YOUR EXCELLENCY,

 IT GIVES US GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU TO LESOTHO AND TO RECEIVE THE LETTERS OF CREDENCE BY WHICH HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI, ACCREDITS YOU AS THE NEW HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA TO OUR COURT.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

WE  WERE  DEEPLY  SHOCKED  AND  SADDENED  BY THE UNTIMELY    PASSING    AWAY    OF    YOUR    PREDECESSOR,    HIS EXCELLENCY MR. JAPHET NDLOVU.  THE LATE HIGH COMMISSIONER  NDLOVU  WAS  A  FIGHTER  AND  A  STALWART  OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.  DURING HIS TENURE OF OFFICE AS HIGH COMMISSIONER, RELATIONS BETWEEN LESOTHO AND THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA BLOSSOMED.  IT IS OUR FERVENT HOPE THEREFORE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE FROM WHERE HE LEFT AND ENSURE THAT THE ALREADY CORDIAL RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES FLOURISH EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU TAKE LESOTHO TO BE YOUR SECOND HOME LIKE HE DID.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

AS YOU RIGHTLY POINTED OUT, THE VISIT TO LESOTHO BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI ON 19^TH APRIL 2001, OPENED UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN LESOTHO AND THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. IT   WAS   DURING   THIS   MEMORABLE   VISIT   THAT   HIS EXCELLENCY,    PRESIDENT        MBEKI        AND        MY        PRIME MINISTER, MR. PAKALITHA MOSISILI, SIGNED THE JOINT BILATERAL COMMISSION OF COOPERATION (JBCC) BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES WHOSE ULTIMATE  AIM  IS  TO  UPLIFT LESOTHO FROM THE CATEGORY OF LEAST   DEVELOPED  COUNTRIES   IN THE NEXT FIVE  YEARS.    IT IS OUR FERVENT HOPE THAT DURING YOUR TENURE OF OFFICE, YOU WILL LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED IN AN EFFORT TO PUT INTO EFFECT THE IDEALS ESPOUSED BY HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT MBEKI. WE WERE PROFOUNDLY GRATIFIED BY THE SHOW OF SOLIDARITY WHICH YOUR GREAT COUNTRY DEMONSTRATED LATE LAST YEAR, THROUGH THE DONATION OF ONE MILLION MALOTI (M1,000,000.00) TOWARDS FAMINE RELIEF IN LESOTHO.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

LESOTHO AND SOUTH  AFRICA  ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED AND AS SUCH THEY SHARE COMMON MEMBERSHIP TO NUMEROUS  REGIONAL   AND  INTERNATIONAL  ORGANISATIONS  SUCH  AS  THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN CUSTOMS UNION (SACU), THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC), THE AFRICAN UNION (AU), THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT (NAM), THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE UNITED NATIONS (UN).  IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT WE SHALL CONTINUE TO CONSULT EACH OTHER WITH A VIEW TO AGREE ON COMMON POSITIONS TO BE TAKEN BY OUR TWO SISTER COUNTRIES IN VARIOUS REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FORA.

  YOUR EXCELLENCY,

  IT   WOULD,   INDEED,   BE   REMISS   OF   US,   IF   WE   FAILED   TO COMMEND    HIS     EXCELLENCY,   PRESIDENT   MBEKI,    FOR    HIS ILLUSTRIOUS LEADERSHIP  ROLE  AND  DEVOTION  TOWARDS  THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD) AS WELL AS FOR STEERING THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT IN THE PAST YEAR.   FURTHERMORE, YOUR COUNTRY’S EFFORTS IN PURSUIT OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AS WELL AS IN PROMOTING PEACE NOT ONLY IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT BUT ALSO INTERNATIONALLY, HAVE NOT GONE UNNOTICED.

IN CONCLUSION, WE WISH TO ASSURE YOU THAT THE GOVERNMENT   AND  PEOPLE  OF   LESOTHO  WILL,  DURING  YOUR  TENURE  OF  OFFICE, ACCORD YOU ALL THE NECESSARY SUPPORT   AND   ASSISTANCE    IN     ORDER     TO   MAKE YOUR ACCREDITATION TO LESOTHO BOTH FRUITFUL AND  ENJOYABLE.

FINALLY, WE WISH TO CONVEY THROUGH YOU, OUR WARM GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES TO HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI, FOR HIS PERSONAL WELL-BEING AND FOR THE SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.

  WELCOME TO LESOTHO, YOUR EXCELLENCY!!!
28 February 2003