Ramaphosa sends envoys to Lesotho following army deployment

The team that President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent to Lesotho has arrived in the mountain kingdom.

Ramaphosa has dispatched the envoys in his capacity as the Southern African Development Community (SADeC) facilitator for Lesotho to investigate the latest developments in that country.

On Saturday, Thabane deployed the military to parts of the country to restore order after accusing some law enforcement officials of undermining the kingdom’s democracy. The move came after the Constitutional Court overturned Thabane’s order to suspend Parliament on Friday.

In the video below, SABC’s Rapelang Radebe elaborates on the army deployment:

The deputy leader of the ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) party Nqosa Mahao has described the Prime Minister’s behaviour as a threat to the rule of law and says it must be condemned.

Former Energy Minister Jeff Radebe is leading Ramaphosa’s group of envoys sent to probe the matter.

The team will first meet with King Letsie the third and then Prime Minister Thabane.

Political observers are seeing the developments in Lesotho as a sign of growing tensions within the ruling party ABC party.

Thabane has been under pressure to bow out due to allegations that he was involved in his wife’s assassination in 2017. He has agreed to vacate office at the end of July.

Breaking: the Millitary flag being flown in the center of town following PM’s complex speech. SA President was expected in Lesotho today, but trip is said to have been cancelled ?…@AfricanPerspec1 @SABCNews pic.twitter.com/qcUfeF6yj6

— Rapelang Radebe (@ntateRaps) April 18, 2020

Unconfirmed reports of police bosses being arrested. Both their phones went unanswered. They usually rerun calls almost immediately!

— Rapelang Radebe (@ntateRaps) April 18, 2020