‘I wasn’t involved in selecting candidates’
MASERU — Basotho National Party (BNP) youth league president, Tšeliso Lesenya, says he was never involved in the selection of candidates who would work as ministers’ private secretaries.
“I was never part of the selection panel. Chief Joang Molapo for one interviewed his own candidates.
“I can assure you that my name is being dragged through the mud unnecessarily,” Lesenya said.
Lesenya also blamed “rogue elements in the party” for planning to pass the no-confidence motion against him.
He said he believed the plan to oust him was concocted by aggrieved youth members “looking to get certain positions”.
“There are people who wish they were voted to certain positions and will do everything in their power to point at other peoples’ weaknesses,” Lesenya said.
“But then again, every structure has dissidents.
“I’m neither fazed nor shaken by this. There are always plans brewing in the background to oust the incumbent leader.”
Lesenya admitted that there might have been tensions brewing in the background but that his peers should not have “brought the media into it”.
“I’m surprised that there are people in the BNP who choose to discuss their grievances in the media.
“This goes totally against BNP policy,” Lesenya said.
“There are relevant structures in the BNP where issues are discussed and dealt with effectively.”
According to Lesenya, accusations of incompetence levelled against him were unfounded because he had done his utmost to ensure that the BNP youth league implemented resolutions made by the elective conference.
One of the resolutions, Lesenya said, was bringing unity not only in the BNP “but to Lesotho in general”.
“There’s unity in Lesotho and the fact that we have a coalition government is testimony to that.
“I was part of the negotiations that gave birth to this government,” Lesenya said.
“This means as the BNP, we have achieved our goal of becoming government in 2012.”
On the issue of the youth committee not having formal meetings since it was elected last year, Lesenya said that was borne of “inevitable delays”.
“On occasions that we informed the executive committee that we wanted to have a formal youth committee sitting, something always came up,” Lesenya said.
For instance, he said, when the committee was supposed to sit in December, then came the December 9 commemoration of the 1982 massacre which was a collaboration between the BNP and the African National Congress.
“In January we had to prepare for the BNP women’s league elective conference while in March we had the leadership conference,” Lesenya said.
“Then in April we had our elective conference after which the party had to commit to the 2012 electoral campaign.”
Comment by Ntjabane on 26 July 2012:
MA-NATIONAL A ‘NETE KE A LULANG FATSE A TS’OHLA TABA PELE. BUISANANG LE MSHAN’A ENOA MAREN’AKA PARTY ENA KEA HAESO-MOHOLO. LE SE MOLAHLE JOALOKA HANYANE.
Comment by david on 26 July 2012:
lokisang taba tsa lona manasi le tlohele ho i tlontlolla.
Comment by mju on 26 July 2012:
DJ Watters o ba tlotsitse ka jam molomong mona joale ba loana joaloka lintja tsa meotloana li tsekisana lesapo la moketa.
Comment by Maphakela on 26 July 2012:
Morena Ntja ke lumellan le oena. Hantle manasi ane atle meha hore a sebetsa ka thata ho haha mokha hobane o na ke motle o motle haholo empa ka ha lipolotikie tsarona ele tsa tla batho ba litulomg bae ba sereole ke taba tse tjena ebe joale hoa sutumetsoana. Ke hona ho hlokehang batho ba litaba hahole tjena.
Comment by Tebang on 27 July 2012:
Ak’u le nthuseng hle baheso, BNP KE MUSO? I QOUTE LESENYA HERE,”WE HAVE ACHIEVED OUR GOAL OF BECOMING A GORVENMENT”. Na ha ho thoe tlo re bua khomo ke tsebe ho u fa maleo khomo eo u se u ka e bitsa ea hao? Hahhahahaha!
Comment by voicetruth on 27 July 2012:
It’s clear Lesenya is pushing his luck too far by claiming that he was instrumental to formation of coalition gvt. Is this guy trying to tell us that he somehow influenced voters to vote in such a way that no single party would have 61 seats as constitutionally required. That’s utter rubbish and arrogant of anyone to proclaim that.
The fact that he was part to meetings that brought about agreement btw now ruling partners is not by an means indication of competence on his part as YL president.
Actually he has to appreciate that he was there simply as YL president not by some special expertise on his part as a person. So, he should not at all beat his chest about that. Any YL president would have attended as per party policy requirement.
Actually, if we could have a full disclosure of everything that transpired in those meeting it wouldn’t be surprising that he never uttered a word of contribution. It is very likely that he could actually have been present as a by-stander. Thus doing the youth a serious dis-service.
In short, I’m just saying Mr Lesenya, tell us things that prove your competence – not meetings or conferences attended by virtue of position. Any fool can can attend any gathering but of course contribute nothing or at worst bring chaos to those events.
Comment by Kokota on 28 July 2012:
Les Times, once again; What is Joang Molapo’s explanation of the process of selecting private secretaries.
Haele uena Voicetruth u are talking bull shit. According to you what was Lesenya’s role in the meetings? Were you part of the meetings to tell us Lesenya was just a spectator there? Yours is just a personal attack.
Comment by mju on 29 July 2012:
Hela lona bashanyana, ba se ba nkile tjotjo ho tsoa le-chineng. Lona bo Kokota le ntse le itlhabisa makhala mona. Le tla felisa bobolu joang joale le ntse le boeketsa tjee?
Comment by Lai Thekhe - Motho a oa on 29 July 2012:
Kokota Morena Joang Molapo ke letona kabineteng. He does not select scretaries. My free advice is that you must ask relevant questions to relevant people.
Comment by Oa maliba on 30 July 2012:
Lai Thekhe…ke nahana kokota une a leka hore li Personal Aid/executive secretary or what ever they are called tsa matona, eseng li private secretary. Ke phoso e ka tsamahang le mohatise.
Comment by Kokota on 30 July 2012:
Lai Thekhe,
Read the article again. According to the article this commotion was caused by selection of private secretaries for BNP Ministers (read the very 1st sentence, ke koranta hase ‘na ea buang ka priv sec’s). On the other hand Lesenya says Hon Chief Joang Molapo interviewed his own candidates. What I was simply saying is Lesotho Times should get Joang’s side of the story, so as readers we make informed assessment whether there is any wrong doing here.
Comment by Oa maliba on 30 July 2012:
Hela monna kokota, ke itse u mphe email ea hao reke re buwe.