Just hours after President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a high-level delegation to neighbouring Lesotho on Thursday, its Prime Minister Tom Thabane has agreed to retire from office due to pressure from stakeholders, the presidency in Pretoria has said.
The resignation comes after Ramaphosa dispatched to Maseru his Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa and Special Envoy Jeff Radebe to join Thabane’s ruling All Basotho Convention party and the opposition coalition put pressure on the Premier to vacate his office due to a scandal.
The scandal involves Thabane and his second wife, Maesaiah, who are allegedly conspired to shoot his first wife Lipolelo dead in June 2017 – two days before his inauguration — following the two women’s bitter argument over the right to be called First Lady.
A cellphone number allegedly linked the Premier and his second wife to the alleged murder, the Lesotho police said.
Radebe said Lesotho’s coalition government would shortly announce steps towards Thabane’s retirement.
“Deputy Minister Zizi Kodwa and I, as a special envoy, are very optimistic about what we heard from the coalition partners, who told us how the next few days would be unfolding.”
Thabane’s second wife appeared in court on Wednesday to start answering murder charges of her late co-wife.
However, the hearing was postponed to a later date.
NM/jn/APA