Lesotho PM sends army into streets, accuses security agencies of undermining democracy

Embattled Prime Minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane, who is under pressure to step down, has announced that he has sent troops onto the streets to “restore order” after the tiny South African country witnessed pockets of demonstrations.

Thabane who is accused of murdering his estranged wife, made the announcement in a TV address late on Saturday, while also accusing unnamed law enforcement elements of seeking to undermine democracy in the country.

The 80-year-old Thabane said he had “deployed the army to take control of this situation and take necessary measures against these elements in alignment with the security orders and restore peace and order”.

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“This is to avoid putting the nation in danger,” he said.

The prime minister has so far resisted pressure to resign over the killing of his then-wife Lipolelo Thabane in 2017.

The case has shocked many in the small landlocked kingdom, which is entirely surrounded by South Africa

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