Johannesburg – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to arrive in Maseru, Lesotho on Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to create a conducive climate for the February 2015 elections in the country, the presidency said.
Ramaphosa would visit King Letsie III and hold consultations with various political, religious, traditional and non-governmental sectors to consolidate efforts towards the holding of free, fair and democratic elections, spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa is expected to return to South Africa on Thursday.
A decision to hold elections in 2015 was made by the Maseru facilitation declaration, which was signed by all of Lesotho’s political parties, Mamoepa said.
This was after the Southern African Development Community intervened in Lesotho after an attempted coup by the military on 30 August, which resulted in Lesotho’s Prime Minister Thomas Thabane fleeing to South Africa, and its parliament being closed.
The attempted seizure of power was blamed on “renegade” Lesotho Defence Force commander Tlali Kamoli, who had reportedly refused to step down from the military and was accused of a series of attacks on police and political rivals.
GAZA-TSHISA NEWSROOM 