- Lesotho and South Africa are scheduled to hold the inaugural Binational Commission this year.
- Basotho is pushing for the extension of Lesotho’s Special Permit which expires this year.
- Both leaders are committed to the free movement of people, goods and services.
South Africa and Lesotho will convene an inaugural Binational Commission (BNC) this year as the two countries work to strengthen ties, while the latter seeks an extension to the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP) which expires at the end of the year.
This arose from the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane in Pretoria on Saturday.
This was their first meeting since Matekane took office in October of last year.
In 2021, the two countries signed a cooperation framework and now want to make it a full-fledged BNC.
The top priority, the leaders said, was the “free movement of people, goods and services between the two countries, particularly given the unique geographical position of the Kingdom of Lesotho.”
“They further discussed easing the requirements for study and work permits for Basotho and the extension of the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP) when it expires in 2023,” the Lesotho government said.
Lesotho accused South Africa of violating its “free movement” agreement when authorities ordered 400 Basotho to leave Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal in November last year.
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That set the stage for the first meeting between Ramaphosa and Matekane scheduled for November last year, but it was canceled at the last minute because Ramaphosa had urgent internal ANC business to attend to.
In December last year, Tsepo Lipholo, leader of the Lesotho Covenant Movement (LCM), appealed to parliament to discuss a proposed motion on the recovery of parts of South Africa.
Historically, the Basotho were found in the Orange Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
cross border crime
There have been numerous cases of illegal miners, zama zamas, identifying themselves as Basotho. From the meeting between both leaders it was agreed that they should join forces to face cross-border crimes and illegal mining.
“Mr Matekane and Mr Ramaphosa further agreed to work together to eradicate cross-border crime committed by citizens of both countries, the threat of illegal mining that has devastated South Africa and thus resulted in massive loss of life for the citizens of both countries. the Lesotho government said in a statement.
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In response to questions from journalists, Lesotho Prime Minister’s press attaché Thapelo Mabote said that while cases of assault of Basotho were reported in South Africa, it was not easy to conclude whether they were victims of mob justice or of xenophobia.
restoration of democracy
Ramaphosa praised the Basotho for holding free and fair elections, which are the cornerstone of democracy.
As SADC’s delegated facilitator on the Lesotho roadmap, he wanted to see the regional bloc’s recommendations implemented.
“The successes recorded so far towards the conclusion of the national reform process are encouraging. I believe that, as per the Prime Minister’s commitment, the new government will accelerate its efforts and complete all outstanding issues to finalize the reform process and pass the Law Constitutional pending”. Amendment Bill,” Ramaphosa said.
Lesotho’s Constitutional Amendment Bill seeks to amend key provisions related to political parties, the exchange of votes in parliament, the appointment of senior officials and the role of the prime minister.
The leaders also spoke about the joint work of Lesotho and South Africa in the renewable energy sector.
This is particularly due to Lesotho’s enormous potential in this area, which is made possible by the country’s abundance of water, sunlight and high mountains, which are strategically located to allow for the efficient use of wind energy.
There are four projects in Lesotho that have passed the feasibility study stage and can provide a significant amount of electricity using wind.
News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained in this document do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
