Maseru, Aug. 04 — Maseru City Council has removed Mayor Relebohile Sechache from office after 10 councillors voted in favour of a motion of no confidence, bringing an end to his tenure and triggering the election of new leadership at the capital city authority.
The motion was tabled during a special council sitting on Tuesday and received enough support to remove Mr. Sechache, who had faced allegations of defying council resolutions and failing to properly manage council affairs.
Shortly after his removal, councillors proceeded to elect a new Mayor to lead the Maseru City Council.
The leadership change follows weeks of tension within the council, 10 of the 19 councillors had signed the motion of no confidence against Mr. Sechache.
The councillors accused the former Mayor of travelling to China despite what they claimed was a council decision stopping the trip.
They also raised concerns over the alleged closure of council offices during his absence, failure to consult councillors about official travels, and a press conference held at Ha Thetsane without involving the local councillor and the Works Committee.
Other grievances included his February trip to Eswatini and concerns around the handling of staff welfare issues, including the absence of a Christmas party.
However, before the vote, Mr. Sechache defended his leadership, dismissing the allegations as based on misinformation and misunderstandings of council procedures.
Addressing the China trip, he maintained that the visit was organised by the national government and that officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanied the delegation.
He argued that the council had not followed the correct procedure in claiming that the trip had been prohibited, saying he had returned from China after signing an important agreement on behalf of the city.
On allegations that council offices were closed during his absence, Mr. Sechache expressed disappointment that his Deputy Mayor had become one of his critics, saying he believed council operations continued normally.
He also rejected claims surrounding the Eswatini trip, saying it was an official government mission and that travel expenses were provided for in the council budget.
Despite his defence, councillors voted to remove him from office, marking a major political shift at the Maseru City Council.
The newly elected Mayor is expected to take over the responsibility of leading the council as it faces challenges around service delivery, administration and restoring stability within the institution.
The change in leadership comes shortly after the appointment of new Town Clerk, Ms. Mots’elisi Pelesa, who said she found a heavy workload upon assuming office but remained committed to transforming Maseru into a better-managed city.
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