Matšeliso Sehloho
The Christian Council of Lesotho (CCL) said it does not feature hence does not issues with what its members get up to in their time and what political endeavours they follow, but stressed the fact that as an organization, they stand for the truth and unity.
“The vision of CCL is to unite the nation, we are an organization of different churches of Lesotho and we believe in proper democracy and good governance. And the truth is we don’t have any issue with whoever decides to establish a political party. The only thing we can say is, does the establishment of that certain party serve for the good of the nation,†said ‘Masechaba Thorela, CCL Secretary-General.
She went on to clarify that for any political party to say or assume that once they have spoken to one church leader who is a member of the CCL, that they have spoken to the entire CCL organization is not acceptable. This issue has been raised after the Basotho Covenant Movement political party had alleged they had a green light from the CCL individual member.
Thorela went on to explain that is it wrong for BCM to have claimed they had had any contact with CCL as the allegations were false. She explained the organization does not regulate the politics but rather they are the Prophetic Voice.
She stressed that CCL has nothing against anyone establishing a political party. She explained there is no need for anyone to come and ask any sort of permission from CCL to start their own political party.
Furthermore, Thorela put in to clear that there is no such thing as an individual pastor that is part of the CCL, but rather, it is the church that is part of the CCL not a pastor as an individual.
“We do not interfere at any costs at the operations of the church†she said.
A group of different Lesotho church leaders joined hands to establish their own political party named the Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM).
They said they were taking on the political sphere in order to be actively involved in preaching a venture to bringing the country and salvage the sinking economy to a good state once they get to power.
For his part, Pastor Kenneth Matee, a politician pastor, and a renowned church leader at Ambassadors Christian Mission based in Maputsoe said that unlike other politicians, the BCM’s main mandate is to bring back the country back to its original state.
Matee further insists that the new party established strictly by pastors is going to be different as it will focus on building Basotho and their country.
He reassured Basotho that unlike the present government, the mandate of the party is to elevate the annual deteriorating economy of Lesotho.
“Unlike the government and its politicians, BCM has the love of the country,†Matee said.
Meanwhile, the Assemblies of God preacher whom his church is also in the CCL, Bishop Monaheng Sekese, rubbished the idea of his counterparts to support the establishment of a political party by church leaders.
Sekese told this publication that the idea of engaging into politics does not paint a good image on Christianity as churches are already associated with money laundering allegations and many others.
“We are the prophetic voice, we are the ones who talk to politicians and guide them, and we are not the politicians. The church is already in crisis as it is, there are already talks about money laundering issues in the church, and hearing this kind of embezzlement involving the church brings further doubt to the people,†Bishop Sekese said.
“Yes we can vote as pastors because we have the rights to choose. But being a politician pastor brings confusion. How do you rebuke a politician while you are already a politician pastor,†Sekese concluded.
