Lesotho’s Prime Minister arrives for SADC summit

Lesotho’s Prime Minister Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane has arrived at the Harare International Airport ahead of the SADC Summit for Heads of State and Government on Saturday.

He was welcomed at the airport by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.

In November 1981 the Council of Ministers of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) decided to entrust the Government of Lesotho with the responsibility for coordinating regional activities relating to Soil and Water Conservation and Land Utilization (SWCLU).

The SWCLU Sector Coordination Unit was established within the Ministry of Agriculture, Co-operatives and Marketing, Lesotho, in 1985.

At its August 1991 meeting, the SADCC Council of Ministers approved a proposal for a broadened mandate for the SWCLU Sector, charging it with the overall responsibility for environmental coordination in the SADC region.

At the same meeting, the Council also approved that the Sector’s name be changed to SADC Environment and Land Management Sector (ELMS).

Lesotho is the 141st largest country in the world, with a total land area of 30 355 square kilometres. It shares its entire border with South Africa.

According to United Nations data, the population of Lesotho is 2, 3 million as of August 15, 2024.

Lesotho has a gross domestic product (GDP) of about US$2, 2 billion, mainly driven by agriculture, mining and water exports.

The main language in Lesotho is Sesotho, which is one of the two official languages alongside English.

However, several other languages like Phuthi, Xhosa and Zulu are widely spoken in the country.