Statement by King Letsie III at State Banquet in Honour of President Chissano

SPEECH BY HIS MAJESTY KING LETSIE III AT THE STATE BANQUET HOSTED IN HONOUR OF HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT JOAQUIM ALBERTO CHISSANO OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE – TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER, 2004 – MASERU SUN CABANAS.

TONIGHT, LESOTHO HAS A SPECIAL GUEST, A DISTINGUISHED SON OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. A MAN WHOSE DESTINY WAS DETERMINED BY HIS UNDYING THIRST FOR THE LIBERATION OF HIS MOTHERLAND AND THE WELL BEING OF HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN. A MAN, WHO FOR MORE THAN thirty-four YEARS HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF HIS COUNTRY. A MAN WHOSE INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS BEGAN WHEN HE JOINED THE MOZAMBICAN SECONDARY STUDENTS ASSOCIATION THAT WAS FOUNDED BY THE LATE EDUARDO CHIVAMBO MONDLANE. A MAN WHO WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF FRELIMO IN 1962.

A MAN WHO, FOLLOWING THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF PRESIDENT SAMORA MACHEL, IN AN INCIDENT THAT SHOCKED THE WHOLE WORLD, WAS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE AS A NATURAL AND LOGICAL SUCCESSOR TO THE PRESIDENCY AND WHO, IMMEDIATELY UPON ASSUMPTION OF THE PRESIDENCY INITIATED AN END TO THE CIVIL WAR THAT WAS RAVAGING MOZAMBIQUE AND LED A DEBATE ON CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES THAT CULMINATED IN THE MUTLI-PARTY SYSTEM.

IN BRIEF, THIS MAN’S COMMENDABLE POLITICAL HISTORY SIMPLY DEMONSTRATES HIS DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THE LIBERATION OF MOZAMBIQUE AS WELL AS TO THE WELL-BEING AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THAT BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY.

THIS MAN’S OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE MOULDING OF THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF MOZAMBIQUE, THE AFRICAN CONTINENT AND THE WORLD AT LARGE, IS A LIVING EXAMPLE OF AFRICA’S STATESMANSHIP.

MR. PRESIDENT, WE WELCOME YOU MOST HEARTILY TO THE MOUNTAIN KINGDOM. WE HOPE THAT YOUR STAY WITH US SHALL BE MOST MEMORABLE, REFRESHING AND REWARDING.

THAT YOUR EXCELLENCY SO GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED OUR INVITATION PARTICULARLY AT THIS DEMANDING TIME WHEN MOZAMBIQUE IS ON THE EVE OF HOLDING PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, IS A SOURCE OF GREAT PRIDE TO US.

PRESIDENT CHISSANO IS WITH US TODAY TO BID US FAREWELL AFTER AN ILLUSTRIOUS AND, INDEED, A FULFILLING POLITICAL CAREER. HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE SHAPING OF THE AFRICAN AND REGIONAL POLITICS BEARS TESTIMONY.

IN THIS REGARD, WE NEED ONLY TO SAY HOW IMPRESSED WE WERE WITH THE EXEMPLARY MANNER IN WHICH HE STEERED THE AFFAIRS OF OUR CONTINENT DURING HIS TENURE AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION (AU). THIS WAS DURING THE DIFFICULT TIMES WHEN THE CONTINENT HAD TO OPERATIONALISE SOME OF THE MAJOR ORGANS OF THE AU SUCH AS THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL, THE PAN AFRICAN PARLIAMENT AS WELL AS THE AU COMMISSION ITSELF. YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE WERE OUTSTANDING TO SAY THE LEAST, MR. PRESIDENT.

IN THE SAME BREATH, WITHIN OUR REGION, THE DYNAMIC ROLE YOUR EXCELLENCY PLAYED AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SADC ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENCE AND SECURITY COOPERATION CHARTED THE WAY FORWARD AND ENABLED MY PRIME MINISTER, MR. PAKALITHA MOSISILI WHEN HE TOOK OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP, TO CONDUCT THE AFFAIRS OF THE ORGAN IN AN EFFICIENT AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER.

LET ME REMIND ALL OF US GATHERED HERE TONIGHT OF THE SIGNIFICANT AND HIGHLY CHERISHED ROLE PLAYED BY YOUR COUNTRY, MOZAMBIQUE, TOGETHER WITH BOTSWANA, SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE DURING AND FOLLOWING THE 1998 POLITICAL CRISIS IN LESOTHO. THE TACT, SKILL AND DIPLOMACY WHICH YOUR EXCELLENCY DISPLAYED IN HANDLING THAT DELICATE AND VOLATILE SITUATION WILL REMAIN WITH US FOR A LONG TIME TO COME. TO US, IT DEMONSTRATED THAT YOU ARE INDEED A VALUED AND TREASURED FRIEND OF BASOTHO. WE SHALL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE PERSONAL INTEREST YOUR EXCELLENCY HAD IN THE PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF LESOTHO’S POLITICAL CRISIS.

AS THE MOZAMBICAN PEOPLE PREPARE TO BID FAREWELL TO A GREAT LEADER, THE AFRICAN CONTINENT IS READY TO WELCOME A DISTINGUISHED ELDER STATESMAN. IT IS OUR FERVENT HOPE THAT THE TREASURE TROVE OF EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE BUILT, AS A PEACEMAKER AND A CHAMPION OF THE AFRICAN CAUSE, WILL BE UTILISED FOR THE SAKE OF INCULCATING A CULTURE OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY ACROSS OUR BELOVED CONTINENT.

LESOTHO AND MOZAMBIQUE SHARE COMMON BONDS OF HISTORY, FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION, AND THEIR DESTINY IS INTERTWINED AND HENCE, DURING THE APARTHEID ERA, THEY BOTH SUFFERED UNDER THE THEN APARTHEID STATE APPARATUS WHICH DID NOT KNOW ANY BOUNDARIES. NOW THAT THE DAYS OF APARTHEID ARE BEHIND US, LET US TOGETHER WITH COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, ENGAGE IN A VIGOROUS SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRIES.

WE ARE INDEED PROUD THAT MOZAMBIQUE AND LESOTHO HAVE JOINED THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM). THIS DEMONSTRATES THE CONFIDENCE OUR TWO COUNTRIES HAVE IN THEIR SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE.

IT IS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT, WITHIN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM, DR. GRACA MACHEL, A DISTINGUISHED MOZAMBICAN NATIONAL, FEATURES QUITE PROMINENTLY.

NEVER BEFORE HAS THE AFRICAN CONTINENT, PARTICULARLY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION, DEMONSTRATED SO MUCH COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, THE RULE OF LAW AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS. IN THIS CONTEXT, AND NOTING THAT MOZAMBIQUE WILL BE HOLDING GENERAL ELECTIONS SHORTLY, YOUR EXCELLENCY’S GRACIOUS AND HONOURABLE DEPARTURE FROM ACTIVE POLITICS, IS A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION THAT THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS REGION IS BEGINNING TO EMBRACE THE VIRTUES OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AND WE HOPE OTHER LEADERS WILL EMULATE YOUR EXAMPLE.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, YOU HAVE RUN A LONG AND HARD POLITICAL RACE SUCCESSFULLY AND NOW YOU DESERVE TO BE BESTOWED WITH “THE MEDALLION OF VICTORY”. YOUR EXCELLENCY WILL PASS ON THE HEAVY BATON OF LEADERSHIP TO YOUR SUCCESSOR WHO WILL HAVE BEEN ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE. WE ASSURE YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE OF OUR UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO YOUR SUCCESSOR.

AS YOUR EXCELLENCY ENJOYS YOUR RETIREMENT, PLEASE REMEMBER THE CHALLENGES THAT THE AFRICAN CONTINENT CONTINUES TO FACE SUCH AS ARMED CONFLICTS, POVERTY, THE SCOURGE OF HIV AND AIDS AND OTHER RELATED INFECTIOUS DISEASES. WE SHALL ALWAYS COUNT ON YOUR WISE COUNSEL, AS WE CONTINUE TO CONFRONT THEM. IN THIS REGARD, WE RECALL YOUR EXCELLENCY’S WORDS DURING THE LAST AU SUMMIT HELD IN ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, IN JULY 2004, WHEN YOU SAID THAT: “I WILL BE WATCHING YOUR PERFORMANCE, SO THAT, FROM MY POINT OF ADVANTAGE, I MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE STRENGTHENING OF A STRONG AND DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE AFRICAN UNION MEMBER STATES AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY, WHICH IS DESIRABLE.”

The sum total of all that I have said so far leads me to arrive at a firm conclusion that His Excellency, President Joaquim Alberto Chissano, is a true friend of Lesotho, a champion liberator, a committed democrat, an observer of the rule of law, a promoter of peace and stability and a protector of the fundamental freedoms and human rights. In the light of these enviable leadership qualities, I now have the pleasure of bestowing upon your Excellency, “The Knight Commander of the Most Courteous Order of Lesotho.”

Your Excellency, President Chissano, WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR WELL-DESERVED RETIREMENT. WE HOWEVER, KNOW THAT A STATESMAN OF YOUR CALIBRE CAN HARDLY ENJOY A MOMENT OF REST AS YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CALLED UPON TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD FOR MANKIND.

LET ME CONCLUDE BY REITERATING THAT YOUR PRESENCE AMONGST US IS A SOURCE OF JOY AND HAPPINESS TO US. AS A SPECIAL GUEST OF LESOTHO, YOU ARE VERY CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS, AND SHALL REMAIN SO. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL FIND YOUR STAY IN LESOTHO BOTH ENJOYABLE AND FRUITFUL.

EXCELLENCIES, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I NOW request all of us to RISE AND join me in proposing A TOAST TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT CHISSANO:

To the continued PERSONAL WELL-BEING AND GOOD HEALTH OF THE PRESIDENT AND FOR THE PROSPERITY OF THE PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE.