Deputy PM faction moves to seize control of ruling party structures in a palace power struggle that threatens to shatter the government.
Senior government minister Lebona Lephema has issued a stark ultimatum to Prime Minister Samuel Matekane, threatening to resign from cabinet and form his own political party unless he is allocated a ministry of his choosing, sources within the Prime Minister’s kitchen cabinet have told Lesotho Tribune.
The threat signals a dramatic rupture at the heart of the Revolution for Prosperity, the ruling party that swept to power in 2022 on pledges of economic transformation and clean governance.
Multiple sources, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of internal party proceedings, confirmed that Lephema has communicated his demands directly and considers his current position untenable. He is said to be prepared to walk away from government entirely should Matekane decline to act.
“He wants his ministry. If he does not get it, he is ready to resign and go it alone.” — Source within Matekane’s inner circle
Compounding the Prime Minister’s difficulties, the same sources say a faction aligned with the Deputy Prime Minister has moved decisively to consolidate influence within RFP structures, in what insiders describe as an organised effort to break Lephema’s longstanding grip on the ruling party’s internal machinery.
The factional contest has been building for months beneath the surface of a government already burdened by an underperforming economy, unresolved public sector labour disputes, and mounting pressure on service delivery across key ministries.
The crisis deepened on Wednesday evening when the Office of the Government Spokesperson confirmed that Nkhethoa Seetsa, who had been appointed Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship, has formally notified His Majesty King Letsie III of his intention to decline the appointment. The government said Seetsa will not be sworn in as scheduled on Thursday.
Honourable Nkhethoa Seetsa, who had been appointed as Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship, has formally informed His Majesty of his intention to decline the appointment.
Accordingly, the necessary legal processes will be undertaken to give effect to this decision, and he will not be sworn in as scheduled tomorrow.
The refusal by Seetsa to accept the Local Government and Chieftainship portfolio is widely understood to be directly connected to Lephema’s ultimatum. Sources say the ministry is precisely the appointment Lephema has demanded, and Seetsa’s withdrawal clears a vacancy that now sits at the centre of a cabinet crisis with no clear resolution.
If Lephema carries out his threat, the RFP would lose one of its most prominent political operators and face the immediate prospect of a new opposition formation drawing directly from its own voter base, further fragmenting an already volatile parliamentary arithmetic.
What is certain tonight is this: the RFP, as the country knew it, has imploded.
● Lesotho Tribune is pursuing comment from the offices of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. This story will be updated as further information becomes available.
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