Mahapu bounces back

Mohloai Mpesi

POLITICIAN, Thabo “Mahapu” Ramatla, has made a dramatic return to frontline politics after being acquitted of all charges following a lengthy trial in neighbouring South Africa.

The former Movement for Economic Change (MEC) Member of Parliament has joined the fledgling Khanya Ea Basotho movement, saying his acquittal has strengthened his resolve to continue serving Basotho.

Mr Ramatla contested the 2022 general election under the Alliance of Democrats (AD) banner but slightly lost to the ruling Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) Nku Mohlalisi. This after leaving the MEC following a fallout with party leader Selibe Mochoboroane over the party’s direction and administrative decisions.

His political career has been marked by violence. On 13 June 2020, gunmen attacked him at his business premises in Mafeteng, repeatedly shooting him. He survived after being hospitalised with gunshot wounds to the head.

Popularly known as “Mahapu”, Mr Ramatla spent one year and eight months in custody in South Africa after his arrest on 1 February 2023. He was released on 6 December 2024 after the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein acquitted him on all charges.

He was among several suspects arrested over the 2019 murder of a Lesotho-based Chinese businessman, who was allegedly waylaid at a police roadblock in Wepener, a Free State town bordering Lesotho’s Mafeteng district.

While detained at the Bloemfontein Correctional Centre, Mr Ramatla faced charges including murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, malicious damage to property and contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act. Justice Lindisa Mpama acquitted him on every count.

In an exclusive interview with the Lesotho Times this week, Mr Ramatla said the verdict had completely vindicated him.

“I was arrested on 1 February 2023 and released on 6 December 2024. I spent a year and eight months there. They denied me bail until the trial was concluded.

“I won the case with distinction. There is not even a single charge on which I was found guilty. I was acquitted on every count.

“I thank God because the South African government is going to pay me a lot of money, which I would not have received had I been sitting at home for that duration.

“The truth does not hide. Whether you smear someone with lies or do all kinds of things, in the end the truth will prevail.”

Asked whether he feared returning to politics after the ordeal, and whether he believed the prosecution had been intended to destroy his political career, Mr Ramatla said he remained committed to public service.

“My vision in politics is to change the lives of Basotho. I cannot stand back simply because someone wants to define my political journey.

“If I have to die for my country, there is no problem with dying because, even after I am gone, other people will continue with that agenda.

“Unfortunately, I do not know their intentions. But when I analyse what happened, I can say they wanted to destroy my political career.”

Political vision

Mr Ramatla, a co-founder of Khanya, said the movement was travelling throughout the country consulting Basotho on their daily challenges so that its constitution and manifesto would reflect the people’s priorities rather than those of a handful of leaders.

Khanya is led by Peka legislator Mohopoli Monokoane, popularly known as “Hippo”. Mr Monokoane won the constituency under the ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) in the 2022 elections before defecting earlier this year, first to the Basotho Action Party (BAP) and later launching Khanya, which promotes agriculture as a driver of employment and food security.

The movement is conducting nationwide constituency consultations ahead of its formal registration as a political party.

As part of its launch, Khanya recently planted 10,000 cabbage seedlings in Mpharane, Mohale’s Hoek, to promote commercial farming. The project had initially targeted 100,000 seedlings but was scaled down because of limited land. A similar demonstration project was previously implemented in Hlotse, Leribe.

Mr Ramatla said Khanya wanted its policies to emerge directly from citizens’ views.

“Khanya will be able to address Basotho’s concerns. Our mission is to travel around the country gathering people’s views on the kind of party and leadership they want.

“The constitution and manifesto will be formed from the people’s opinions. That way it will be easy to know what Basotho want and to give them exactly that.

“That is different from two people meeting to form a party and then trying to sell their own ideas to the nation. Our vision is to build a party from the people’s needs.”

He said the consultations had revealed widespread poverty, prompting the movement to leave behind small projects capable of employing between 40 and 100 people wherever possible.

“As we consult communities, we have realised the extent of poverty. Wherever possible we leave behind projects that can employ between 40 and 100 people. That is how we intend to change people’s lives.”

Criticism of AD leadership

Mr Ramatla also explained why he left the AD, accusing its leadership of running the party in an authoritarian manner and ignoring its own constitution.

He said the leadership failed to convene a special conference after 10 constituencies wrote to the National Executive Committee (NEC) late last year expressing a vote of no confidence in party leader Professor Ntoi Rapapa and the NEC.

The AD, a junior partner in Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s coalition government alongside the RFP and the MEC, was formed in December 2016 after its founding leader, Monyane Moleleki, split from the Democratic Congress.

On 7 January 2026, AD secretary-general Tieho ‘Mamasiane summoned those who had signed the no-confidence letters to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee. The following day, the affected members approached the High Court on an urgent basis, but the court ruled that the matter was not urgent.

The applicants included Molebatseng Makhata, Thabo Ramatla, the Qalabane AD Constituency Committee and the Mpharane AD Constituency Committee, while the AD and its NEC were cited as respondents.

Mr Ramatla said those events convinced him to help establish Khanya.

“I had the vision of forming Khanya because the AD leadership treated the party as its personal property instead of governing through its constitution and policies.

“The constitution requires annual leadership and policy conferences. When members tried to enforce those provisions, 10 constituencies wrote letters expressing no confidence in the leadership.

“In such circumstances, a special conference should have been convened. Unfortunately, it never happened. We experienced oppression. We went to court, but the court ruled that the matter was not urgent, even though so many constituencies were involved.

“That meant the executive committee continued operating unlawfully and trampling on people’s rights.”

He said he found common cause with Mr Monokoane, whom he described as another politician frustrated by unfulfilled promises on investment and job creation.

“Fortunately, I met people who shared similar concerns, including the leader of Khanya, who repeatedly asked the Prime Minister about the investors he had promised would come once he assumed office.

“Basotho were promised jobs through incoming investors, yet those promises have not materialised. Because he kept asking those questions, he became unpopular.

“When I reflected on my own political future, I realised that once you challenge the leadership, you risk being denied a party ticket because candidates are chosen by the executive committee. I believed I would eventually be sabotaged.”

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