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Southern African Development Community (SADC) Facilitator and South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa today, Sunday 12 February 2016 concluded a successful working visit to Maseru where he received and welcomed back home three former exiled Lesotho opposition political party leaders back to the Kingdom of Lesotho.

The three leaders former Prime Minister and leader of the All-Basotho Convention Dr. Tom Thabane, former Minister Theselle Maseribane and Ms. Keketso Rantsho leader of the Reformed Congress of Lesotho were welcomed at a function held at Avani Lesotho hotel earlier today.

Their return to Lesotho is a culmination of efforts and decision of the SADC Double Troika summit  of Heads of State and Government held in Gaborone, Botswana in 2016 which mandated the Facilitator Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to facilitate the return of the three leaders back home.

Deputy President Ramaphosa held discussions with family members of the late Brigadier Maaparankoe Mahao and later held bilateral discussions with former Prime Minister Tom Thabane before addressing a media briefing to welcome the three leaders back home.

The visit on Sunday follows a working visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho on Friday 10 February to assess progress regarding constitutional and security sector reforms and implementation of recommendations of the Phumaphi Commission of Inquiry.

In this context the Facilitator Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a courtesy call on His Majesty King Letsie III, Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili, government coalition partners, church and NGO sector leaders as well as representatives of the College of Chiefs.

SADC remains committed to work with all stakeholders to ensure the stabilisation of the political and security situation in Lesotho and has committed itself to second experts to assist the country as it embarks on constitutional and security sector reforms.

The Facilitator, Deputy President Ramaphosa returned to South Africa on Sunday afternoon.

Issued by the Presidency