Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to close down SADC offices in Lesotho, Monday 30 March 2015

Maseru - SADC Facilitator and South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will visit the Kingdom of Lesotho where he is expected to   participate in a ceremony to close down the SADC Facilitation Mission on Monday 30 March 2015 in Maseru.

The ceremony which will witness the lowering of the SADC Flag and the official closing down of the SADC Facilitation Mission 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 as part of efforts to create political stability in the country. 

On the other hand, 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 Cooperation  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.

For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853.

Issued on behalf of the SADC Facilitation Mission