In Focus

Lesotho’s Prime Minister to bow out from office – Pretoria

Just hours after President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a high-level delegation to neighbouring Lesotho on Thursday, 16 January 2020, its Prime Minister Tom Thabane agreed to retire from office due to pressure from stakeholders, the Presidency in Pretoria has said.

The delegation included Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa and Special Envoy Jeff Radebe. They joined Thabane’s ruling All Basotho Convention party where the opposition coalition put pressure on the Premier to vacate his office due to a scandal.

The scandal involves Thabane and his second wife, Maesaiah, who allegedly conspired to shoot his first wife Lipolelo dead in June 2017 – two days before his inauguration – following the two women’s bitter argument over the right to be called First Lady.

A cellphone number purportedly linked the Premier and his second wife to the alleged murder, the Lesotho Police said.

Radebe said Lesotho’s coalition government would shortly announce steps towards Thabane’s retirement.

“Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa and I, as a special envoy, are very optimistic about what we heard from the coalition partners, who told us how the next few days would be unfolding.”

Thabane’s second wife appeared in court on Wednesday in order to begin answering to murder charges of her late co-wife.

However, the hearing was postponed to a later date.

– APA