Ramaphosa commends Lesotho’s commitment to tackle illegal mining

Samuel Matekane and Cyril Ramaphosa

Cape Town – President Ramaphosa has commended the Lesotho government for its commitment to collaborate with South Africa to address the issue of illegal mining.

Ramaphosa hosted Lesotho’s prime minister, Samuel Matekane, for the inaugural session of the South Africa–Lesotho bi-national commission on Wednesday.

He emphasised the significant social and economic consequences of illegal mining for both nations and expressed sadness over the loss of lives in the Harmony Gold Mine incident in Welkom.

“Such activity carries a great social and economic cost for both our countries. We were deeply saddened by the unfortunate loss of the lives of illegal miners in Harmony Gold Mine in Welkom.

“Our respective governments are working with the mining company on the best methods and plan to retrieve the bodies of the miners without endangering the rescue personnel,” President Ramaphosa said.

Earlier this year, there was a tragic incident in Welkom, Free State, where 31 illegal miners lost their lives while entering a mine shaft on Harmony Gold Mine property. Only three bodies were successfully recovered from the site.

The shaft was last operational in the 1990s.

Addressing water supply issues, the president highlighted the growing importance of collaboration on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

He expressed South Africa’s appreciation for the joint efforts on water resources and welcomed Phase II of the project, emphasising its significance in bolstering water security in Gauteng and other parts of South Africa. T

“South Africa highly appreciates the cooperation on water resources between the two countries. In particular, we welcome Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project as a vital development to enhance water security in the Gauteng province and other parts of South Africa.

“The Lesotho Highlands Water Project also contributes to job creation in Lesotho and the construction of new roads, bringing access to previously inaccessible areas of Lesotho. South Africa is ready to cooperate with Lesotho to resolve any challenges that may arise in the implementation of the project,” he said.

President Ramaphosa urged greater cooperation between the two countries on the development of renewable energy.

“South Africa is keen to work with the Kingdom of Lesotho on the four proposed renewable energy projects. In the face of the worsening effects of climate change, we need to be making significant investments to ensure water and energy security for our peoples into the future.

“Our respective ministers should continue their engagements so that we can see progress on these proposed developments,” Ramaphosa said.

According to the Presidency, the BNC session follows an agreement signed by the two countries in November 2021 to elevate the structured bilateral mechanism from a Joint Bilateral Commission of Co-operation (JBCC) that is held at a ministerial level, to a BNC that is presided over by the two Heads of State and Government.

“Our relationship is anchored in historic bonds of language, culture and heritage. We recall with gratitude that the Kingdom of Lesotho provided shelter and support to South Africa’s liberation movements during the struggle against apartheid,” Ramaphosa said.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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