05 Jul 2015

Members of SADC Double Troika leaders have approved the establishment of an oversight committee to assess the political instability in Lesotho.

The committee will act as an ‘early warning mechanism’ in the event of signs of instability, and intervene when appropriate in consultation with the SADC facilitator, South Africa Vice President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa.

The SADC Double Troika Extraordinary Summit that convened on Friday July 3 was attended by Presidents from Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lesotho Prime Minister as well as representatives from Malawi, and Namibia.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said in an interview on arrival from Pretoria that the Extraordinary Summit comes in the wake of assassination of the Lesotho former Defence Force Commander, Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao.

She said the meeting felt that the death of Brigadier Mahau might plunge Lesotho into political instability. She said the meeting also established an independent commission of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Brigadier Mahao and its deployment with immediate effect.

She said a committee of enquiry will comprise representatives from SADC countries. Thus she said President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama has tasked Botswana’s Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo to appoint a legal representative from Botswana who will chair the commission that has been assigned to complete a report within two months.

She said SADC requested full collaboration and cooperation of government of Lesotho in facilitating the work of the commission of enquiry. Dr Venson-Moitoi also said there has also been a suggestion that another committee be established that will comprise political representatives, members of police and army and security intelligence who will have two representatives from each cadre.


“This committee will be chaired by a political representative because we believe the instability in Lesotho is caused by politics,” she said. The committee will be responsible for keeping an eye on the peace keeping process and give feedback to SADC and the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Dr Venson-Moitoi also said the meeting decided that an independent pathologist be sent to Lesotho to conduct an examination of the death of brigadier Mahao.


She further said members of the Double Troika will remain fully committed towards normalisation of political and security situation in Lesotho and keep an eye on the developments in Lesotho until the assignments have been fully undertaken by the committees and reports given to SADC. 


President Zuma as chairperson of SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and President Mugabe co-chaired the meeting. ENDS