Ramaphosa to facilitate in Lesotho

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will act as the Southern African Development Community's facilitator in Lesotho, Co-operative Governance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Tuesday.

 

This was decided by the double troika summit of heads of state and government held in Pretoria on Monday, he said during government's weekly media briefing.

"The Summit mandated the deputy president of the Republic of South Africa, the honourable Cyril Ramaphosa, supported by the secretariat and a team of experts from troika member states, to act as SADC facilitator to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

"The deputy president, secretariat and experts have clear terms of reference to facilitate the restoration of political and security stability in the Kingdom of Lesotho, in the short and long-term."

Lesotho leaders have reportedly agreed to hold early elections following an alleged coup attempt last month.

The elections were scheduled for 2017.

Lesotho political leaders met President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Gordhan said the summit urged leaders of the Lesotho coalition government to work together.

This would include lifting its parliament's prorogation within the agreed time, during which focus should be placed in preparing for the elections.

"To this effect, the coalition government will work together with the facilitator in addressing all political and security challenges in preparation for the brought forward elections," he said.

 

 

(File photo: Gallo images)