OWN CORRESPONDENT, Maseru | Thursday 3.00pm.
RENEWED protests in Lesotho on Thursday developed into running gun battles in which nine people were injured.
Early on Thursday anti-government protesters blocked the roads in the capital Maseru in order to prevent hundreds of people from going to work. The anti-govenrment protesters were confronted by government loyalists. Police kept the two factions apart until the anti-government group moved back to its position outside the palace.
However later in the day the two factions again faced each other, this time with no police to prevent a clash. The violence started with stone-throwing but swiftly developed into a running gun battle through Maseru’s streets.
Thursday was the ninth day of the protests, in which opposition supporters claim that the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy was fraudulently elected to parliament in May.
A political anylist described Maseru as being “a virtual war zone”. Khabele Matlosa said on SABC3 that Lesotho was in a “state of ungovernability” with the authorities no clear on what action to take.
However it has been announced that the task force to investigate the results of the election earlier this year, which will comprise delegates from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, will arrive in maseru on Friday to begin its work.