YOUR MAJESTY ‘M’E ‘MASENATE,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. PAKALITHA MOSISILI AND ‘M’E ‘M’ATHATO MOSISILI,

 HONOURABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE,

HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,

YOUR LORDSHIP THE CHIEF JUSTICE,

HONOURABLE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,

HONOURABLE MINISTERS,

YOUR LORDSHIPS, HONOURABLE JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT,

HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT,

HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE,

YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS,

SMART PARTNERS,

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

 On behalf on behalf of the government and people of Lesotho and on my own behalf, I welcome you most sincerely to the Kingdom of Lesotho.   Our thanks are due to you for taking the journey, in some cases a long one, to take part in this Southern African International Dialogue (SAID), 2005.   I hope that you will all feel at home in Lesotho and have fruitful discussions with each other and generate new ideas to combat the challenges that our respective countries face.  

Distinguished smart partners,

THE hosting of the 2005 Southern African International Dialogue on smart partnership BY LESOTHO coincides with the tenth anniversary of the smart partnership movement.   As we celebrate TEN YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL SMART PARTNERSHIP MOVEMENT, WHICH IS A COLLABORATIVE VENTURE THAT SEEKS TO MARSHALL ALL RESOURCES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF MANKIND, WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS PLAYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD.   IT HAS PROVIDED INVESTMENT, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS, MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING SKILLS.   THE SMART PARTNERSHIP MOVEMENT IS A NEW INITIATIVE AIMED AT COMBINING THE RESOURCES OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARTNERSHIP FOR TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT (CPTM) WITH THOSE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR ENHANCING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.  WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES, THE SMART PARTNERSHIP MOVEMENT HAS CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF EXPERTISE CAPABLE OF MANAGING THE EXPLOITATION OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S SMART PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUE IS "RESOURCING FOR GROWTH THROUGH SMART PARTNERSHIP".   THIS THEME IMPLORES EVERY ONE OF US TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE THROUGH SMART PARTNERSHIP.  IT IS THEREFORE OUR EXPECTATION THAT THIS DIALOGUE   WILL    PAVE THE WAY FOR:

(A)    IDENTIFICATION OF NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES;

(B)    FACILITATION OF COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT;

(C)   INTEGRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT WITH BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES;

(D)   HARNESSING OF EXISTING RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE WEALTH CREATION; AND

(E)    ACQUISITION OF TECHNOLOGY-BASED INVESTMENT AND MAKING OF INFORMED PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS RELEVANT TO ACCELERATED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

(F)    IT IS ALSO OUR HOPE THAT THE 2005 SOUTHERN AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE, LIKE PREVIOUS SMART PARTNERSHIP DIALOGUES, WILL, AMONGST OTHERS, CONTINUE TO:

(G)   FOSTER THE SMART PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES ACROSS THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD,

·        SHARE EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED IN GOVERNMENTAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ARENAS,

·        EXPLORE THE UTILISATION OF RESOURCES WHICH WILL BENEFIT AND ENHANCE THE WELL-BEING OF THE SMART PARTNERSHIP INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY,

·        PROVIDE AN AVENUE FOR THE SPECIALISED LINKS, NAMELY, GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, BUSINESS AND LABOUR, ARTS AND CULTURE, SOCIAL ISSUES, ACADEMIA, MEDIA AND YOUTH (CLUB 29) TO NETWORK,

·        SHARE AND CONSULT EACH OTHER ON ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES CONFRONTING US AND FACILITATE THE COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION OF THE VARIOUS REGIONAL HUBS AND WEBS TO CREATE AN OPEN GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.

THUS THE PARTNERSHIP DOES NOT ONLY STIMULATE THE LINKS BETWEEN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNMENT POLICY- MAKING BUT ALSO ESTABLISHES AND DISSEMINATES GOOD BUSINESS AND   MANAGEMENT   PRACTICES    IN   INTEGRATING RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFIT.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES,

AS MANY IN THIS HALL WILL TESTIFY, BASOTHO HAVE A CULTURE OF HOLDING DIALOGUES AS A WAY OF BUILDING A CONSENSUS AROUND A GIVEN CHALLENGE.  IN THIS REGARD, WE RECALL THAT OUR FOREBEARS USED TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN PUBLIC GATHERINGS (LIPITSO). THIS CULTURE OF DIALOGUES IS STILL PRACTICED EVEN TODAY AS EVIDENCED BY THE RECENTLY ADOPTED POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY AND THE LESOTHO VISION 2020 DOCUMENTS WHICH ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF DIALOGUES HELD AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY IN LESOTHO. INCIDENTALLY, IT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE SMART PARTNERS TO KNOW THAT THE COLLABORATIVE IDEA OF A NATIONAL VISION FOR LESOTHO CAME FROM THE SMART PARTNERSHIP MOVEMENT. 

DISTINGUISHED SMART PARTNERS,

THIS DIALOGUE IS BEING HELD AT AN OPPORTUNE TIME WHEN WE, IN LESOTHO, HAVE RECENTLY HELD OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS AND ARE NOW ESTABLISHING LOCAL AUTHORITIES.   TO US, LOCAL GOVERNANCE IS A VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH WE INTEND TO DEEPEN DEMOCRACY AND EMPOWER OUR PEOPLE.   IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT, ONCE LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE IN PLACE, SMART PARTNERSHIPS WILL BE FORMED WHICH WILL YIELD SOCIALLY BENEFICIAL RESULTS FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. 

AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, THE IDEA OF SMART PARTNERSHIP IS NOT NEW IN LESOTHO. BASOTHO ARE RENOWNED FOR WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL.  TODAY, WE NEED EACH   OTHER   EVEN   MORE   AS    WE     CONFRONT SERIOUSLY THE SEEMINGLY INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS   SUCH AS THE HIV AND AIDS PANDEMIC AND A MYRIAD OF RELATED PROBLEMS SUCH AS POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT, DROUGHT AND LAND DEGRADATION.   AS WE TACKLE THESE PROBLEMS, WE DO SO WITH CONFIDENCE AND ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE BUT THAT WE ARE IN THE GOOD COMPANY OF OUR SMART PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH.

SMART PARTNERS,

TO CONCLUDE MY REMARKS, ALLOW ME TO ONCE AGAIN WELCOME ALL OF YOU MOST HEARTILY AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING MADE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT DIALOGUE DESPITE YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES.  LET US PARTICIPATE IN THIS DIALOGUE WITH VIGOUR AND SELFLESS DEDICATION.   LET US MAKE THIS DIALOGUE A PILLAR OF STRENGTH FOR LASTING PEACE IN OUR WORLD. 

FINALLY,  WE INVITE ALL OF YOU TO MAKE TIME AND TAKE PART IN THE EXCURSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ARRANGED FOR YOU TO ENJOY OUR NATURAL HERITAGE AND THE SPECTACULAR MOUNTAIN SCENERY OF OUR KINGDOM IN THE SKY.  

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO ALL THAT LIES AHEAD OF US IN THE NEXT THREE DAYS.

                        KHOTSO! PULA!! NALA!!!

11 November 2005