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Aug. 18, 2022

STAFF REPORTER

3 min read

Expedite completion of reforms, SADC urges Lesotho

Expedite completion of reforms, SADC urges Lesotho

Lesotho's Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro

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Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit has urged Lesotho to expedite completion of reforms and has established an oversight committee to ensure continuity and oversight on the implementation of reforms.

The recommendation is part of the communique of SADC 42nd Ordinary Summit of Heads or State and Government concluded on August 17 at Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where Lesotho Prime Minister Dr Moeketsi Majoro was in attendance.

The summit has established an oversight committee made up of the SADC Panel of Elders (PoE) and the Mediation Reference Group (MRG) “to ensure continuity and oversight on the implementation of reforms in the Kingdom of Lesotho”, which will take over from the facilitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa through the retired justice Dikgang Moseneke.

According to the communique after receiving the progress report from Ramaphosa on the implementation of SADC decision in Lesotho and while noting the progress made, the summit “urged the government (of Lesotho) to expedite completion of the ongoing reforms, and to continue with peace, transitional justice and reconciliation process to engender national unity, and bring about healing and cohesion.”

The former Prime Minister of Lesotho Thomas Thabane launched the comprehensive programme aimed at implementing national reforms on Monday May 14, 2019. The country was set on the path to reform: the constitution, security, justice system, parliament and public sector as well as introducing reforms to the economy and the media.

The outgoing facilitator, President Ramaphosa and his facilitation team, have been commented by the summit “for the excellent leadership and role in supporting the Government and people of the Kingdom of Lesotho in the process of the multi-stakeholder national dialogue and the adoption of the comprehensive reforms proposals.”

The summit also noted the readiness of Lesotho to hold general and national assembly elections on August 7 and wished Lesotho “peaceful elections.”

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Expedite completion of reforms, SADC urges Lesotho

Former Prime Minister of Lesotho Dr Thomas Thabane laid the foundation for national reforms

Among other recommendations the SADC summit condemned the violence in Eswatini and it mandated the chairperson of the security organ to convene an extra-ordinary summit of the organ of troika plus Eswatini, at a date to be determined, aimed at finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the security challenges facing the country.

The summit approved and signed the agreement amending the SADC treaty on transformation of the SADC parliamentary forum into a SADC Parliament, and the agreement amending the protocol on development of tourism in the region.

The summit adopted the memorandum of agreement amongst the SADC member states for the establishment of humanitarian and emergency operations centre and referred it to the ministers responsible for disaster risk management for signature.

The summit also adopted and signed the protocol against trafficking in persons, to provide a framework of cooperation between member states in combating trafficking in persons and associated transnational organized and cross-border crimes in the region.

The summit elected the president of DRC Felix Tshisekedi as the new chairperson of SADC and the president of Angola Joao Lourenco as the incoming chairperson of SADC while the president of Namibia Hage Geingob was elected as chairperson of the organ on politics, defence and security cooperation with Zambia president Hakainde Hichilema becoming the incoming chairperson of the organ.

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