Gaborone - South African Deputy President and SADC Facilitator Cyril Ramaphosa has today, Monday 18 January 2016, arrived in Botswana where he is expected present to report on his visit to Lesotho in 2015 to the SADC Extra-Ordinary Double Troika Summit.
 
The SADC Extra-Ordinary Double Troika comprises Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania. President Jacob Zuma is leading the South African Government delegation to the Summit in his capacity as the outgoing Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
 
The SADC Extra-Ordinary Double Troika Summit is expected to consider the political and security situation in the SADC region, with specific reference to the situation in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
 
In this regard, Deputy President Ramaphosa will present a report to the Summit on his visit in December 2015 to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
 
The visit of Deputy President Ramaphosa to Lesotho in December 2015 arose from a decision of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security held in Johannesburg last year.
 
Following the receipt of the report of the SADC Commission of Inquiry into the death of the late Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao, the SADC Organ on Politics, defence and security was informed of a court challenge in Lesotho initiated by a Lesotho national against the SADC Commission of Inquiry.
 
The SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, thus decided that the Facilitator, Deputy President Ramaphosa should urgently visit the Kingdom of Lesotho to convey SADC’s concerns regarding the court challenge against the SADC Commission of inquiry to the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is in this context that the Facilitator is expected to present his report on the outcomes of his visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho to the SADC Extra-Ordinary Double Troika Summit.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa is expected to return to South Africa later today, Monday 18 January 2016.
 
Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853
 
The Presidency
Pretoria