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SADC facilitator to visit Lesotho on peace mission

Xinhua, July 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is facilitator of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), will visit Lesotho to facilitate peace and stability in the kingdom, his spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said Wednesday.

During his visit scheduled for Thursday, Ramaphosa is expected to brief key political and other stakeholders on the Terms of Reference for the establishment of the SADC-led Commission of Inquiry into recent developments in the country.

In this context the SADC Double Troika Summit of Heads of State, held in Pretoria on July 3, decided, "as a matter of urgency", to establish an independent commission of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Lesotho army commander Maaparankoe Mahao and its deployment with immediate effect.

Mahao was killed in late June after being sacked by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili. His death plunged the country into uncertainty.

The commission of inquiry, chaired by Botswana Judge Mpaphi Phumaphi, is also expected to look into other related factors that may have contributed to incidents of instability in Lesotho.

In pursuance of the objective of his visit, Ramaphosa will thus outline the terms of reference of the commission of inquiry to King Letsie III during his courtesy call and further brief Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili, members of the opposition political parties , Council of Churches of Lesotho, College of Chiefs and NGOs, Mamoepa said.

Ramaphosa has conducted a series of missions which contributed to the reopening of parliament, the holding of democratic elections and the inauguration of a democratic government in Lesotho.

The SADC has been pushing all stakeholders in the kingdom, including the government to urgently undertake constitutional and security sector reforms.

Lesotho was forced into an early election in late February following an attempted coup in August last year. Mosisili emerged as the winner in the elections. He fired Mahao after taking office and re-appointed Tlali Kamoli as army chief.

Kamoli had been fired by former Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and was behind the attempted coup that forced the country into early elections.

Soon after Kamoli's re-appointment, several soldiers, including body guards of Thabane, were arrested and tortured on allegations that they were conniving with Mahao and former police commissioner Khothatso Tsooana to overthrow the government.

Soon afterwards, Thabane and Basotho National Party leader Thesele Maseribane fled the country, claiming they were tipped about plots to kill them. Enditem