Weekly Mail Reporters
CLASHES in Lesotho are unlikely to tempt South Africa to exercise its newfound moral authority and military muscle to become a regional policeman on the subcontinent.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Alfred Nzo made it clear yesterday that although he was still awaiting reports from the country’s ambassador in Maseru, Gerhard Visser, South Africa would not intervene in the conflict. Nzo said South Africa would “engage constructively in discussions to defuse the tension”.
At least five people were reported to have been shot dead on Wednesday when troops opened fire on about 2 000 people who marched to the gates of the Royal Palace in Maseru in protest against King Letsie III’s announcement that he was dissolving Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle’s government.
The king’s move marked the latest twist in a long- running battle to restore his father, exiled King Moshoeshoe III, to the throne.
Analyst Roger Southall, professor of politics at Rhodes University, said it was unlikely that King Letsie III would have taken such action without significant support from sections of the military, despite the antagonism between the monarchy and Mokhehle’s Basutholand Congress Party (BCP), which swept to power in elections in March last year.