Monokoane berates politicians

…over empty campaign promises

Mohloai Mpesi

PEKA legislator, Mohopoli Monokoane, has accused politicians of “lying” to voters through empty campaign promises while communities continue to suffer from poverty and unemployment.

Addressing residents of Qhoali constituency in Quthing, a stronghold of Democratic Congress (DC) leader and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Mathibeli Mokhothu, Mr Monokoane urged voters to stop following politicians who make promises they cannot fulfil.

Mr Monokoane, who is also the owner of Hippo Transport and leader of the fledgling Khanya political movement, said his organisation was instead focused on practical initiatives aimed at helping people escape poverty.

He was speaking during Khanya’s ongoing nationwide consultations to gather public input for its policy agenda ahead of its registration as a political party.

The movement has so far visited Mohale’s Hoek and Quthing, including areas around the Seaka River, Mount Moorosi and Mphaki. Its next stop will be Sehlabathebe in Qacha’s Nek.

Khanya was formed earlier this year after Mr Monokoane and Matala Member of Parliament, Dr Tšeliso Moroke, defected from the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), citing poor leadership and what they described as persecution by the party’s executive committee.

The two initially joined the Basotho Action Party (BAP), before launching Khanya, which means “light” in Sesotho.

The movement has said it will register as a political party only after completing consultations in all 80 constituencies.

Khanya is the second breakaway formation to emerge from the RFP since the party swept to power under Prime Minister Sam Matekane in the 2022 general election. It follows the United Africans Transformation (UAT), formed by former Matlakeng MP Dr Mahali Phamotse.

Despite the defections, the RFP-led coalition government — comprising the Movement for Economic Change (MEC), Alliance of Democrats (AD) and Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) — retains a comfortable majority in the National Assembly ahead of the next general election, expected in 2028.

Empty promises

Mr Monokoane vowed to help Qhoali residents build sustainable livelihoods rather than depend on political promises.

“I want you, the people of Qhoali, to succeed in your lives — to work hard so that your children can have a good life and never have to live the way you have lived.

“This means the current generation has to work hard to prepare for the coming generation. It is the responsibility of every parent,” he said.

He said he was not in Qhoali to make empty promises, arguing that politicians often campaign on issues that are already the responsibility of government.

To illustrate his approach, he said Khanya had planted crops on 18.3 hectares of land, with 15 000 cabbage seedlings already in the ground and another 25 000 still to be planted.

The movement had also planted 2 000 spinach, 2 000 rape and 2 000 beetroot seedlings.

Thirty youths from Mphaki had already secured employment at the plantation, he said, with the produce expected to be sold locally.

At Ha Koali in the Mount Moorosi plains, Khanya had planted 2.5 hectares, with 20 000 heads of cabbage planted and 12 people employed to work the fields.

Mr Monokoane said politicians should stop campaigning on roads, bridges and electricity connections because these were basic services citizens were entitled to as taxpayers.

“I am not here to promise you roads, bridges and electricity. Those are your rights. It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that people have roads, bridges, water, electricity, health services and medication.

“No politician should ever campaign on the responsibility of government. Our taxes are what ensure that our rights are fulfilled.

“Politicians should only make promises they can fulfil, and such promises should be delivered immediately — not once they take over governance,” he said.

He added: “Here are tractors, right outside. We are not saying vote for us and we will buy tractors once we’re in government. We don’t carry empty promises. We speak the politics of life and truth.”

He appealed to residents to make their fields available for cultivation by Khanya.

“Give us your fields so we can plant them, so that when we campaign, we can show you what we have achieved together. Stop listening to people who tell you to withhold your fields — these are your fields, not government fields.

“Let’s drive this vehicle together. Do you want a moving vehicle, or would you rather wait for the promise of a vehicle that you don’t even know will move?

“What annoys me is people who believe everything they are told. I am tired of lies. Let’s speak the politics of truth. We have to plant seeds everywhere we go,” he said.

He said poverty and unemployment remained among Lesotho’s most stubborn challenges and pledged to continue fighting them in his Peka constituency.

“Among the challenges I found in my constituency, the biggest were poverty and unemployment. I have been working to overcome them, and I will continue fighting poverty in the Peka constituency,” he said.

Teach people to fish

Mr Monokoane said Khanya wanted to teach people how to create their own livelihoods instead of relying on promises of government jobs.

“I want us to form a group. After four weeks, we should go to one branch, start planting there, and then move to the next. I want to show you that you can learn how to catch a fish.

“I am tired of politicians who talk without acting, and who give you unfulfilled promises. It is time we changed this narrative,” he said.

He said Basotho could produce, process and sell wool and mohair locally instead of exporting raw materials for processing elsewhere.

“I am a farmer; I have 129 sheep. As a farmer, I ask myself why we can’t process and sell wool and mohair here in Lesotho and start producing blankets and other products to create employment.

“The problem is that there is no leader teaching you how to fish. Why can’t we process mohair in Lesotho so that our children can find employment, when we have sheep and mohair readily available?

“Imagine how nice it would be to produce jackets in Qhoali, with people travelling from Durban to buy them. We are going to teach you how to catch a fish.

“Villages must supply towns. We have to produce vegetables, run piggeries, and grow cabbage, wool and mohair — everything should be produced here. There is no reason for our youth to remain unemployed, and no reason for politicians to stand before you promising jobs at Home Affairs. That is nonsense. Teach people to fend for themselves instead of promising them employment,” he said.

He added: “We are where we are because we have been promised things that never materialised. Let’s start now.

“God gave us hands, a body and a brain. Let’s use them to benefit our families,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of the residents, Lethola Pali of Makhalong in Qhoali, said he was backing Mr Monokoane and wanted to weaken the DC’s support base in the constituency.

Mr Pali said residents had for years been “owned” by the DC and other congress-aligned parties.

“I support you, and I want to advise you on how to kill a big snake when you get to a place.

“In this area, we are owned. We grew up having our party membership paid for us without our knowledge. You would only be asked how many people were in your household, and all their membership fees would be paid in full.

“We lived like that until we were old enough to tell right from wrong,” he said.

He said residents wanted to help Mr Monokoane “kill the big snake”, referring to the DC, which he said continued to enjoy majority support in the area.

Mr Pali said the emergence of the RFP had briefly shaken up local politics, but its campaign promises had ultimately proved empty.

“We want to help you kill this big snake. Most of us here still fly the red flag (support DC). Then another party came and shook us up with lies. I am no longer a member of that party,” he said.

He said Mr Monokoane had already undertaken recognisable initiatives in the area and urged him to develop a strategy capable of challenging Mr Mokhothu in his own constituency.

“You are already doing marvellous things, even before coming to talk to us. Lesotho’s development is being held back because people in Maseru regard Maseru as the whole of Lesotho, when in fact most of Lesotho lies in the rural areas,” he said.

Mr Pali also urged Khanya to expand its agricultural initiatives into villages, saying the most productive fields were located away from the peri-urban areas.

“Go to Qhoali and you will find the big fields there,” he said.

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