Share

SA not sending troops to Lesotho

Pretoria - The South African government was not immediately sending troops to Lesotho following claims that the neighbouring country had been taken over by the military, the department of international relations (Dirco) said on Saturday.

Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said diplomacy should be given a chance and the situation should be resolved through peaceful means.

He was speaking at a media briefing held at Dirco's offices in Pretoria.

The Lesotho soldiers had reportedly taken over the police headquarters, radio and television stations resulting in a blackout in broadcast.

- Are you there? Send us your eyewitness accounts and photos.

Concern

Monyela said government was concerned about the situation.

It called for the Lesotho defence force to restore order in the country.

"[We]... call on the commander of the Lesotho defence force to order the army to return to their barracks and allow the democratically elected government of the kingdom to carry on with its business," Monyela said.

"These activities of the Lesotho defence force have wrongly forced the constitutionally elected prime minister, the right honourable Dr Tom Thabane and the one of the leaders in the coalition government honourable Thesile Maseribane to go into hiding."

He would not confirm that Thabane had fled into South Africa.

No one had officially claimed taking over the Lesotho government.

SADC

Monyela said Southern African Development Community (SADC) was engaging with all the roleplayers.

He called for a dialogue to resolve the issues.

"Political problems need to be resolved through political channels which is actually dialogue," said Monyela.

He said all the South African officials in Lesotho were safe and accounted for.

Travel to Lesotho

However, Monyela urged people wishing to travel to Lesotho to "consider the situation".

"The SA government encourages the leaders of the coalition government to work together and implement the Namibia declaration which was presented at the recent Victoria falls SADC summit," said Monyela.

"In this regard, South Africa in her capacity as the chair of the SADC organ on politics, defence and security remain committed to assisting the leaders of the coalition government to find a lasting solution to their current challenges," he said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 314 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 451 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.92
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.47
+0.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.3%
Platinum
911.60
+1.6%
Palladium
1,012.97
+1.1%
Gold
2,213.47
+0.9%
Silver
24.80
+0.6%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE