Tag: opposition

Lesotho’s opposition leader flees country

Lesotho’s opposition leader has fled the country for the second time in a year, claiming that he was at risk of assassination after being voted out of power.

Thomas Thabane, the former prime minister, travelled to Botswana on Tuesday night in the latest twist to a year of political turmoil for the mountainous country that is entirely surrounded by South Africa.

“I ordered an investigation which confirmed that there were indeed plans to kill me,” he told AFP by telephone.

“Soon after I was given this report, I fled the country fearing for my life. I am still in Botswana.”

The Lesotho police said they could not confirm the threat against Thabane, but that they would investigate.

Thabane suspended parliament in June last year to avoid a motion that would have seen him ousted from power after the previous fragile coalition government fell apart.

In August, soldiers attacked police headquarters, looting weapons and killing one officer.

Thabane described the violence as an opposition-backed coup attempt and fled to South Africa, though both his political opponents and the military denied any bid to seize power.

A regionally-brokered snap election in February brought a new coalition government to power, headed by Thabane’s predecessor, Pakalitha Mosisili.

Lesotho is seen as strategically important to South Africa as it provides 90 percent of the water to Johannesburg city.

Source: AFP

Anti-white Zille says Verwoerd was evil and clever

It seems that outgoing Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Hellen Zille will be a puppet-master to the newly-elected black party leader, Mmusi Maimane, since he is indebted to her for her support.

Maimane was elected the new party leader at the DA’s Federal Congress in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

“In any way the DA leadership wants me to support or help in whatever capacity, I’m there to do it,” Zille said in an exclusive interview with the SABC, adding to speculation that she is still in control.

Zille says she is confident that she has made the right decision to step down as party leader and has insisted she was not pushed into relinquishing her position.

“I spent a long time thinking about this decision. I knew when I was elected I would only stay 10 years at most. I think two five-year terms is fine. But then I was wondering do I go at 8 years or do I wait for that other two years and I spent about six months thinking about it, and about a month ago I thought: ‘Now is the time!'”

Zille has again defended Allister Sparks for his comments on Hendrik Verwoerd during his speech at the DA Federal Congress in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

Zille says Sparks’ comments were taken out of context and that Sparks knew that the white Verwoerd was “evil”.

In Sparks’ defence, Zille said, “We all know he was a passionate supporter of the ANC and in fact, advised Nelson Mandela on communication strategies and other strategies, as an advisor, (and) not as a journalist. He knew and acted in every way to expose the evil of apartheid.”

She adds, “Evil people are not necessarily stupid people. And there is quite a difference in saying someone is intelligent and saying you support them. Some of the most evil people in our history have been some of the most clever and that is what is so frightening. So, he was not in any way paying a tribute to Verwoerd. In fact, he said it in his speech: ‘Apartheid was a crime against humanity.’ And very few people have done as much as Allister Sparks in journalism to expose that crime against humanity as he did.”

Zille hopes that being the puppetmaster to a black face would increase the party’s chances of attracting black votes, something she failed at miserably.

DA gets black leader

Musi Maimane has been elected as the new Democratic Alliance (DA) leader at the 2015 DA Federal Congress held at the Boardwalk Convention Centre in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, as PRAAG predicted.

The DA needs a black leader for black votes. Until now the party relied on coloured votes in the Western Cape mostly. Coloured leaders do not appeal to blacks.

The Federal Chairperson is Athol Trollip, a supporter of Maimane.

The three Deputy Federal Chairperson positions went to Ivan Meyer, Refiloe Ntsekhe and Desiree van der Walt. Chairperson of the Federal Council is James Selfe, whose position went unopposed.

The position of Deputy Chairperson of the Federal Council went to Thomas Walters and Chairperson of the Federal Finance Committee is Alf Lees.

A total of 21 nominations were received for the seven positions available. According to Presiding Officer for the Congress, Penny Tainton, of the 1,379 potential voting delegates, 1,283 people cast their vote with a total percentage poll of 93% on Sunday.