on Monday that her father complained of“cold feet” after delivering some milk to his customers before he died.

'Mamotheba said the death of her father had left the family in great shock because his sickness was short and sudden.

Maisa rose to national prominence when he was a young cadre for the then ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) between 1996 and 1997.

He came to be known for his love of political songs and jazz music and would sing and dance at LCD rallies, attracting the attention of the then party leader and Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

His soft, melodious voice prompted many to join the song as the crowds cheered Mosisili, whose government had just survived the infamous 1998 coup.

With a beret on his head and his left hand holding a stick while the index finger of his right hand either pointing upwards or the crowd, Maisa would stomp his feet rhythmically in harmony with the song.

In most cases there would be no music instruments, and Maisa would lead the song.

Veteran politician, Sello Maphalla, said it was that popularity that he garnered that saw Maisa stand as the ABC candidate in the 2012 general election in the Motimposo constituency which he won comfortably.

“He was one of the youngsters we hoped would take the LCD forward, alongside the likes of Mootsi Lehata,” Maphalla said.

“He had been so loyal to the party that he took me by surprise when he defected to form the ABC in 2006,” he said.

The actual founders of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) were Maisa, the late Molobeli Soulo, the late Mabuo Kojoana, the late Clement Machakela, and Rantelali Shea.

Maisa eventually left the ABC in 2016 after he fell out with former Prime Minister and party leader Thomas Thabane. He formed the True Reconciliation Unity (TRU) with former ABC deputy leader Tlali Khasu.

He blamed Thabane for pushing him out of a party he founded.

“I came late to the party (ABC) and was shocked to find that Maisa was there because of his deep loyalty to the LCD,” Maphalla said, adding that even Thabane himself found the ABC already assembled, just waiting for him to lead as he was the one who was seen as a crowd-puller.

“That one (Maisa) had deep roots in the congress movement, just like me,” he said.

“It is not surprising that they say he was still keeping the LCD regalia at the time of his death. I too am still keeping my old party's regalia.”

Maisa's defection from the LCD to the ABC did not sit well with Mosisili, who on many occasions would publicly beg him to return to his political home at rallies.

Maphalla said Maisa proved to be a useful tool in Thabane's hand against Mosisili's LCD and later the Democratic Congress (DC) as he was an able campaigner.

He said Maisa and Soulo would dodge parliament and go through the country decampaigning Mosisili and holding night meetings in the constituencies irrespective of whether it was winter or summer.

Maisa's defection from the ABC to the TRU came as a shocker to many political observers as he was viewed as“Thabane's boy”.

He however returned to the ABC after the TRU project failed to take off the ground.

At the time of his death, Maisa was now a member of the United African Transformation (UAT) led by Dr Mahali Phamotse.

Dr Phamotse said her party has lost a trustworthy man who was always available to serve his nation.

“He was always hands on,” she said.“He was a selfless and self-driven individual,” Dr Phamotse said.

Dr Phamotse said Maisa frequented the party's offices just to check how things were going.

She said because of his commitment to serve his party, he would sometimes use his own resources.
“He was a real doer,” Dr Phamotse said.

Maisa headed the UAT national affiliation committee that is dealing with poverty alleviation programmes at the grassroots level.

“It is our mandate that people should participate in their own issues,” Dr Phamotse said.

Dr Phamotse said Maisa had told her that he was looking for a party that would change the lives of Basotho for the better.

Former Small Businesses Minister and ABC comrade, Chalane Phori, said Maisa“was independent and could not buy anyone's face”.

Phori said Maisa was a controversial politician who would argue based on the party's constitutional provisions.
Maisa is survived by his wife and four children.

Majara Molupe

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