A POLITICAL rivalry in Lesotho is fuelling zama zama wars in South Africa and senior leaders in that country are involved.
This is what Terene ea Mokata leader Sarel Sello told Daily Sun during an exclusive interview in Joburg yesterday, 17 August.
Although Sello denied that his organisation was involved, he said some of its members might be zama zamas.
But he said most members were people from neighbouring countries with above-board jobs.
Group secretary Tshepo Moshoeshoe told the SunTeam there were 900 000 paid-up members across the country contributing R150 a month.
He said the group collected about R135 million a month, used to help members with things such as burials.
But some members claimed that the membership fees were actually protection fees for zama zamas.
Sello denied allegations that his group was linked to a recent attack at a tavern in Soweto, which left 16 people dead.
Sello said although the organisation’s members were also not involved in the horror gang rape in Krugersdorp, he wanted to apologise to South Africa.
“We say to the people of South Africa, we are very sorry for the pain that incident has caused.” We hope that one day, we will have an opportunity to sit down with the victims and say sorry to them personally,” he said.
“We hope to use that opportunity to prove that it is not our members who did this to them.”
Immediately after the interview with Daily Sun, the group met Police Minister Bheki Cele, but Sello said he was not able to discuss it. due to the sensitive nature of matters discussed.
Sello said there were many formations known as likobo, whose members could be zama zamas,who were against the idea of engaging with legal structures to end criminal activities.
“We are coming forward because we have got nothing to hide. We want the South African government to be involved. In particular,We wanted to meet Cele and propose that all these formations should come together to end these criminal activities.
“We also want to make an appeal to the South African government to intervene in the political situation in Lesotho,” he said. because this thing is not going to end as long as political parties are involved.”
Sello said his organisation was known to support All Basotho Convention, led by former prime minister Tom Thabane, while a rival faction was aligned to the Democratic Congress.
Sello said a senior member of the coalition encouraged the rival faction to take up arms.
