Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to receive and welcome the return of exiled Lesotho opposition leaders back to Maseru, Sunday 12 February 2016

Maseru - SADC Facilitator and South Africa’s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will pay a working visit to Maseru on Sunday 12 February to welcome the three returning exiled Lesotho opposition political party leaders including former Prime Minister Tom Thabane, Theselle Maseribane and Ms. Keketso Rantsho back to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The return of the three opposition leaders back to Lesotho is a culmination of decisions of the SADC Double Troika Summit held in Gaborone, Botswana in June 2016, which mandated Deputy President Ramaphosa, among others, to facilitate the return from South Africa of opposition political party leaders back to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

In pursuit of this mandate and as well as to assess progress regarding the constitutional and security sector reforms and the implementation of recommendations of the Phumaphi Commission of Inquiry, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a working visit to Maseru on Friday 10 February 2016.

Against this background, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III, held bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili, held meetings with government coalition party leaders, opposition party leaders, Council of Churches of Lesotho, NGO sector and representatives of the College of Chiefs.

Deputy President Ramaphosa will be supported during the function to welcome the three leaders of the All-Basotho Convention, Basotho National Party and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho on Sunday 12 February by members of the SADC Oversight Committee.

Details are as follows:
Time: 11h00
Venue: Avani Lesotho Hotel, Maseru
Date: Sunday 12 February 2016

Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa  082 990 4853


Issued by The Presidency
Pretoria