Who is Sephiri Motanyane?
MASERU — When Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili’s Democratic Congress (DC) toppled the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) government in February the then deputy speaker of parliament, Sephiri Motanyane, came out guns blazing.
“The Constitution was not obeyed and procedure in parliament was not followed,” Sephiri said in an interview with the Lesotho Times in March.
“As things stand now the DC government is not constitutional. It should not be the government. Constitutionally, the LCD is still the government of Lesotho,” he added with a faint smile on his face.
He was speaking his mind without fear or favour.
History, he said, would judge me harshly if I don’t speak out.
When some MPs started bunking parliamentary sessions last year Motanyane cracked the whip.
“Your primary function, first and foremost as a minister, is you are a parliamentarian. That is you are responsible (sic), that means you are morally accountable,” he said.
After that the attendance during parliamentary sessions improved.
In both cases Motanyane was speaking for the people.
In the first case he was talking about the violation of the people’s Constitution and in the second he was speaking about MPs who had neglected their duty to the people.
Having been sworn in as the Speaker of the Eighth Parliament yesterday Motanyane is now in a position to do more of that.
He will be running Lesotho’s most diversified parliament by way of political party representation.
It won’t be an easy task for the 77-year-old Motanyane but he can count on his experience to help him deal with the challenges.
In his acceptance speech he set the tone by telling the MPs, the very people who had just elected him, that they are “granted liberal but not licentious speech”.
They must enjoy their liberty within the limits, he said.
Those who have known him for years say he is tolerant but firm.
They say he listens to advice but is also fiercely independent.
And when something against his principles is about to happen, he either speaks out or steps aside to avoid his name being tainted.
On February 28 he stepped aside and sat in his office as 45 MPs crossed the floor from the LCD to form the DC government that he later described as unconstitutional.
He said he had seen it coming when the then Speaker of Parliament Ntlhoi Motsamai told him that she wanted to chair the session on that day.
“I was suspicious because it was my turn to chair parliament that day,” he said.
Instead of arguing Motanyane agreed with Motsamai and stayed in his office.
From there he listened to proceedings and what he heard horrified him.
A ruling party was being pushed out of power through illegal means, he said.
Days later he gave his first newspaper interview in five years.
In it, he criticised the way the DC had come into government.
The DC government is not constitutional, he said.
He said it didn’t matter what Mosisili thought of his statements because he was “standing for the truth”.
The people of Lesotho, he added, deserve to know the truth.
That is the man Motanyane is: to him the people come first.
In speaking out against the DC government he was risking his cordial relationship with Mosisili, a man he described as a close friend.
He had served in Mosisili’s government as a minister and at one time he was actually based in his office.
Until the factional fights in LCD became nasty Motanyane thought himself as Mosisili’s confidante.
Then the backstabbing started.
“Yes, I was very close to him (Mosisili), almost like a confidante. But those close to him did all they could to shield him from me,” Motanyane said.
“An elaborate plan was hatched to discredit me and isolate me from him (Mosisili).”
Still that didn’t bother Motanyane as long as Mosisili was respecting the Constitution. When he thought Mosisili had crossed the line he spoke out.
“I believe that even if I have retired (from politics), the truth must come out about what happened in the LCD party,” he said.
He said Mosisili’s split from the LCD was not based on principles.
Comment by mju on 7 June 2012:
Sheer desperation of the highest order. Which breakaway according to him was based on principles, and as such was deemed constitutional. First it was LCD breaking away from BCP. He was part and parcel of the phenomenon. Did he speak out against that? Please Mr Staff Reporter, don’t you dare spoil my day. Second, it was LPC who broke away from LCD. As far as I remember, he never availed himself to the media to speak his mind and for the people as you would like to glorify him. Third, ABC broke away in the parliament and immediately it became the fierce opposition. He never spoke his mind nor did he speak in favour of the constitution. Why do you Mr Staff Reporter, have to express your feelings when its time for you to give us news without fear or favour?
There are so many things that you could have said about Mr Motanyane, especially, those related to his political life. But honestly if you would want to argue that your story was about him as opposed to changing governments within the parliament, it would have been absolutely relevant to include how LCD was formed vis-a-vis the provisions of the supreme law and parliamentary statutories. The formation of other parties such as LPC and ABC which were also aimed at toppling the LCD but failed by their numbers would also make your story rich with things to draw from when you explain who Mr Motanyane was.
Comment by Manane on 7 June 2012:
Mju,
You sound stressed. Have a break.
Comment by BKC on 7 June 2012:
Whether Motanyane was right or wrong history shall be the best judge. But my respect goes to the Man who stands by his convictions and is not afraid to say them out ‘ loud and clear’!
Such is a Man of principles who is easily swayed by popular opinion nor bows down to favour-how I wish we could be having a couple like him in our National Parliament.
It is where People freely express their opinions and stands by them that we stand to benefit from a growing democracy.
The call is now for mature leadership for the benefit of this our growing democracy!
Comment by Concerned Citizen on 7 June 2012:
Banna reporter tsa Lesotho Times tsona ke bo-mampokisi. The heading has no relevance to the subject matter…..I’m appealing to Lesotho Times management to train their reporters.
Comment by Lefefooane on 7 June 2012:
@mju, go take another zoll of marijuana my freind. I understand it is not easy for you to come to terms with the reality that your days as a tnderpreneur are gone. You will have to come to terms with fending for ownself just like ust ordinary folks used to do for the past so many donkey years.
Comment by Lelimo on 7 June 2012:
Reporters!!!
Comment by livoski on 7 June 2012:
The question still remains: Who is Sephiri Motanyane?! Actually, the answer might be there between the lines: He is a nonentity who just wants to curry favour with the in-coming rulers!
Comment by sebaila on 7 June 2012:
@mju,u tlameha u sena zoll ea matekoane uena motho tooe.Taba ea mofokeng enoa ene hlake kamora 28 february ha a hlapa matsoho.Dnt make yourself famous by talking shit where it is least expected
Comment by Limeme on 7 June 2012:
Phoso e tsamaea le mohatisi! Butleng ka ho etsetsa Baqolotsi ba Lesoho Times lerata ke bana ba batho le bona ba utloa bohloko. Taba ena ke phoso
Comment by mju on 8 June 2012:
Banna ba heso, haeba le tseba litaba tse ling tse fapaneng le tseo ke li ngotseng mona, tlohong ka tsona, le tlohelle ho hobola joaloka ntja e hobola khoeli. Kea pheta ke re Staff Reporter o ngoletse lona bao boko bo jeloeng ke menenjities. ‘Me seo le hloma eka ke therapy. ha joale ha ke so utloe motho ea thulang litaba tsena tseo ke li ngotseng. Tlohong ka tsona re utloe. “WHO IS MOTANYANE? Le tsebe mona re bua ka monna oa mosotho ea lilemo li 77. Ea qalileng ho kena paramenteng lilemong tse mashome a mane a nang le metso e supileng. Joale lona le thabisoa ke history ea hae ea khoeli tse tharo? Na ka ‘nete ke boko boo re ka ikotlang sefuba ka bona boo? I maiantain this man has got history to be told. WHO IS MOTANYANE?
Comment by Lengoele on 8 June 2012:
Ese eka molimo a boloke ntate Motanyane bakeng sa rona bosotho ba tsotellang.
Comment by unproffesional on 10 June 2012:
lona lijournalist tse sa tsebeng mosebetsi, ke batla scrutator atlo le disciplina. the lady critizises almost every thing keaipotsa no le kereke oa e kena, u tlamehile a sotla ba-ruti.