Lekhetho Ntsukunyane
BOTSWANA President Ian Khama has threatened to withdraw his country’s representatives from the SADC Oversight Committee on Lesotho in light of Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili’s complaint the bloc’s decisions were “gnawing” at the Mountain Kingdom’s sovereignty.
The maverick Botswana leader also stressed that SADC member states’ “unwavering” support to Lesotho’s efforts to bring about lasting political stability had “come with huge financial and other costs”.
The threat was in response to a 5 April 2017 letter Dr Mosisili wrote to SADC chairperson, King Mswati III, complaining about the decisions made by an extra-ordinary summit for heads of state and government held on 18 March 2017 in Swaziland.
Among Dr Mosisili’s gripes was the bloc’s decision to mandate its facilitator to Lesotho, South African Vice-President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Oversight Committee to monitor the political and security situation in Lesotho during the election period.
Dr Mosisili also took issue with the summit’s mandating of Mr Ramaphosa and the Oversight Committee to hold a multi-stakeholder national dialogue ahead of the 3 June 2017 parliamentary elections, describing it as “yet another spurious responsibility”.
The national dialogue was last week shelved by Mr Ramaphosa during his visit to Lesotho, after he concurred with Dr Mosisili’s view that there was no more time.
Dr Mosisili also pointed to the “shocking veiled threat” by SADC of “consequences” for failure to observe timelines in the implementation the SADC decisions and the recommendations of the Justice Phumaphi Commission of Inquiry.
He insisted that Lesotho was a sovereign nation that would not be dictated to by a regional bloc of which it was a founding member.
Dr Mosisili’s remarks did not go down well with Mr Khama, who also dispatched a missive to King Mswati III responding to the points raised by the Lesotho premier.
Dated 18 April 2017, the letter is copied to Mr Ramaphosa and SADC Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax among others.
Part of the letter reads: “I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Prime Minister Mosisili’s letter dated 4 April 2017 regarding the decision of the Extraordinary SADC Summit held 18 March 2017, in Swaziland, pertaining to developments in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
“I wish to express my serious concern that the Prime Minister has interpreted SADC’s involvement in Lesotho as interference in Lesotho’s sovereignty.”
Mr Khama states that SADC’s involvement in Lesotho was premised on the letter and spirit of its principles and objectives “as well as an exercise of solidarity and brotherhood”.
“If Lesotho feels that the collective and relentless efforts by the regional leaders in finding a lasting political and security solution is a direct violation of her sovereignty, then Botswana will consider withdrawing her representatives currently serving in the SADC Oversight Committee on Lesotho.”
The 10-member Oversight Committee was established by an Extraordinary Summit of the Double Troika held on 3 July 2015 in Pretoria, South Africa to monitor the implementation of SADC decisions regarding the political and security situation.
The committee was also tasked with providing assistance in the implementation of constitutional, security and public sector reforms in Lesotho.
Botswana has two members in the committee, namely Patrick Balopi and Major-General Jefferson Tlhokwane.
Mr Khama also emphasises material costs incurred by SADC member states in assisting Lesotho.
“It should also be borne in mind that SADC member states’ unwavering support to Lesotho’s efforts of consolidating democracy, peace and stability has come with huge financial and other costs.”
Meanwhile, Dr Mosisili’s Political and Economic Adviser, Dr Fako Likoti, yesterday confirmed receiving the correspondence from the regional bloc, saying the premier was yet to respond to it since he had been out of the country.
