YOUR MAJESTY KING LETSIE III,
HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT,
YOUR MAJESTY THE QUEEN MOTHER,
INKHOSIKATI,
YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE PRIME MINISTER,
PRESIDING OFFICERS OF PARLIAMENT AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT,
PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF APPEAL,
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,
HONOURABLE MINISTERS,
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE,
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT,
THEIR LORDSHIPS, JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT,
EXCELLENCIES MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,
HONOURABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
HER WORSHIP THE MAYORESS OF MASERU,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
DUMELANG BO’ME LE BO NTATE.
INTRODUCTION
ON BEHALF OF ALL LEADERS, MAY I BEGIN BY EXPRESSING OUR PROFOUND APPRECIATION FOR THE INVITATION EXTENDED TO US FOR THIS 50TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT KINGDOM OF LESOTHO.
WE STILL HAVE VIVID MEMORIES OF OUR LAST VISIT HERE YOUR MAJESTY WHEN YOU INVITED US FOR YOUR 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS THREE YEARS AGO. IT APPEARS OUR VISIT TO THIS NATION ALWAYS COINCIDES WITH A 50TH CELEBRATION FOR THE BASOTHO.
WE ALSO WISH TO THANK THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF LESOTHO FOR THE WARM HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO OUR DELEGATIONS SINCE OUR ARRIVAL HERE IN MASERU.
IT IS ALWAYS A GREAT JOY FOR US TO BE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL KINGDOM BECAUSE OUR VISIT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW AND STRENGTHEN THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS THAT HAPPILY EXIST BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES.
INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION
TODAY WE ARE GATHERED HERE TO CONGRATULATE THE PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO FOR THE GREAT STRIDES THEY HAVE MADE SINCE THE ATTAINMENT OF THEIR INDEPENDENCE ON THE 4TH OCTOBER 1966.
THE HUGE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE SEE TODAY IS A PRODUCT OF A PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A SHARED VISION AIMED AT IMPROVING THEIR WELFARE AND THE GENERAL LANDSCAPE OF THE KINGDOM.
THE SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, ROADS, HOTELS, DAMS AND OTHER AMENITIES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BEAR TESTIMONY TO YOUR RESOLVE OF A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL.
WE WISH TO CONGRATULATE YOU YOUR MAJESTY, THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE BASOTHO PEOPLE FOR THIS COMMENDABLE COMMITMENT. FOR THIS WE WANT TO SAY: KIYALEBOHELA BASOTHO.
WE CALL UPON EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN OF LESOTHO TO CONTINUE PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON ALL SPHERES. MAY YOU ALL LEAVE A GOOD LEGACY THAT WILL STAND OUT EACH TIME REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF YOUR NATION.
INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY REMIND US OF OUR NATIONHOOD - WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM. THEY RECONNECT US WITH THE CORE FABRIC OF OUR EXISTENCE AND AFFORD US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REKINDLE OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER WHICH, IN TURN, STRENGTHENS NATIONAL UNITY.
IT IS ALSO A TIME TO REMEMBER THE FOUNDERS OF OUR INDEPENDENCE. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT WE SALUTE THEIR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP.
THEY FOUGHT HARD FOR OUR INDEPENDENCE AS THEY WANTED A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEIR PEOPLE WHO COULD MANAGE THEIR OWN AFFAIRS IN A FREE AND CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT.
AS WE GATHER HERE TO ENJOY THEIR HARD FOUGHT FREEDOM, WE APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR SELFLESS SACRIFICE THAT WAS NOT IN VAIN.
FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO KINGDOMS
YOUR MAJESTY, THE KINGDOMS OF ESWATINI AND LESOTHO SHARE MUCH IN COMMON. AS YOU ALL KNOW, KING SOBHUZA II WAS VERY CLOSE TO KING MOSHOESHOE II TO AN EXTENT THAT HE NAMED ONE OF OUR HIGHWAYS AFTER HIM. EMASWATI HIGHLY CHERISH THIS FRIENDSHIP WHICH WE MUST CONTINUE TO NURTURE FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
BESIDES BEING BRITISH PROTECTORATES, WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER IN A VARIETY OF PROGRAMMES SUCH AS IN EDUCATION WHERE, WE CAME TOGETHER TO SHARE OUR RESOURCES AS BOTSWANA, LESOTHO AND SWAZILAND TO ESTABLISH OUR PRESENT UNIVERSITIES.
THIS WAS A HUGE MILESTONE THAT HAS EQUIPPED OUR PEOPLE WITH APPROPRIATE SKILLS SINCE INDEPENDENCE.WE ALSO APPLAUD THE EXCHANGE VISITS THAT WE HAVE WITNESSED BETWEEN THE TWO ROYAL FAMILIES, GOVERNMENTS AND OUR PEOPLES. VISITS ARE A TRUE SIGN OF AFRICAN BROTHERHOOD AND FRIENDSHIP.
THIS IS ENSHRINED IN OUR AFRICAN ETHOS. THEREFORE, LET US CONTINUE TO CONSULT EACH OTHER AND FORGE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH KINGDOMS TO REALIZE OUR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
SADC
YOUR MAJESTY, OUR COUNTRIES ARE MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT REGIONAL, CONTINENTAL AND MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SACU, SADC, AU AND UN TO NAME BUT A FEW.
SADLY THE SADC REGION IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING SEVERE DROUGHT THAT HAS SERIOUSLY HAMPERED OUR REGIONAL FOOD SECURITY OBJECTIVES AND NEGATIVELY IMPACTED MANY OF OUR PEOPLES.
THIS HAS ALSO AFFECTED OUR HYDRO-POWERED ENERGY SUPPLY WHICH IS AN ENGINE OF GROWTH FOR THE BUSINESS SECTOR. OUR REGION IS ALSO FACED WITH UNEMPLOYMENT, DISEASES AND STAGNATION OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, AMONGST OTHER CHALLENGES.
THE SADC REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND INDUSTRIALISATION AGENDA PROVIDES SOLUTIONS TO THESE CHALLENGES. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AN ENABLING INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT, OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR DYNAMIC, HIGHLY EDUCATED, CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE YOUTH, ARE AMONGST THE CRITICAL AREAS OF FOCUS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS AGENDA.
THESE INITIATIVES COMPLEMENT THE 2063 AU DEVELOPMENT AGENDA THAT SEEKS TO DEVELOP THE CONTINENT INTO THE AFRICA WE ALL WANT.
THEY ALSO FORM PART OF THE KEY OUTCOMES OF THE 36TH SADC SUMMIT HELD IN THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI IN AUGUST THIS YEAR. IT WAS AGREED BY MEMBER STATES THAT IT IS OUR ABILITY TO MOBILIZE FUNDS THAT WILL SEE THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR OBJECTIVES.
TO ACHIEVE THIS, SADC MEMBER STATES HAVE TO PUT ASIDE COMPETITION AND COMPLEMENT ONE ANOTHER. WE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND ADOPT THE BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY BY MOVING AWAY FROM WORKING IN SILOS.
COLLABORATION, IRRESPECTIVE OF SIZE, AMOUNT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OR ECONOMIC STANDING OF EACH COUNTRY, IS WHAT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT THE SUCCESSFUL GROWTH OF OTHER REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROUPINGS.
EMULATING THIS PHILOSOPHY CAN BRING ABOUT HANDSOME DIVIDENDS FOR OUR PEOPLE. THE NEW PARADIGM SHIFT WOULD HELP US SPEAK IN ONE VOICE; MAKING US STRONGER EVEN AS WE NEGOTIATE TRADE AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER ECONOMIC BLOCS.
PEACE AND STABILITY
YOUR MAJESTY, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, A KEY CATALYST TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL, IS PEACE AND STABILITY. WE ARE PLEASED THAT OUR REGION IS COMMITTED TO THIS NOTION IN MANY WAYS.
SADC HAS MAINTAINED THE CONCEPT OF DIALOGUE AS THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF CONFLICT AND DIFFERENCES. LET US ADOPT THIS PRINCIPLE AT ALL TIMES TO AVOID REVERSING ALL THE POST-INDEPENDENCE GAINS, SUCH AS THOSE WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE TODAY.
WE ARE ALL AWARE THAT SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE REACH A POINT WHERE DIFFERENCES EMERGE WHICH PRESENT CHALLENGES TO OUR WELLBEING.
IN THIS REGARD, WE WISH TO ENCOURAGE THE BASOTHO TO FIND AN EXCLUSIVE PLACE THAT WILL BRING TOGETHER ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS EXISTING DIFFERENCES.
YOU NEED TO FIND A HOMEGROWN SOLUTION TO ADDRESSING ALL OUTSTANDING ISSUES THAT MAY HINDER THE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BASOTHO.
CONCLUSION
ONCE AGAIN, WE WISH TO STATE THAT WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT WE COULD FIND TIME TO GRACE THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
ON BEHALF OF ALL THE DELEGATES PRESENT, I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE BASOTHO PEOPLE FOR THE MILESTONES THE COUNTRY HAS ATTAINED AS WELL FOR THE PLEASANT ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR THIS OCCASION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK TO THE KINGDOM TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENARY OF YOUR INDEPENDENCE.
KIYALI BOHA – THANK YOU - MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS US ALL.