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Government spokesman Thabo Sekonyela staunchly defended the government and the military, refuting accusations that they were inciting human rights violations in Lesotho.
Earlier, some civil society groups in Lesotho accused Prime Minister Sam Matcaine and Deputy Army Commander Major General Matela Matobakele of violating human rights in the name of fighting crime and upholding the rule of law.
The civil society groups were referring to speeches delivered by Mr Matt Kane and Major General Mato Bakele at a reception ceremony held at Makoyane Military Camp for officers and men of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) returning from Mozambique.
The Lesotho Bar Association (LSL), Lesotho Lawyers for Human Rights (LLHM) and local civil society Chapter 2 condemned the remarks by Mr Matt Kane and Maj Gen Mato Bakele, describing them as confrontational and unconstitutional, and advocating violence in the name of upholding the rule of law.
They also called on the government and the military to withdraw and retract their “unconstitutional” statements.
But Mr Sekonila said the statements actually demonstrated the government’s commitment to promoting the rule of law and keeping Lesotho safe.
In his speech, Mr. Matken directed the Army Commander, Lieutenant General Mojalefa Letesola, to fight criminals in Lesotho with all his might, especially the rampantreputationThe constant revenge killings by these gangs spread like wildfire across Lesotho.
In his speech, an angry Maj. Gen. Mato Bakele threatened to take action against lawyers who were representing the government in suing the military.reputationThe gangsters were “attacked” by soldiers.
He suggested that those lawyers should also “get a taste of bitterness” by being attacked.
Prime Minister Mateken has said the Lesotho Defence Force must use its military might to save Lesotho and restore peace to the country. He lamented the fact that Lesotho currently ranks second in the global murder rate ranking.
But Sekonyala said that as a senior official of an institution mandated to protect the rule of law, Maj. Gen. Matobakele was frustrated to see the army’s efforts seemingly undermined by lawyers and courts who were ostensibly protecting suspects.
“Their claim that the deputy commander, Major General Matera Matobakele, threatened judicial officials and human rights defenders at the same event, saying the army would go to them and inflict on them similar sufferings as those suffered by the victims of violence, is a distortion and fallacy of the facts,” Mr Sekonyala said.
“…when he sees human rights activists, advocates and trial judges favouring perpetrators at the expense of victims, he (Maj-Gen Matobakele) asks: Can they only realise the danger these killers pose to the public if they become victims of these criminals directly?”
Such a rhetorical question could not reasonably be interpreted as encouraging soldiers to attack lawyers. Mr. Ceconilla said that would be a wrong interpretation.
Meanwhile, Mr Sekonyala swore that Mr Matt Kane’s instructions to Lt. Gen. Letesola were taken out of context.
“The common message conveyed by these groups is that the Honourable Prime Minister instructed the army command to deploy troops in villages and do everything to stop the killing of civilians, which amounts to incitement to violence, is not only false and misleading, but also creates confusion among the public and undermines the efforts of the government, which has the responsibility to protect the country and stop the senseless killing of innocent civilians,” Mr. Sekonila said.
Mr. Ceconilla said that while the government appreciated the role that civil society groups played in society, they had “misstepped” this time by giving the impression that these groups had their own agenda at the expense of public safety.
“While the government appreciates the role played by different organisations in promoting freedom of expression and rights of people outside the state apparatus, they should do so responsibly and truthfully without distorting facts. It is the government’s duty to protect citizens from misinformation.
“In this particular case, the spread of misinformation was intended to distract the government from fighting crime. Additionally, it was seen as an attempt to mobilize citizens to view the government’s efforts as unnecessary, unwarranted, cruel and disturbing.”
“However, the government has the responsibility to curb the high crime rate, especially the brutal killings of innocent citizens, as they disrupt national stability and the right of people to live in peace,” he added.
He said citizen groups have the right to hold opinions, including those that differ from the government. But that right – like all other rights – should not be abused.
“They have no right to mislead, mislead or confuse the public simply to advance a different agenda for themselves or a political group they identify with,” Ceconilla said.
“Instead of fulfilling their mandate, which is to promote democracy, accountability and human rights, their intention is clearly to advance their own agenda and the agenda of the political groups they are in league with.
“There are similarities between their statements and the concerns raised by the opposition and logically they have the same roots. The tone, misconceptions, claims and errors are the same. These statements were intended to inform the public and express views on issues that were deliberately misquoted and misrepresented by the author.”
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