BAP sacks PS Phapano after long row with Mahao

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…Ward officials who support PS also issued an action order

Mpesi Harvester

This week, the Basotho Action Party (BAP) expelled Chief Secretary Tankiso Phapano from the party over a long-running dispute with party leader and Energy Minister Nqosa Mahao.

On Monday, BAP secretary general Lepolesa Makutoane issued a circular ordering three senior BAP officials in Mohales Huke constituency to join in, siding with PS Phapano in the protracted fight.

They are BAP’s Mpharane constituency chairperson Thabiso Jacob Likotsi, Taung constituency chairperson Tṧeliso Matseletsele and Phamong constituency treasurer Molibetsane Mafethe (from Mekaling constituency).

While Mr Phapano and Professor Mahao could not be reached for comment, Mr Likotsi toldlesotho times Last night, they planned to seek compensation through legal means because “we cannot accept being expelled from BAP like rotten pumpkins”.

The conflict between Professor Mahau and Mr Pappano began in November 2023, when BAP had just become a partner in Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s seven-party coalition government to help the latter avoid a no-confidence motion.

Professor Mahau was appointed Minister of Energy and Mr Pappano became his deputy. But the two began to quarrel over various issues in the Ministry of Energy. Their fight split the party and several officials quit the party organization.

Mr Pappano was subsequently charged with a range of offences, including “spreading false and unfounded accusations to the leadership of the RFP” in order to “create confusion, conflict and mistrust” between the BAP and its ally, the RFP.

Mr Pappano was also accused of accusing Professor Mahao of having handed over the management of the Department of Energy to “Mohato Seleke and Thato Ponya”.

Neither Mr Seleke nor Mr Ponya are employees of the Department of Energy.

But both were said to be allies of Prof Mahao at the height of the internal tussle within the former ruling All Basotho Congress (ABC) that led to the collapse of the once-mighty party and the formation of the splinter Basotho Action Party.

Professor Mahau was formerly deputy chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Notices seenlesotho timesOn August 5, 2024, the BAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) Disciplinary Committee announced that it recommended the expulsion of the four members “because they were judged to have violated the party constitution.”

“We approve the recommendations of the Central Election Commission’s Disciplinary Committee. The committee recommends the immediate expulsion from the party of the following individuals: Thabang Jacob Likotsi, Ts’eliso Matseletsele, Molibeli Mafethe and Tankiso Phapano, as they have been found to have violated the constitution,” the circular read.

phosphorusPrior to Monday’s notice, Mr Macutona wrote a letter to Mr Pappano on Tuesday, July 23, in which he claimed that the Socialists were deliberately trying to create chaos within the party.

Mr Makutone accused Mr Papano of making false claims that Professor Mahao appointed a person called Makabelo Matsoso as the Managing Director of Lesotho Electricity Corporation (LEC) because she, Ms Matsoso, “had an affair with the former Managing Director of LEC, Mohato Seleke”.

“By spreading lies that the BAP leader and the Minister of Energy had appointed Makabelo Matsoso as the Managing Director of LEC and that you claimed that Makabelo Matsoso was in a romantic relationship with Mr Selleke, you deliberately undermined the trust between BAP and RFP as parties in the coalition government,” Makutone wrote.

“Your actions were solely designed to undermine the relationship and partnership between BAP and RFP and to undermine BAP’s position as part of government. As such, the CEC has replaced the other committee members who have resigned.”

BAP’s endless fighting forced the Youth Committee spokesperson, Tlhabeli Mojapela, to tender his resignation to the CEC in early March this year.

Former BAP chairman Tello Kibane (MP) also resigned from the CEC in early March, citing the protracted brawl as “affecting others who wanted to resolve the quarrel between Mr Phapano and Professor Mahao”.

Former BAP deputy secretary-general Hilda Van Rooyen will also resign from the party on May 21, 2024.

BAP treasurer Mamoipone Senauoane resigned from the party on the morning of July 5 this year.

She resigned in dramatic fashion, dropping her resignation letter on the BAP CEC WhatsApp group before quickly exiting the platform.

Mr Kibane, Ms Van Rooyen and Ms Senauoane are all BAP proportional representation lawmakers.

Thabo Sophonea, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning in former Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro’s 2020-2022 coalition government and from BAP’s Thaba-Bosiu constituency, has been appointed to fill the vacancy left by Ms Seinaone’s departure.

The circular read: “The Central Executive Committee (CEC) has decided to appoint Thabo Sophonea, CEC member from Thaba-Bosiu constituency, as treasurer to succeed Mamoipone Senauoane who resigned from the post in accordance with Section 4.2.3 (a) of the Constitution of the Bangladesh People’s Party.”

“The Central Election Commission also appointed two BAP members to fill the vacancies on the commission in accordance with Section 4.1.7 (a) of the party constitution. Their names are: Matṧolo Monaheng from Mafeteng constituency and Machabeli Sehloho from Taung constituency.”

When contacted for comment last night, Likotsi saidlesotho timesYesterday, they planned to challenge the decision in court.

He firmly stated that “we have put in hard work and sweat for this party” and they cannot be driven out of the party like rotten pumpkins.

He said they had “never been formally subjected” to any process, adding that “we only found out about our dismissal from social media”.

He said they had not approached the party about their expulsion because “… we had noticed that the motive of the Central Election Commission was to expel us”.

“We did not ask about our expulsion because we were already aware that their plan was to expel us from the party. So, we were not surprised to see the leaflets circulating. We realised very early on that their actions would lead to this,” Mr Likozi said.

He said they had previously moved the court to challenge the disciplinary action that BAP was planning to bring against them. The court had ordered the trial to proceed.

“Yes, we approached the court but the court directed that we should go back to the disciplinary hearing and only go to the court with a final decision,” he said.

“We will still push for this. This is our party and we cannot be expelled from the party like those who have not worked for BAP.”

He said they had paid a lot for the party and the expenses incurred during the October 2022 general election campaign were yet to be repaid.

“Some of us participated in the national elections. We spent a lot of money. So, we cannot be thrown out like rotten pumpkins. We will try to stay in the party until someone understands that we will continue to stay in the party,” he said.

It is not clear what impact the expulsion will have on Mr Pappano’s position as deputy vice-chancellor. Professor Mahau had previously pushed for Mr Pappano’s sacking, without success.