SADC steps up push for National Leaders’ Forum

MASERU – SADC facilitator to Lesotho’s crisis Justice Dikgang Moseneke and his team will be in the country this week as they step up preparations for the National Leaders’ Forum set for early next month.
They will also start preparations for the multi-stakeholder National Dialogue Plenary II as part of a roadmap for the next phase of the reforms process.
A pre-national leader’s forum will be held on September 23 and 24.

Justice Moseneke told a press conference in Maseru on Tuesday that a SADC Summit had extended the mandate of the facilitation team.
He said SADC was happy with the huge strides that the National Dialogue Planning Committee (NDPC) had made with regards to coming up with a framework for the national reforms.
He said the SADC Summit also welcomed the enactment of legislation to establish the National Reforms Authority in Lesotho.

Justice Moseneke said the Summit urged all stakeholders in Lesotho to remain committed to the reforms process.
He said the SADC Summit applauded Basotho for the progress they had made through the NDPC, government and opposition parties and all stakeholders who jointly committed themselves to the national reforms process.
He said the passing of the National Reforms Bill of 2019 on 14 August this year was a step in the right direction for Lesotho.
Justice Moseneke said, the NDPL presented the expert reports to the SADC facilitation team, last Monday.

“The meeting resolved that the reports should be made available to the Lesotho government, leader of opposition, (and) all stakeholders in order to prepare for both the National Leaders Forum and Plenary II where decisions about the Lesotho we want can ultimately be taken,” he said.
Justice Moseneke said he held a joint meeting with the NDPC and representatives of the governing coalition, opposition parties in parliament and parties outside parliament, last Tuesday.

The engagement will also see him meet the Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the Christian Council of Lesotho, academics and representatives of youths and persons with disabilities.
He said the joint meeting deliberated on possible dates for the National Leaders Forum and Plenary II including the conclusion of aspects emanating from submissions received through the invitation to make submissions.
“It was agreed that one or more pre-National Leaders Forum meetings be convened to enhance and integrate supplementary aspects distilled from other already existing reports submissions within 7 days,” Justice Moseneke said.

He said the meeting of stakeholders agreed that the pre-national leader’s forum be held on September 23-24 this year while National Leaders Forum be held in early October.

Nkheli Liphoto