Media Statement
03 July 2019
President undertakes Working Visit to Kingdom of Lesotho
President Cyril Ramaphosa will undertake a Working Visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho on Thursday 04 July 2019 during which the President and the Right Honourable Prime Minister Thomas Thabane will discuss bilateral, regional and continental issues, as well as international developments.
It is expected that President Ramaphosa will also pay a courtesy call on His Majesty, King Letsie III, and engage with civil society groupings.
South Africa and Lesotho enjoy strong and cordial relations which are predicated on historical ties dating back to the struggle against colonialism and apartheid in South Africa, shared language and close geographical proximity.
The structured bilateral relations between the two countries are conducted through the Joint Bilateral Commission for Cooperation (JBCC) which was established in 2001, and is convened at a Ministerial Level. In this regard, the Working Visit takes place in the context of strengthening bilateral, political, social and trade relations between the two countries.
Bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Lesotho spans a wide range of areas including, but not limited to, trade and investment, security, energy, transport, agriculture, tourism, water as well as environment.
President Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Facilitator to Lesotho, will receive an update on the progress of the reform process in the Kingdom of Lesotho with Right Honourable Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and relevant stakeholders.
President Ramaphosa was appointed the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) facilitator to Lesotho in September 2014 when he held the position of Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa.
After assuming the position of President of the Republic in 2018, President Ramaphosa appointed former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke to lead the SADC Facilitation Team to Lesotho.
President Ramaphosa is due to present a report on the facilitation process to the SADC Heads of State and Government in August 2019 in the United Republic of Tanzania where regional leaders will particularly assess progress in constitutional and security reforms in Lesotho.
The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the Minister of State Security, Ms Ayanda Dlodlo, and the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini.
Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President – 072 854 5707
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
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Pretoria
0084