Mothetjoa Metsing

Mothetjoa Metsing is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho. He is a member of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and serves in the government of Prime Minister Tom Thabane. In 2014, he was involved in controversy over an alleged coup attempt against the prime minister that was eventually resolved over calls for an early election.

Mothetjoa Metsing
Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho
In office
8 June 2012 – 17 March 2015
MonarchLetsie III
Prime MinisterTom Thabane
Personal details
Born (1967-02-02) 2 February 1967
Leribe District[1]
NationalityMosotho
Political partyLCD
Alma materBSN (MBA)[1]
Websitemothetjoametsing.co.ls

Political career

Before the 2012 general election, the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy suffered a split because of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili's refusal to cede power.[2] Mosisili then founded a new party called the Ntsu Democratic Congress, in reference to the founder of the LCD, Ntsu Mokhehle. LCD Secretary-General Mothetjoa Metsing then moved to lead the LCD.[3] Tom Thabane leads another faction that broke away in 2006, the All Basotho Convention.[4] The LCD's Metsing said that he would not take part in a national unity government.[5] In like measure the ABC ruled out working with the LCD.[6] Yet after the election, the two parties, along with the Basotho National Party, were part of a coalition government.

Attempted coup d'état
Main article: 2014 Lesotho political crisis

Following political tensions and the suspension of parliament over the controversial change of the head of the army from Lieutenant General Kennedy Tlali Kamoli to Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, an alleged attempted coup d'état forced Thabane to flee the country. He then returned under cover of South African and Namibian police, who guarded him around-the-clock. Under the auspices of the SADC, mediation led by South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa resulted in a call for an early election. Lesotho's King Letsie III set February 28, 2015, as the date for the election. Thabane was backed by the national police, while his deputy Metsing was backed by the army, which refused to recognise the change in army leadership.

On June 5, 2017, upon losing the latest round of National elections, Mr. Metsing made the following statement; "The LDF would need to be 'protected' from Prime Minister-elect Thomas Thabane who sealed an agreement yesterday with three other parties to form government.".[7] The former deputy premier said the army needed to be "protected" for their role in propping up the outgoing government. Mr Metsing has been accused of collaborating with the LDF in his political fights, although he and the military have vehemently denied the allegations. ABC leader and former premier Thomas Thabane accused Mr Metsing of helping to plan an LDF raid on three key Maseru police stations on the morning of 30 August 2014 which the former described as a coup attempt. The raid, which left one police officer dead, triggered a chain of unsavoury events that led to the collapse of the Dr Thabane-led coalition government and intervention by the international community in an effort to avert a complete breakdown of the rule of law in Lesotho.

Foreign honours

References
  1. "Profile: Mothetjoa Metsing". mothetjoametsing.co.ls. 2012. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  2. "Lesotho votes in tight three-way race". Daily Times. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  3. "Lesotho: Jumping Before He's Pushed". allAfrica.com. 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  4. "Polls close in Lesotho's general election". Al Jazeera English. 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  5. "Lesotho: Election Results Force Leaders to Moot Coalition". allAfrica.com. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  6. Basildon Peta (2010-05-05). "DC extend lead in Lesotho poll". IOL.co.za. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  7. "Metsing makes shock army claims". June 9, 2017.
  8. "Catholic King Letsie III of Lesotho invested into the Constantinian Order". October 8, 2013.
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