SADC Facilitator and South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will later today return to Lesotho to carry out the regional body’s mission of stabilising the political situation in the mountain kingdom.

Ramaphosa is expected to continue consultations with political role players. He will also pay a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III as part of on-going efforts to assist the people of Lesotho to address their current political and security challenges.

Thus far, SADC facilitation efforts have yielded positive results with the reconvening of Parliament by King Letsie, which took place last Friday.

This arose from the signing of the Maseru Facilitation Declaration overseen by Ramaphosa and members of the SADC observer mission to Lesotho.

The declaration further provided for parliament to discuss the budget and any other related matter to the general elections scheduled for February 2015 on a date to be set by King Letsie, as well as the dissolution of parliament in December 2014. 

Ramaphosa is supported by a team of SADC experts and members of the secretariat led by the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary Dr Thabang Mhlongo.

The team comprises officials from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe and is expected to be joined by officials from other member states.