SADC Chief refutes snubbing Press
SADC Executive Secretary Dr. Stergomena Lawrance - Tax this week defended her secretariat for not releasing a communiqué or briefing the media after last Monday’s Double Troika heads of state summit in Gaborone.
The summit was called specifically to discuss the Lesotho political instability. The media was sent from pillar to post thereafter with no one taking responsibility to brief them. Only some of the foreign Media received information from their respective heads of state that attended the summit.
The communiqué was released and read by Dr. Tax the next day on Tuesday at the SADC headquarters, who made it crystal clear that she would not entertain any questions from the media. In an exclusive interview with The Midweek Sun this week, Tax justified her actions saying her organization holds the media in the highest esteem because they are partners.
“We will never snub the media because we regard them as partners they are the vehicle which we use to reach out and, or disseminate information as the regional economic bloc composed of 14 countries belongs to all the citizens.” As for the delay in releasing the communiqué, Dr. Tax apologised and elaborated further: “We could not release the communiqué earlier because it was part of the negotiations’ agreement that no statements should be made until negotiations have been completed and all parties have agreed.”
She praised SADC Chairman President Ian Khama’s handling of the negotiations during a one-to-one meeting with the Lesotho delegation that culminated in the agreement. She said that although the regional leaders had decided that Lesotho be suspended if it does not agree to the proposal put before them, suspension meant that the bloc was going to lose a member and that Lesotho citizens would suffer more as a result.
“We formed ourselves into a group so that we could work together for the betterment of the lives of our people rather than to disintegrate. It is against this reason that we preferred to negotiate further than be quick to impose suspension,” Dr. Tax said, adding that having taken such a decision, they decided to apply the wait and see approach.
“This is why I could not even entertain questions during the press conference where I released the communiqué because I did not have such a mandate,” said Tax.
Although Tax did not reveal what transpired during meetings, reports reaching this publication indicate that Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili originally refused to accept the report and was told in clear terms that if he does not comply, then SADC would play that role, by firstly releasing the Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi report.
When he realised that his fellow leaders were not willing to compromise, Mosisili asked to be given a chance to consult with his associates before he could furnish them with an answer.
Originally Mosisili’s government’s position was to convince the Double Troika that he could not accept and act on the report until after the court has decided on an ongoing case in which one serving high ranking soldier – Lt. Colonel Tefo Hashati - wants the Phumaphi Commission report to be nullified.
