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Lesotho PM resigns amid ex-wife’s murder case
Thomas Thabane has formally stepped down as prime minister of Lesotho following months of pressure after he was named as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife.
The 80-year-old’s current wife, with whom he was living at the time of the murder, was charged in connection with the killing in February.
The pair have denied any involvement.
Finance Minister Moeketsi Majoro is expected to be sworn in as Mr Thabane’s replacement.
“The time to retire from the great theatre of action, take leave from public life and office has finally arrived,” Mr Thabane said on national television on Tuesday announcing his resignation.
He said he was stepping down because of his age, adding: “I am no longer as energetic as I used to be.”
He made no reference to the murder case but thanked his wife and “entire family for their unwavering support to me as prime minister”.
He also made reference to the fractious nature of politics in the country, saying that some had tried to take advantage when he announced, in January, that he would be stepping down.
Lesotho has been plagued by political instability this year – he lost his majority in parliament last week when the coalition backing him fell apart and a new government is expected to be installed on Friday.
Gunmen shot and killed Lipolelo Thabane on June 14, 2017 – two days before Mr Thabane was sworn in as prime minister.
While returning home, she was ambushed, shot several times at close range and died on the side of a dirt road. She was 58.
At the time, Lipolelo was going through a bitter divorce with Mr Thabane and had been living apart from her husband since 2012.
He had moved in with a new woman, Maesaiah Thabane, sometime between 2012 and 2017.
Mr Thabane appeared in court in February for acting in “common purpose” but he hasn’t been formally charged yet.
Mr Thabane, 80, is one of Africa’s oldest leaders and has spent most of his working life as a politician.
No stranger to political rivalry, Mr Thabane once fled to South Africa, alleging a coup plot by the military and had to be escorted back to Lesotho by the police.
In the February court case, his lawyer argued that his position as prime minister granted him immunity from prosecution. -BBC
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Bishop Salifu Amoako and wife arrested over their son’s accident
The Founder and General Overseer of Alive Chapel International, Bishop Elisha Salifu Amoako and her wife, Mouha Amoako have been arrested over the accident of their son which claimed two lives.
In a statement today, they revealed that “The Ghana Police Service has today 15th October 2024, arrested suspects, Bishop Elisha Salifu Amoako and Mouha Amoako, parents of the suspect driver involved in the fatal accident that claimed two lives at East Legon on Saturday, 12th October 2024.”
According to them, “Investigations have so far established that on 12th October 2024, suspect driver, Elrad Salifu Amoako, aged 16, driving a Jaguar SUV vehicle with registration number GN 7801- 20 with one other occupant, rammed into a 4×4 Acura vehicle also with registration number GR 2542 – 23, driven by Joseph Ackah with four other occupants, at Mensah Wood Street at East Legon. Both cars caught fire and burned beyond recognition.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
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All discrepancies identified have been fixed- EC
According to the Electoral Commission (EC) they have fixed all discrepancies in the Voters Register identified during the Exhibition period.
The EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa made this revelation when addressing the issue during a live broadcast at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
She emphasized the Commission’s commitment to ensuring public confidence in the electoral process and delivering credible elections.
Jean Mensa assured voters that the necessary corrections have been made to guarantee an accurate voter register for the upcoming 2024 general elections.
According to her, “Over the last two weeks, we have spent our energies to clean the voter register and to ensure that the information presented is accurate. Simply put, we have worked to ensure that every applicant who registered in 2023/2024 is on the voter register.”
“We are confident that the revised Provisional Voter Register that we present starting today is a marked departure from the register we presented during the exhibition exercise,” she added.
“Largely, all discrepancies identified to date have been fixed, as we promised, during our last meeting starting today, October 15, to October 19, all registered voters will have a second opportunity to review their details online and report anything they find in our district offices,” Jean Mensa revealed.
Additionally, she promised to hand over hard drive copies of the voter register to the various political parties including a template to register any discrepancies.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
