The Prime Minister Announces Mozambican President Chissano's Visit to Lesotho |
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ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRIME MINISTER MR. PAKALITHA B. MOSISILI (MP) ON THE STATE VISIT TO THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO BY H.E. PRESIDENT JOAQUIM ALBERTO CHISSANO OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE, FROM 2 TO 3 NOVEMBER, 2004. Madam Speaker/Mr. President Honourable Members, I am pleased, and indeed honoured, to inform this esteemed House that, at the invitation of the Government of Lesotho, the President of the Republic of Mozambique, His Excellency Mr Joaquim Alberto Chissano, will pay a State Visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho from 2 to 3 November, 2004. Honourable Members will recall that, as the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, Mozambique played a very important and pivotal role in the resolution of the political crisis in Lesotho, following the 1998 general elections. President Chissano's personal commitment was demonstrated by his numerous visits to Lesotho and the extensive consultations he held with all stakeholders at the material time. His Excellency, President Chissano, will voluntarily retire from active politics and the Presidency of the Republic at the end of his current term. To this end, he recently bid farewell to his colleagues at the UN, AU and SADC levels. Against this background, the Government of Lesotho deemed it appropriate to invite the President to the Kingdom as a tribute to his tireless efforts and sterling leadership towards the attainment of peace in Africa, the Southern Africa region, and Lesotho in particular. After all, it was during President Chissano's Chairmanship that two major organs of our Continental Organisation, the African Union (AU), were launched, namely the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Pan African Parliament (PAP). Madam Speaker/Mr. President Honourable Members, President Joaquim Alberto Chissano has devoted his entire adult life to the service of the people of Mozambique as he has been involved in their political leadership for more than 34 years. Born on 22 October, 1939, he started his involvement in politics as a student when he joined the Mozambique African Secondary Students Association (NESAM), an association of nationalist inspiration founded by Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane, and became its President in 1959/60. He went on to become a member of FRELIMO when it was formed in 1962 and interrupted his studies to take over the function of secretary to President Eduardo Mondlane. He was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Mozambique Liberation Front and Head of FRELIMO Permanent Mission at its Provisional Headquarters in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. In June, 1975 he was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, a post he held for eleven years. He became President and Head of State of the Republic of Mozambique in 1986, following the tragic and sudden demise of President Samora Machel. Despite the sad circumstances that catapulted him into the highest office of his country, President Chissano's assumption of the position of Head of State was but a logical and fitting culmination of an illustrious political career. President Chissano is a tactful and skilful diplomat who did not leave any stone unturned in seeking peace and stability for his country. In 1987 he initiated contacts with several individuals within the country and abroad, searching for ways and means to a peaceful end to the civil war in his country. The following year he succeeded in establishing preliminary contacts with the MNR (then known as RENAMO) through a group of religious leaders on the one hand and Kenyan Government Officials on the other. This culminated in his signing of the General Peace Agreement with the leader of RENAMO in Rome, Italy, in 1992. From 1989-90 he led the debate on the constitutional changes that led to the introduction of a multi-party system and a market economy in Mozambique. Both these initiatives were quite bold indeed, considering the strong Marxist and one-party tradition of the liberation struggle era in that country. In fact, President Chissano readily confesses and concedes that in some of the innovations he introduced, he stuck his neck out and went against the mainstream of his party in the greater interest of the country. Such is the stern stuff of which true leadership is made! President Chissano is quite an accomplished linguist by any standards, fluent as he is in Portuguese, French, English, Kiswahili and several Mozambican indigenous languages. He also understands Spanish and some Italian. Madam Speaker/Mr. President Honourable Members, Let me conclude this brief statement by expressing Government's earnest wish and request to Honourable Members and the nation as a whole, to make every effort to ensure that this State Visit becomes the glorious success we can all be proud of. Unfortunately, due to the pressures of the hot campaign for the impending general, Presidential and local government elections in Mozambique, President Chissano can spare only two days to be with us. Let us make it a memorable two days for him, his entourage, and all of us! KHOTSO! PULA! NALA! For a printable version click here. 21 October 2004 |
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