Ramaphosa to attend inauguration of new Lesotho Prime Minister

President Cyril Ramaphosa  is expected to attend the Inauguration Ceremony of newly elected Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane.

The inauguration will take place in the capital Maseru on Friday morning.

64-year-old Matekane ended the reign of the All-Basotho Convention and the Democratic Congress, which have dominated politics in the kingdom of 2.1 million people since 2012.

Election win

Matekane’s six-month-old party, Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), won 56 out of the 79 contested constituencies earlier this month, five seats short of an absolute majority that would have ended the era of unstable coalition politics in that country.

Famed for the picturesque mountainous terrain, the “Kingdom in the Sky” has long been beset by political turmoil, with coups and attempted coups dotting its history since independence from Britain in 1966.

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For the past decade, the small Southern African state has been governed by a string of coalition governments that have proved fractious and frail, and no premier has served out a full five-year term.

Ramaphosa’s attendance

The presidency said Ramaphosa is attending at the invitation of His Majesty King Letsie III.

“President Ramaphosa’s attendance is an expression of South Africa’s continued support for the Basotho and of the firm bonds and friendship between the two countries.”

“Relations between the two countries are based on shared language, history, and culture. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992.

“The Kingdom of Lesotho provided shelter and support to South African liberation cadres in their fight against apartheid,” it said.

Lesotho struggles

With a population of about two million people, Lesotho is surrounded by South Africa, which relies on it for essential water supplies to Johannesburg and other cities.

It ranks among the world’s poorest countries, with more than 30% of its population living on less than $1.90 a day.

About one in three children are stunted due to malnutrition, according to the United Nations, and almost one in four people are infected with HIV, the second highest rate in the world, as reported by AFP.

Additional reporting by AFP.

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