Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s speech at the FOCAC Summit Beijing
Strengthen the exchange of experiences on governance and explore paths to modernization
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to start by paying my respects to;
• Your Excellency President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China;
• Your Excellency President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of the Republic of Senegal;
• Heads of State and Government,
• Heads of International and Regional Organizations,
• Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset let me thank the Government and People of the People’s Republic of China for the warm welcome and hospitality afforded to my delegation and I since our arrival in the beautiful city of Beijing.
Let me also congratulate and commend the Government of the People’s Republic of China for successfully hosting this 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit.
Co-Chairs, I congratulate you for your relentless efforts in pursuit of the implementation of the FOCAC commitments and for putting together the Outcome documents being the Beijing Declaration of 2024 Forum on China – Africa Cooperation Summit and the Forum on China – Africa Cooperation Plan of Action of 2025 to 2027.
May I especially congratulate the out-going Co-Chair, the Republic of Senegal,and the Chinese Secretariat of the Follow – up Committee on FOCAC for successfully steering and coordinating the consultative activities of the 8th FOCAC Summit.
Your Excellencies,
It is an honour for us to partake in the exchange of views on this importantthematic area of ‘Governance Exchangesand Exploring Paths to Modernization’, as one of the four topics of this FOCAC Summit of 2024. The GovernanceExchanges are a framework for managing the organization of societal life; one that creates rules and guidelines that define relationships between individuals and institutions. They have benefitted both African countries and the People’s Republic of China and led to substantive discussions and sharing of best practices on strategic issues.
Your Excellencies,
China has been instrumental in promoting the broader strategy of the South – South Cooperation by emphasizing each country’s right to choose its own social system and development model based on its own national conditions. The International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), therefore, has played an important coordinating role in promoting governance engagement between China and Africa, which has been achieved by exchanges of high-level visits and meetings between government officials.
By way of example, in recent times we realised high level exchanges between dignitaries of the Lesotho and China, signifying the importance for bilateral relationships. The exchanges have helped to deepen mutual political trust between the two countries and provided opportunities for leaders to communicate directly and build personal relationships. The visits have enhanced practical cooperation in various fields of international affairs and led to signing of new agreements such as Technical Cooperation Agreements to provide grant aid and interest-free loans from China to Lesotho.
Your Excellencies,
Government Officials and Technocrats have benefitted from workshops and programs for African officials offered by China on economic administration since 1998, covering topics like China’s reform and opening-up policy, economic management, and trade cooperation. China has, therefore, contributed in our efforts to improve on service delivery to our citizens through the long and short-term training courses offered.
Moreover, through these and otherexchanges, Lesotho has gained important insights into China’s approach to e-governance, digital public services, and the use of cutting-edge technologies to improve transparency and citizen engagement. These have informed our national development strategies and enabled us to learn from China’s impressive track record in these areas. Platforms for dialogue and collaboration, such as this one that facilitates the dissemination of knowledge and the pooling of resources, should continue to flourish under our collective leadership. As we further this collaborative spirit, let us encourage adaptability and continuous learning, enabling African countries to respond more effectively to emerging challenges.
Your Excellencies,
There has been a greater commitment in recent years evidenced by the launch of the Lesotho National Reforms Program. This is aimed at addressing our long standing political instability and enhancing governance across various sectors. Presently, the reforms agenda is back on track after overcoming significant legal hurdles to address the following critical areas that include; security; judiciary; paliamentary processes and public service. I am optimistic that the progress we are making will indeed stabilise the political landscpe. We also have made it our prerogative to ensure accountability within government institutions.
Similarly, my Government has taken steps to address corruption by invigorating the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences. Its main function is to investigate and prosecute corruption cases, raise public awareness about corruption and how to curb it. So far the progress is satisfactory.
Your Excellencies,
One of the priorities of our National Strategic Development Plan is to enhanceproductivity, with emphasis on agriculture modernization; expanding the energy sector, including utilizing water resources, wind power, and solar energy. We,therefore, call on the People’s Republic of China’s to stand with us in our quest for “Exploring Paths to Modernization” and give the usual support as we undertake to;
• Assist to propel our society out of the agrarian economy towards industrial economy which is based on modern mechanised mass manufacturing of food and other goods; calling for an increase in supply agricultural machinery, agro-processing and manufacturing plants.
• Uplift our citizens from abject poverty by increasing investments in labour intensive projects alongside the related value chains for local employment and occupation opportunities.
• Develop the infrastructure connectivity and transform rural villages by investing in projects such as roads, housing accompanied by investments in the energy sector.
• Harness technology connectivity for more efficient communication, improved public services, enhanced productivity, public safety, and profitable commercial interactions amongst ourselves as well as with continental neighbours and the world at large.
• Improve the quality of life by providing affordable if not free education and sound, easily accessible health services.
Your Excellencies,
I wish to commend China for its commitment to deliver on its commitments and for the successes of the last FOCAC Summit. For Lesotho the highlights include the following projects that have been successfully concluded:
•Ramarothole solar power plant;
•Maseru District Hospital;
•The Mpiti-Sehlabathebe Road;
Your Excellencies,
In light of the foregoing, I implore on all of us to work tirelessly and selflessly to ensure speedy implementation of the projects and programs of FOCAC 9. We should adopt tailored approaches that resonate with our unique circumstances, while considering practices, institutions, and policies that shape the relationship amongst us and our citizens. Strengthening the exchange of experiences on governance calls for learning from each other’s successes and failures, and our resolve to cultivate resilient governance structures that are responsive to the needs of our citizens.
Your Excellencies,
Let us aim to expand our collaboration to include new areas, such as digital governance and climate resilience, which will further support our efforts in achieving the African Union Agenda 2063 and United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. On the international front, I wish to assure all that, Lesotho fully supports multilateralism in global affairs. We believe in peaceful co-existence built on the tenets of peace, security, and prosperity hence our support for President Xi’s views on Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).
Finally Co-Chairs, may I reiterate thatexchanges such as this platform of FOCAC contribute to solidifying theChina-Africa relationship, offering opportunities for mutual learning and cooperation across various aspects of state management and development. We look forward to working together with the incoming Co-Chairs; the Republic of Congo and Equitorial Guinea and the Chinese Secretariat of the Follow-up Committee on FOCAC as they lead the work of the 9th FOCAC process.
It would be remiss of me, Your Excellencies, if I were to conclude my intervention without reaffirming the Kingdom of Lesotho’s support for the ‘One China Policy” through which we remain optimistic that China will realise reunification with the rest of her remaining territories.
I thank you all for your attention!!!
