Bishops fear turmoil in Lesotho

Southern African bishops have called for dialogue as conflicts grip the Kingdom of Lesotho, writes Munyaradzi Makoni in Cape Town.

The situation in the country has been tense with deep divisions within the army and police following the murder of Lesotho Defence Force commander, Maaparankoe Mahao, last June. Lieutenant-General Mahao, 47, was aligned to Thomas Thabane, the former prime minister and opposition leader, who fled Lesotho for Botswana in March claiming there were plots to assassinate him.

“We call for open dialogue as a way of solving the problems facing Lesotho,” said Archbishop Stephen Brislin, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.