Keiso Mohloboli
Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili will this week head a 10-member delegation to Zimbabwe for the Extraordinary Meeting of SADC Heads of State and Government scheduled for Wednesday in Harare.
The Summit is expected to adopt the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020, which is a roadmap for the region’s industrialisation. The RISDP strategy perceives regional integration as the primary promoter of mechanisation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
South African Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, who facilitated Lesotho’s snap elections on 28 February 2015 which brought Dr Mosisili to power, is also expected to report on his six-month peace mission to the kingdom at the SADC summit.
According to a statement released on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, the Lesotho delegation would also comprise Foreign Affairs Minister Tlohang Sekhamane, Public Works and Transport Minister Tšoeu Mokeretla, Development Planning Minister Mokoto Hloaele, Trade Minister Joshua Setipa and other senior government officials.
Meanwhile, the SADC summit would also be presented with a report on progress towards preparations for the 3rd Tripartite East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and SADC summit set for 10 June 2015 in Cairo, Egypt. The Summit is intended to launch the Tripartite Free Trade Area and consider progress in the Tripartite Work Programme, the ministry further noted in the statement.
“Another agenda item will be a report on the preparations towards the launch of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) negotiations, which will be launched at the AU Summit in June 2015.
“Finally, there will be a meeting of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, on the margins of the Summit, where the SADC Facilitator, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa will present a report on Lesotho.”
Mr Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Ronnie Mamoepa said of the report: “I can’t give details of Mr Ramaphosa’s report, but it basically talks about his successful facilitation processes in Lesotho and how best SADC can assist the country with constitutional reforms.
“Mr Ramaphosa is confident to declare not only to Basotho but the whole world that through his facilitation, peace and stability have returned to Lesotho.”
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