Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives in Maseru to close down SADC Mission

Maseru - SADC Facilitator and South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa today, Monday 30 March 2015 arrived in the Kingdom of Lesotho ahead of the official closure of the SADC Facilitation Mission and offices scheduled for later today at the SADC offices, Tona-Kholo Road   in Maseru.  

Ahead of the ceremony today, Monday 30 March 2015 the Facilitator is expected to meet the Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili, former Prime Minister and will pay a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III on Tuesday 31 March 2015.

The SADC ceremony later today will witness the lowering of the SADC Flag and the official closing down of the SADC Facilitation Mission offices and will be addressed by the Facilitator, Deputy President Ramaphosa, Lesotho’s Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili and SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax.

The closing ceremony marks the end of the facilitation mission following the successful SADC intervention which culminated in the recently held elections declared credible, free and fair by elections observers. The elections arose from provisions of the Maseru Facilitation Accord signed by all Lesotho’s political parties and facilitated by Deputy President Ramaphosa as part of efforts to create political stability in the country.

In addition, the law enforcement agencies signed the Maseru Security Accord which resulted in the taking of leave of absence by three senior Defence and Police officers which created a climate for the stabilisation of the security situation in Lesotho.

Even though the SADC Facilitation mission offices will be closed down on Monday 30 March 2015, the SADC Double Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation held in Pretoria early this year urged all Lesotho’s political role-players to focus their attention, post the elections, on the constitutional and security sector reforms. In this regard, SADC has committed itself to continue to assist the people of Lesotho in this process by making available expertise from member-states.

Deputy President Ramaphosa is expected to return to South Africa on Tuesday 31 March 2015.

Media is invited as follows to the closure of the SADC Facilitation Mission

Date: Today, Monday 30 March 2015.

Time: 16h00

Venue: SADC House (Tona-Kholo Road)

For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa on +2782 990 4853 or Lesego Setshedi on +26 658 868 653.

Issued on behalf of the SADC Facilitation Mission