Pretoria - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the facilitator of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has arrived in Lesotho for his third visit aimed at mediating the political crisis in the kingdom, the Presidency said on Tuesday.
The visit, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, is in line with SADC's Double Troika mandate for Deputy President Ramaphosa to help create dialogue among all Lesotho's political and other role players, with a view to addressing their current political and security challenges.
Deputy President Ramaphosa is supported in these efforts by SADC Deputy Executive Secretary, Themba Mhlongo, who is leading the regional body's team of experts and members of the Secretariat including Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana.
The Deputy President has been pushing the role players in Lesotho to bring forward elections in the kingdom, reconvene parliament as well as stabilise the security situation in that country.
During the last two visits, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid courtesy calls and briefed his Majesty King Letsie III, met with members of the Coalition Political Parties including Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, main and small opposition parties, the Independent Electoral Commission, the Council of Churches, the College of Chiefs as well members of the NGO sector.
These were part of regional efforts to assist the people of Lesotho to find a peaceful resolution to their current challenges.
Deputy President Ramaphosa's mediation resulted from a decision by the SADC Double Troika of Heads of State and Government plus DRC and Tanzania, which convened in Pretoria earlier this month to consider, among others, the current political and security challenges facing Lesotho.
At its summit, the SADC Troika gave an ultimatum to Thabane to reopen the suspended parliament with immediate effect, in order to pave the way for early elections in a bid to end political tension in that country.
Thabane suspended parliament in June to avoid a vote of no confidence that was being pushed by his coalition government partners. - SAnews.gov.za
