Maope's accusations the result of frustration - Motanyane

Allegations by the leader of the Lesotho People's Congress (LPC) that government is promulgating oppressive laws have been dismissed as being made out of frustration. 

The deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who is also secretary general of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), Mr. Sephiri Motanyane was responding to allegations the LPC leader Mr. Kelebone Maope at a media briefing at the Victoria Hotel in Maseru on January 22.

The deputy Speaker said laws before the National Assembly are passed by a majority vote and that Mr. Maope's statements were surprising because some of those very laws were not opposed by  even a single member of the opposition.

On the Act regulating the use of Identity Cards in the country, passed last year, Mr. Motanyane said the ID cards would be given to all Basotho who qualified without any charges. It would only be when someone
has lost such a card that he or she would have to pay something to get a new one.

The introduction of ID cards will ease things for people who need identification to get services, most of whom had previously been forced to get passports as a form of identification, even though they did not need them.

Mr. Maope's accusations that the judiciary is not independent, that they take instruction from the Prime Minister was an insult on the courts of law, Mr. Motanyane said, advising the LPC leader to note all the oversights and shortcomings of government and use them in his campaign for the next general elections.

The leader of LPC had earlier accused the government of taking advantage of its majority in Parliament to pass laws that are contrary to human rights. At the press conference, Mr. Maope had cited the Identity Cards Act, saying Section 9 of the Act gives police power to stop people at any given time and request that they produce these cards, failure of which could lead to a person being charged with contravention of the law and fined M10,000.00 and not less than five years imprisonment if found guilty.

Government, using its majority in Parliament, has made several attempts to violate human rights, citing the amendment to the Constitution, where the Public Service Commission has been divested of some of its powers, regarding the dismissal of public servants, another example. The new amendment gives much power to the minister to dismiss public servants and it was unfortunate that when this was passed in the lower house of Parliament some members of the opposition had given their blessing, he said.   

Also present at the media briefing were members of the executive committee including Messieurs Thabiso
Melato, Mabusetsa Makharilele, Molahlehi Letlotlo and Pashu Mochesane.  

23 January 2004