Tom Thabane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Thabane
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Thabane in 2014
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| 4th Prime Minister of Lesotho | |
| In office 16 June 2017 – 19 May 2020 |
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| Monarch | Letsie III |
| Deputy | Monyane Moleleki |
| Preceded by | Pakalitha Mosisili |
| Succeeded by | Moeketsi Majoro |
| In office 8 June 2012 – 17 March 2015 |
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| Monarch | Letsie III |
| Deputy | Mothetjoa Metsing |
| Preceded by | Pakalitha Mosisili |
| Succeeded by | Pakalitha Mosisili |
| Leader of the All Basotho Convention | |
| In office October 2006 – 2 February 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Nkaku Kabi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Motsoahae Thabane
28 May 1939 Maseru, Basutoland |
| Political party | Lesotho Congress for Democracy (Before 2006) All Basotho Convention (2006–present) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 5 |
| Education | National University of Lesotho (BA) |
Thomas Motsoahae Thabane (born 28 May 1939) is a politician from Lesotho. He served as the Prime Minister of Lesotho two times: first from 2012 to 2015, and again from 2017 to 2020. He also started a political party called the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in 2006 and led it until 2022.
Before becoming prime minister, Thabane worked in the government of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili from 1998 to 2006. He was part of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) party. In 2006, he left the LCD and created his own party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC). After several years, his party formed a group with 12 other parties after the 2012 Lesotho parliamentary election. This allowed him to become prime minister.
In the 2015 Lesotho parliamentary election, his party was voted out of power by a group of seven parties led by Mosisili. Even though his party won the most local areas, they did not form the government. A few months later, Thabane went to South Africa with other opposition leaders. They said they were worried about their safety. They returned to Lesotho in February 2017 to take part in a vote that removed Mosisili from power. Thabane's party then won the most seats in the 2017 Lesotho general election, and he became prime minister again.
In 2020, Thabane faced pressure to leave his job as prime minister due to serious personal issues. He announced on May 18 that he would resign the next day.
Contents
Political Career and Early Roles
Tom Thabane began his career in government. He worked as the Principal Secretary for Health under Leabua Jonathan, who was the second prime minister of Lesotho. This was until the military took over the government in 1986.
After that, Thabane worked with the military government until 1991. He was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1991.
Working in Government
In 1995, Thabane became an advisor to Prime Minister Ntsu Mokhehle. He later served as Foreign Minister again in Mosisili's government from 1998 to 2002. Then, he became the Minister of Home Affairs and Public Safety. In 2004, he was appointed Minister of Communications, Science and Technology.
Forming a New Party
Thabane left the government in October 2006 and started a new political party called the All Basotho Convention (ABC). He stated that his goal was to bring all people of Lesotho together. Many believed the ABC could help Lesotho's economy grow.
Soon after, 18 members of Parliament joined the ABC, making it the third-largest party. This change led to an early election in February 2007. In this election, the ABC won 17 local seats. Thabane believed the election was fair but not completely equal.
After the 2007 election, there was a disagreement about how seats were given out based on the total votes. Thabane's party wanted him to be named the Leader of the Opposition, but this was not approved.
There were some political tensions in 2007, and a curfew was put in place for a while. Thabane spoke out against the curfew. In 2009, after an incident at Mosisili's home, police suspected someone connected to Thabane was involved. Thabane criticized the government for blaming the opposition.
Becoming Prime Minister
After being in the opposition for over five years, Thabane formed a group with other parties following the 2012 Lesotho parliamentary election. He was then chosen as prime minister.
In August 2014, Thabane went to South Africa. He said he was worried about his safety and that he would only return if he felt safe. The military denied his claims. He returned to Lesotho in September 2014 with protection from South African police.
After His First Term
Thabane's party did not win enough votes to form a government in the 2015 Lesotho general election. He mentioned in an interview that this would be his last time serving in parliament. He said he was following the example of leaders like Nelson Mandela, who chose to leave office.
In June 2015, Thabane and two other opposition leaders went to South Africa. They did not attend parliament meetings, citing safety concerns in the country. They returned to Lesotho in February 2017. They announced that Mosisili no longer had enough support in parliament and planned to remove him. Thabane stated he was taking a risk by returning.
Prime Minister Again (2017–2020)
Mosisili was removed from power after a vote, which led to a new election in June 2017. The ABC party won the most seats. With the help of its allies, the ABC had enough support to form a government. Thabane was sworn in as prime minister on June 16, 2017.
In 2020, Thabane faced pressure to resign as prime minister due to serious personal issues. On May 11, 2020, his government lost the support of its partners. The Speaker of the National Assembly said that Thabane would need to step down by May 22. Thabane announced on May 18 that he would resign the next day. Moeketsi Majoro, who was the finance minister, was chosen to take his place.
Thabane initially did not want to step down as the leader of the ABC party. However, in January 2022, he announced his plan to leave the party leadership. He explained that this was due to his health and age. The party then elected Nkaku Kabi to become the new leader.
Personal Life
Tom Thabane's first wife was Matoka Judith Thabane. They had four children together. She passed away in 2017.
Thabane later married Lipolelo Thabane. She was tragically killed in June 2017, just before he became prime minister for the second time.
In August 2017, Thabane married Maesiah Thabane in a ceremony in Maseru.
Honours
Foreign Honours
Italy
Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I
See also
In Spanish: Tom Thabane para niños
