President Ramaphosa has commended the people of the Kingdom of Lesotho for their determination to forge a stable and peaceful country.<\/p>\n
He was speaking at the inauguration of the country\u2019s newly elected Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, in Maseru on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the Government and the people of South Africa, I offer warm congratulations on your appointment as the Prime Minister of our sister country, Lesotho, a fellow member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).<\/p>\n
\u201cOur congratulations go to all Basotho for the successful exercise of their democratic right on 7 October 2022. I wish to commend the people of Lesotho for their shared determination to restore peace and stability and to forge a just and prosperous future for the Kingdom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The President reflected on the deep ties between South Africa and Lesotho spanning back to the Apartheid era where some South Africans fled to the land-locked country.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many, [Lesotho] became a place of refuge and safety. After gaining its independence in 1966, the Basotho Kingdom became an essential sanctuary for many South African freedom fighters driven into exile by the apartheid regime.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe acknowledge with gratitude the solidarity and the hospitality of the Basotho, and recognise the sacrifices that were made in the pursuit of our freedom. This warm and welcoming nature of the Basotho continues to this day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe strong bonds between our two nations are founded on family ties, shared language, history and culture. Our pasts are inseparable. Our futures are intertwined,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
President Ramaphosa said Lesotho itself has had to deal with a \u201cdifficult path towards the restoration of peace, security and stability\u201d over the past eight years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn December 2014, SADC entrusted me with the task of Facilitator in the Kingdom of Lesotho to assist with the promotion of peace and stability and constitutional reform. After I was elected President of South Africa, this task was taken forward by a Facilitation Team\u2026to promote open and transparent dialogue, to allow the Basotho to express their own views about the Lesotho they want.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recall how His Majesty King Letsie III, the former Prime Minister, SADC and the Basotho celebrated the successful culmination of the National Dialogue, which led to the establishment of the National Reforms Authority,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The President commended the National Reforms Authority for piloting legislative reforms despite facing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work of the National Reforms Authority is best captured in the Draft Eleventh Constitutional Amendment Act \u2013 the Omnibus Bill \u2013 which was presented to the 10th Parliament before its dissolution in July 2022. The reforms contained in the Draft Omnibus Bill lay a solid foundation for the future of the Basotho.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe therefore welcome the commitment of the incoming government to give priority to the finalisation of this important work. We believe that the issue of justice and reconciliation is within the grasp of the Basotho,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Source: South African Government News Agency<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"