Nthatuoa Koeshe
THE Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) recently joined hands with South African authorities to clean up the Maseru Bridge Border Post in celebration of Mandela Day.
Among the different entities from the neighbouring country who participated in the clean-up were the Lady Brand Mantsopa Municipality, the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the Immigration Department, Bloemfontein’s Department of Water and different taxi associations among others.
Nelson Mandela International Day (or simply Mandela Day) is an annual international day in honour of South Africa’s first democratically elected president, the late Nelson Mandela. It is celebrated each year on 18 July- President Mandela’s birthday.
Mandela Day is a global call to action that champions the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, help eradicate social ills through acts of volunteering in various spheres of life.
LTDC Public Relations Officer, Molapo Matela, said they decided to participate in the initiative as a way of enhancing their relations with the neighbouring country with whom they have several initiatives lined up.
“The LTDC has different activities lined up and we would want to work with entities like SARS and the Mantsopa Municipality, so we realised that it was also befitting for us to work with them on Mandela Day,” Mr Matela said.
He said although this was their first time to participate in such an initiative, they hoped to engage in more partnerships.
For her part, Mantsopa Local Municipality Mayor, Mamsie Tšoene, said it was crucial to involve Basotho in the initiative to signify the unity between the two countries.
“Basotho are part of us and having them here to join us as we celebrate Mandela Day is crucial,” Ms Tšoene said.
Ms Tšoene bemoaned the congestion at the border which she said has affected the economy of Ladybrand. She said at one-point Ladybrand had a thriving economy because of people who work in Lesotho but stay in the border town while some have business in Lesotho but live across the border.
“This was convenient for both Lesotho and Ladybrand but things have changed because of the congestion at the border,” she said.
She said this has resulted to many people relocating to Lesotho thereby suffocating the Ladybrand but said she hoped for better solutions for the border challenges.
Ms Tšoene also wished His Majesty King Letsie III a happy birthday on his 56th birthday. His Majesty celebrated his 56th birthday on Wednesday.