Non-government organizations of the Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (LCN), Transformation Resource Centre (TRC), Survivors of Lesotho Dams (SOLD), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), and Development for Peace Education (DPE), expressed their concerns for the rule of law and respect for human rights in Lesotho in Maseru on Wednesday the 8th January 2020.

On behalf of the organizations TRC Human Rights Officer Advocate Lepeli Moeketsi, said the organizations have closely monitored recent developments, between the office of the Government Secretary and the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), where the Acting Government Secretary has written letters to the Commissioner of Police Holomo Molibeli, allegedly on the Prime Minister’s instruction.

He said the first letter was to the effect that the commissioner was forced to take a leave, and he sought a stay from the courts which he was granted.

Lepeli said the subsequent letter was suspending the commissioner from his office with immediate effect, while the issue of retiring him was being contemplated.

In a statement Lepeli pointed out that the organizations, have no qualms whatsoever with the decision to retire the commissioner of police, but such a process must be in line with the rule of law.

He also expressed that the organizations are worried that the process, flies in the face of the Constitution of Lesotho and the LMPS Act of 1998.

According to Lepeli, the organizations are also concerned that the process constitutes undue interference of civilian authority in security institutions, hence compromising professionalism of such institutions.

Lepeli said LCN, TRC, SOLD, CCJP and DPE call upon the Prime Minister to actively ensure the rule of law, good governance by desisting from unduly intering with security institutions or any other institutions in Lesotho whose autonomy must be respected.

The Prime Minister to exercise public powers as conferred upon him by the Constitution of Lesotho, responsibly with the spirit of the constitution and I the public.

According to Lepeli, the organizations also encourage the Courts of Law to expedite a hearing and finalization of commissioner’s application before the courts and to duly respond to the letter inviting him to give information regarding the usage of his cellular phone in the killing of Mrs. Lipolelo Thabane.

The organisations further advice the commissioner to investigate other cases including, but not limited to that of police brutality to bring them to finalization.