Khama leaves BDP congress for SADC emergency meet
President Ian Khama has cut short his attendance at the ongoing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) national congress in Mmadinare for an emergency SADC Heads of State meeting in Pretoria, South Africa today (Friday).
The meeting will discuss the political turmoil engulfing the mountain kingdom of Lesotho brought about by the killing of former Army Commander Maaparankoe Mahao last Thursday. It will also address the precarious security situation in that country. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pelonomi Venson- Moitoi told Botswana Guardian that Botswana’s advance team led by permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lapologang Caesar Lekoa has already left the country for South Africa to prepare for the respective meetings. Moitoi was scheduled to leave for South Africa yesterday (Thursday) to attend the SADC Ministers meeting while President Ian Khama will arrive in Lesotho on Friday for the SADC Heads of State meeting.
Moitoi said that their visit to South Africa follows a debriefing by South Africa’s Special Envoy in the Minister of Defence and Security, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The envoy was dispatched on Wednesday by SADC Troika chairman and South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma to brief Botswana government on the latest developments in Lesotho. According to South Africa’s High Commissioner in Botswana, Lembede Mdu, Nqakula was part of the fact-finding delegation that travelled to Lesotho to assess the situation in that country. The killing of Mahao last Thursday has thrown Lesotho into political turmoil. Currently all three opposition leaders are reported to have fled the country fearing for their lives. Among those who fled is former Prime Minister, Tom Thabane who was an ally of Mahao. Early this week, SADC Troika Chairperson President Zuma sent SADC facilitator in Lesotho who is also his deputy President -Cyril Ramaphosa-to Lesotho’s Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing and Foreign Affairs Minister Tlohang Sekhamane.
The killing of Mahao has raised security concerns in the mountain Kingdom, which recently underwent regime change through the electoral process. Mahao’s family is accusing the Lesotho government of reluctance to investigate his murder. Based on this, Lesotho Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili appealed to SADC to help with the investigation. South Africa agreed to send pathologists with Zimbabwe and Namibia offering to send investigators to probe the killing of Lesotho’s former army commander General Mahao.
At the end of his Lesotho trip, Ramaphosa was widely quoted as having said that, “Prime Minister Mosisili has requested that SADC should assist with the investigation into the death of Lieutenant General Mahao, as well as to assist with the pathology examination around his death.” He said that South Africa would be sending pathologists to do the examination and other countries in the region; Zimbabwe and Namibia would send investigators to investigate the circumstances around Lieutenant General Mahao’s death. Minister Motoi confirmed that the decision to send experts from the neighbouring countries to Lesotho was SADC’s and would lead to a lasting solution.
