SPEECH BY HIS MAJESTY KING LETSIE III AT A STATE BANQUET IN HONOUR OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ATTENDING THE SADC HIV/AIDS SUMMIT, MASERU SUN CABANAS – THURSDAY 3 JULY, 2003

YOUR MAJESTY THE QUEEN,

YOUR EXCELLENCY THE CHAIRPERSON OF SADC,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT AND FIRST LADIES,

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE,

SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,

CHIEF JUSTICE,

HON. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,

HONOURABLE MINISTERS,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS,

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,  

ALLOW ME AT THE OUTSET TO SAY HOW PLEASED I AM TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT.    IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE FOR ME, AND I HOPE ALSO FOR THE REST OF YOU, TO SEE US TOGETHER IN THIS WAY AS A FAMILY – THE SADC FAMILY!!  I AM CONVINCED THAT OUR MEETING TOMORROW WILL PRODUCE INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS AND PROGRAMMES THAT WILL PROPELL US FORWARD IN THE UNFOLDING STRUGGLE AGAINST THE DEADLY HIV/AIDS DISEASE.

IT IS, THEREFORE MY PLEASANT DUTY AND GENUINE PLEASURE TONIGHT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO OUR COUNTRY.  FOR THOSE OF YOUR EXCELLENCIES FROM WARMER CLIMES, WHO MAY FIND OUR WEATHER A BIT CHILLY, COUNT YOURSELVES LUCKY BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT CAN BE WORSE THAN THIS.  IF WE HAD A CHOICE, WE COULD HAVE WAITED FOR A DIFFERENT AND MORE  CLEMENT SEASON, BUT THE GRAVITY OF THE HIV/AIDS SCOURGE HAS LEFT US WITH NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE BUT TO RUN AT FULL SPEED.  FOR THE TIME BEING, WE SHOULD THEREFORE, IGNORE THE MINOR INCONVENIENCES OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON FIGHTING THIS SCOURGE AS WE HAVE, IN THE PAST, RELENTLESSLY FOUGHT AGAINST THE SCOURGE OF  IMPERIALISM  AND COLONIALISM.  WE  ALSO FOUGHT AND WON AGAINST APARTHEID AND A HOST OF OTHER POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EVILS.  THAT IS WHY I AM CONFIDENT  THAT, IF WE PULL OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER, WE  WILL EMERGE TRIUMPHANT OVER THE HIV/AIDS CHALLENGE.

 YOUR EXCELLENCIES,

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,  

OUR ORGANISATION (SADC) HAS RECENTLY TRANSFORMED  ITSELF  INTO  A  MORE VIBRANT, DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE AND HIGHLY CHERISHED REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITY.  BUT, I THINK WE STILL HAVE TO DO MORE IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM IT TO EVEN GREATER COMMANDING HEIGHTS.

YOUR EXCELLENCIES MAY RECALL THAT THE BIRTH OF OUR ORGANISATION WAS CHARACTERISED BY A VERY HUMBLE BUT DIFFICULT BEGINNING, WHEN OUR SUB-REGION WAS UNDER A VERY DARK CLOUD IN THE FORM OF APARTHEID.  THE FORMATION OF THE THEN FRONT-LINE STATES GROUPING WAS OUR RESPONSE TO THE EVILS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE APARTHEID SYSTEM OF GOVERNANCE.

CONSCIOUS  OF ECONOMIC REALITIES FACING THE SUB-CONTINENT AS WELL AS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS, WE MOVED TO  A HIGHER FORM OF COOPERATION UNDER THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COORDINATING  CONFERENCE AND SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED FURTHER TO ESTABLISH THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.  AS I INDICATED EARLIER, WE STILL HAVE TO NURTURE OUR ORGANISATION ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE ONGOING REFORM PROCESS.  EVEN AS WE RESTRUCTURE AND REFORM SADC IN THE WAKE OF THE CHANGING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT, WE SHOULD, AT THE SAME TIME, ESNURE THAT IT DOVETAILS WELL INTO THE STRUCTURES OF THE AFRICAN UNION AND THAT ITS PROGRAMMES ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE OF THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD)

WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF THE ROLE THAT SADC HAS PLAYED IN THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR  SUB-REGION INCLUDING ITS POLITICAL ROLE IN FOSTERING PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE SUB-REGION.  

YOUR EXCELLENCIES,

LET ME CONCLUDE MY WELCOMING REMARKS BY INDICATING THAT WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT MAINLY TO ENJOY OUR DINNER WHILE SPEECHES ARE RESERVED FOR TOMORROW WHEN WE SHALL BE SEEKING WAYS AND MEANS OF DEALING WITH THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC.  FOR THIS REASON, I ENTREAT YOU TO ENJOY OUR HOSPITALITY AND THE HUMBLE FACILITIES PUT AT YOUR DISPOSAL.  

ONCE AGAIN, I WELCOME YOU ALL TO LESOTHO AND WISH YOU AN ENJOYABLE STAY!

BON APPETITE!!

3rd July 2003