Lesotho's Thabane, 78, tells SADC summit he's getting married 'again'

Pretoria - Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane has interrupted the programme of the Southern African Development Community summit to make an "important announcement", saying he’s getting married again.

The 78-year-old Thabane at the opening session on Saturday made the maiden speech of his current term at a SADC summit. His speech was followed by a musical performance, after which he requested another turn to speak.

Thabane said he was getting married on August 27 at the Maseru Stadium, and invited all the heads of state at the summit to attend.

He was greeted with applause and laughter, with someone remarking on the fact that he was getting married “again”.

Thabane’s estrange wife, Lipolelo, was gunned down in June, two days before Thabane was due to be sworn in as prime minister after his All Basotho Convention won the elections a few days before.

Thabane was previously prime minister from 2012 to 2015, before he lost the elections, but after a vote of no confidence in prime minister Phakalitha Mosisili in February, he was returned to his previous position in an election with which SADC assisted as a mediator