Political analysts say Lesotho’s mining magnate Sam Matekane – whose new party has won the most seats in parliamentary elections – captured the imagination of young voters, and those jaded with the country’s broken politics.
He is a political novice but is well regarded in business circles, having made his money in the diamond, construction and transport industries.But it is Mr Matekane’s philanthropy that the people of Lesotho took notice of, especially in the last few years.
He has built a state-of-the-art school in rural areas and has funded the education of many children from impoverished communities.Mr Matekane launched the Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) party earlier this year.
Its impressive electoral performance comes at a time when hundreds of thousands of Basotho are facing food shortages, unemployment is on the rise and there have been allegations of widespread corruption in government.
While campaigning Mr Matekane promised to make these areas a priority should he win.
Some are seeing the RFP’s electoral success as a warning to older parties not just in Lesotho but also in other parts of Africa that they risk dying if they do not deliver.