Lesotho’s ruling party All Basotho Convention (ABC) gave Prime Minister Thomas Thabane an ultimatum to resign by Thursday in the wake of a scandal in which his current wife, Maesaiah, is accused of involvement in the murder of his previous wife.
Police have already questioned Thabane after his mobile phone was connected to communication records from the scene of the killing of Lipolelo Thabane.
The ABC spokesman Montoeli Masoetsa told AFP that Thabane’s resignation was no longer an issue about waiting for him to leave office but a decision of the party.
“We… have decided that the PM should leave office by Thursday. We cannot afford to have him any longer in office and we think it’s only for the best,” Masoetsa said.
The ABC’s highest decision-making body had met on Monday and agreed on a target date for Thabane to leave office.
Thabane had previously said that he would resign due to advanced health without giving any timeline of when that will happen.
Lipolelo was killed two days before the Prime Minister’s inauguration for a second term, and two years after a court ruled that the deceased was the lawful first lady and entitled to benefits.
Thabane and Maesaiah were married two months after Lipolelo was shot dead by an unknown assailant near her home in Maseru. Thabane and Lipolelo were in the middle of a bitter divorce and her killing was suspected to be a political assassination.
Maesaiah was also charged for the attempted murder of Thato Sibolla, a friend of Lipolelo who was wounded at the scene.
Maesaiah will stand trial on March 17, according to a ruling by a magistrate when she appeared in court on Tuesday. She has denied any involvement in the murder but cannot enter a plea until the trial begins.
Thabane is also under pressure from opposition parties in the country to resign.
