HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF  SENATE

HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

YOUR LORDSHIP THE CHIEF JUSTICE

HONOURABLE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

HONOURABLE MINISTERS

PROFESSOR WISEMAN NKUHLU – NEPAD  CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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TODAY MARKS YET ANOTHER MILESTONE IN GOVERNMENT’S CONCERTED EFFORTS TO BETTER THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE.  IN A TYPICALLY SMART PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AFRICAN UNION’S NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD), WE ARE ASSEMBLED HERE THIS MORNING TO LAUNCH THE LESOTHO NEPAD CHAPTER IN THIS BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN KINGDOM.  FITTINGLY THEREFORE, IT IS FOR US A PROUD AND EXCITING DAY THAT HOLDS MUCH PROMISE FOR A MEANINGFUL SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF LESOTHO AND BASOTHO.  

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FOLLOWING THE SUICIDAL 1998 POLITICAL CRISIS, WE RESOLVED AS GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS OUR ENERGIES ON CONSOLIDATING DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW AND FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACE, SECURITY AND STABILITY IN THE KINGDOM.  THE ROAD WE HAVE TRAVELLED SO FAR BEARS CLEAR TESTIMONY TO OUR PROGRESS.  HOWEVER, IT MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, IMPORTANT AS IT IS, THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE IN THIS REGARD CANNOT ON ITS OWN, GUARANTEE A NATION AT PEACE WITH ITSELF.  THE OVERRIDING MEASURE OF PROGRESS AND OF OUR SUCCESS WILL BE SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ERADICATION OF POVERTY! 

RECENTLY, WE DEVELOPED OUR LONG TERM VISION, VISION 2020 AS WE POPULARLY CALL IT, AND THE CONCURRENT POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PAPER (PRSP).  NEEDLESS TO MENTION THAT, THESE DOCUMENTS WERE DEVELOPED THROUGH A CONSULTATIVE PROCESS, THAT INVOLVED ALL SECTORS OF OUR SOCIETY.  THIS CREATED A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE PROCESS AND THE AGREED STRATEGIES BY BASOTHO THEMSELVES.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRSP   TOGETHER WITH VISION 2020 HAS GENERATED A LIST OF KEY NATIONAL PRIORITIES THAT ARE NON-PARTISAN IN NATURE, ENABLING BASOTHO TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER AS ONE NATION. 

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DESPITE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE DOCUMENTS, LESOTHO CONTINUES TO BE FACED WITH ENORMOUS CHALLENGES, SUCH AS: 

·        AN INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF POVERTY;

·        HIGH LEVELS OF UNEMPLOYMENT;

·        THE RAPID SPREAD OF HIV AND AIDS, NEGATING ALL EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY AND WELFARE OF BASOTHO;

·        WORSENING PROBLEMS OF FAMINE, PRECIPITATED BY UNFAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS. 

IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, LESOTHO RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF BELONGING TO THE FAMILY OF MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE PRINCIPLES, POLICIES AND VALUES SHE SHARES.  HENCE HER MEMBERSHIP OF THE AFRICAN UNION (AU), AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PROGRAMMES OF THAT CONTINENTAL ORGANISATION SUCH AS THE NEPAD AND THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM). 

NEPAD WAS CONCEIVED AND ADOPTED BY THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF THE THEN ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU), NOW THE AFRICAN UNION (AU), AT THEIR 37^TH SUMMIT IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA, IN JULY 2001. 

AS IF TO SEAL A DESTINY OF PROMISE FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF THE AU, AT THEIR INAUGURAL SESSION IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, MADE A DECLARATION ON DEMOCRACY, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.  IN THAT DECLARATION, THEY STATED AS FOLLOWS (AND I QUOTE): 

“IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR MEETING, WE RECALLED OUR SHARED COMMITMENT UNDERLYING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEPAD TO ERADICATE POVERTY AND TO PLACE OUR COUNTRIES, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, ON A PATH OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND, AT THE SAME TIME, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD AND BODY POLITIC ON EQUAL FOOTING.  WE REAFFIRM THIS PLEDGE AS OUR MOST PRESSING DUTY”. 

THUS, AND AS   CAN BE SEEN FROM THE FOREGOING QUOTATION, NEPAD’S   OBJECTIVE   IS TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE AFRICAN CONTINENT,

WHICH INCLUDE HIGH LEVELS OF POVERTY, AND THE MARGINALISATION OF AFRICA IN THE WORLD MARKETS. 

ALL IN ALL, NEPAD IS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW VISION THAT GUARANTEES AFRICA’S RENEWAL.  IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEREFORE, THAT WITHIN NEPAD, THERE IS THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM) WHOSE PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO FOSTER THE ADOPTION OF POLICIES, STANDARDS AND PRACTICES THAT LEAD TO POLITICAL STABILITY, AS WELL AS GOOD AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.  THE APRM STRESSES HIGH ECONOMIC GROWTH, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ACCELERATED REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION.  ALL THESE CAN BE REALISED THROUGH SHARING EXPERIENCES AND REINFORCING SUCCESSFUL AND BEST PRACTICES, INCLUDING IDENTIFYING DEFICIENCIES AND ASSESSING THE NEEDS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING. 

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PARTICIPATION IN THE PEER REVIEW PROCESS IS NOT ONLY OPEN TO ALL MEMBER STATES OF THE AFRICAN UNION BUT VOLUNTARY. AS YOU MAY RECALL, JOINING THE APRM ENTAILS AN UNDERTAKING TO SUBMIT TO PERIODIC PEER REVIEWS, TO FACILITATE SUCH REVIEWS, AND TO BE GUIDED BY AGREED PARAMETERS FOR GOOD POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE. 

ALTHOUGH THE APRM IS AN INSTRUMENT VOLUNTARILY ACCEDED TO BY MEMBER STATES OF THE AU, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT ALL AU MEMBER STATES SHOULD JOIN.  LET ME AT THIS JUNCTURE REMIND THIS AUGUST GATHERING THAT LESOTHO JOINED THE APRM DURING THE LAST AU SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, LAST MONTH. 

GOVERNMENT HAD DEEMED LESOTHO MORE THAN READY TO JOIN THE APRM AS SHE MEETS ALL OF THE MECHANISM’S TARGETED COMMITMENTS.  CURRENTLY, WE ARE ENGAGED IN ARRANGEMENTS FOR A CONSULTATIVE PROGRESS WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN POLITICS, GOVERNANCE, CIVIL SOCIETY, PRIVATE SECTOR AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS WITH THE VIEW TO CLEARING THE WAY FOR THE PEER REVIEW PROCESS. 

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IN A NUTSHELL, THE FOLLOWING CONSTITUTE NEPAD’S PRINCIPLES:- 

·        GOOD GOVERNANCE AS A BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; 

·        AFRICAN OWNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS INTRINSIC PARTICIPATION BY ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY; 

·        ANCHORING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA ON ITS RESOURCES AND THE RESOURCEFULNESS OF HER PEOPLES; 

·        PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AND AMONG AFRICAN PEOPLES; 

·        ACCELERATION OF REGIONAL AND CONTINENTAL INTEGRATION; 

·        BUILDING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND THE CONTINENT; 

·        FORGING A NEW INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP THAT CHANGES THE UNEQUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE DEVELOPED WORLD; AND 

·        ENSURING THAT ALL PARTNERSHIPS WITH NEPAD ARE LINKED TO THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND OTHER AGREED DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS AND TARGETS. 

FLOWING FROM THESE NOBLE PRINCIPLES ARE THE DESIRED OUTCOMES.  THESE  MAY BE SUMMARIZED AS: 

·        AFRICA BECOMING MORE EFFECTIVE IN CONFLICT PREVENTION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT  OF AN ENDURING PEACE ON THE CONTINENT; 

·        AFRICA INCREASINGLY ADOPTING AND IMPLEMENTING PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY AND GOOD POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS; 

·        AFRICA DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE POVERTY ERADICATION PROGRAMMES;  

·        AN ACCELERATED PACE  OF ACHIEVING  THE SET AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT GOALS, PARTICULARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; 

·        AFRICA ACHIEVING INCREASED  LEVELS OF DOMESTIC SAVINGS, AS WELL AS INVESTMENT BOTH DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN; 

·        INCREASING THE LEVEL OF OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTINENT AND ENSURING THAT ITS EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION IS MAXIMISED; 

·        ACHIEVING DESIRED CAPACITY FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT, COORDINATION AND NEGOTIATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA; AND 

·        ENSURING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GENUINE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN AFRICA AND THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES BASED ON MUTUAL RESPECT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.  

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WE SHOULD NOTE WITH SATISFACTION THAT THESE OUTCOMES ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR OWN VISION 2020 AND THE PRSP PROCESS.  HENCE OUR DESIRE, TODAY, TO LAUNCH THE LESOTHO NEPAD  CHAPTER.  BILATERAL  COOPERATION IS RAPIDLY PHASING OUT, AND BEING SUBSTITUTED BY MULTILATERAL COOPERATION.  CONSEQUENTLY MOST  COOPERATING PARTNERS ARE CHANNELING THEIR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH NEPAD, WHICH  HAS INDEED GAINED TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM SOME MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING  DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. 

FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH, WE SHALL HAVE A FRAMEWORK FOR LESOTHO NEPAD  CHAPTER, WHOSE BUILDING BLOCS SHALL MAINLY BE THE NATIONAL VISION 2020 AND THE PRSP DOCUMENTS.  THIS FRAMEWORK WILL ENABLE LESOTHO TO BENEFIT FROM NEPAD IN A SYSTEMATIC MANNER THAT  SHOULD ENHANCE  THE VERY DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NATION. 

AS HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT IS FULLY COMMITTED TO AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING PARTICIPATORY APPROACH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL STRATEGIES, WE WILL AS USUAL, ENDEAVOUR TO INVOLVE ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE LESOTHO NEPAD CHAPTER.   ACCORDINGLY, I HEREBY ISSUE AN OPEN INVITATION TO ALL BASOTHO TO JOIN THE PROCESS AND MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE BUILDING OF A VIBRANT LESOTHO/NEPAD RELATIONSHIP.  AS WE DO SO, LET US NOT LOSE FOCUS OF THE FACT THAT THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF NEPAD IS TO FACILITATE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TO ERADICATE POVERTY.  LET US ENSURE THAT WE TAKE FULL STOCK OF THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE OUR COUNTRY, CHALLENGES OF DEVELOPING OUR ABUNDANT WATER RESOURCES, DEVELOPING LESOTHO’S ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING INTRA AND INTER-COUNTRY ROADS, ELECTRIFICATION, INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS EXPLOITING THE VERY RICH POTENTIAL FOR TOURISM IN A COUNTRY THAT IS SO GENEROUSLY ENDOWED WITH NATURAL BEAUTY. 

AS WE ENGAGE IN THIS CRITICAL PROCESS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE NEPAD CHAPTER, LET US CAPITALISE ON OUR STRENGTHS INCLUDING OUR WHITE GOLD – WATER, AND OUR POTENTIAL TO GENERATE MORE HYDRO-POWER FOR OURSELVES AND  SOME OF OUR NEEDY NEIGHBOURS.  BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, LET US ACCEPT AND UNDERSTAND THE STARK REALITY THAT NOBODY, NOT EVEN NEPAD, WILL DEVELOP OUR COUNTRY FOR US.  THAT DUTY WE MUST DO OURSELVES.  OUR PARTNERS, INCLUDING THOSE WITHIN THE NEPAD PROCESS, CAN ONLY ASSIST, FACILITATE AND ENHANCE OUR OWN EFFORTS.  WE MUST TAKE THE TRIP TO DEVELOPMENT OURSELVES.    OTHERWISE WE SHALL NEVER GET THERE. 

I NOW HAVE THE  PLEASURE, HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE OF DECLARING THE LESOTHO NEPAD CHAPTER  OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED! 

KHOTSO!        PULA!!      NALA!!!