Lesotho's army, police and intelligence chiefs have in effect threatened a military coup, warning they will step in to prevent Prime Minister Sam Matekane from being toppled in a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

As Prime Minister Sam Matekane's ouster seemed imminent on Monday, the security bosses issued a statement saying this "will never happen".

About 64 MPs, enough to topple the government in Lesotho's 120-member chamber, had earlier on Monday called a press conference in Parliament to demonstrate they had the numbers to oust Matekane.

The MPs included disgruntled dissidents from Matekane's own Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) unhappy with how the party is being run.

A successful businessman, Matekane won a landslide victory in elections a year ago, and vowed to root out corruption and incompetence in Lesotho's notoriously corrupt and inept political system. But he has battled to change a deeply ingrained system, and now he himself has been accused of corruption and nepotism. However, Lesotho observers also believe he has just become the latest victim of Lesotho's opportunistic and unprincipled political system, where MPs constantly shift allegiance for personal gain.

The estimated 64 MPs headed by opposition Democratic Congress leader Mathibeli Mokhothu were ready on Monday to vote on a no-confidence motion filed by the Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Machesetsa Mofomobe on Friday and to swear in Mokhothu as new Prime Minister on Monday afternoon.

But they were at least...