Lesotho Times
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Tokelo Khausela
King Mswati III of eSwatini has hailed His Majesty King Letsie III for his outstanding leadership which he says is recognised globally.
The eSwatini monarch made these remarks on Monday during King Letsie III’s 60th birthday celebrations held at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru.
The colourful ceremony was also graced by prominent figures such as the President of Botswana
Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amon
Murwira, Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane and former prime ministers Thomas Thabane
and Moeketsi Majoro, as well as members of parliament.
His Majesty King Letsie III is the first son of the late King Moshoeshoe II and Queen Mother Mamohato Bereng Seeiso. He was born at Scott Hospital in Morija on 17 July 1963 and named Mohato Bereng Seeiso.
On Monday, His Majesty was escorted to the stadium from the Royal Palace by horse-riding members of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service, creating such a spectacle befitting this very important occasion.
To further spice-up the event, members of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) marched in crisp, flawless parade inside the stadium, while others landed with parachutes dropped from military aircraft, much to the joy of the thousands of people who had turned-up for the Diamond Jubilee. Fireworks were also shot into the sky to add to the carnival atmosphere, while two spitfire aeroplanes performed stunts in the air that left the crowd stunned and roaring for more.
The theme of the day was the sky-blue Se-a-na-marena blankets.
Speaking at the ceremony, King Mswati III was full of praise for His Majesty.
“As the King ages, not only will he grow grey hair, but also gets more knowledgeable,
enlightened and insightful to make wise decisions for the country,” King Mswati III said.
“Your life has been quite exemplary as your leadership has been praised so much, even by the African Union (AU) which has entrusted you with the responsibility of being the AU Nutrition Champion. This is highly important as Champions implement diverse policies and integrations to address malnutrition in all its forms, including agricultural systems.”
King Mswati III further said Basotho were fortunate to have King Letsie III as their leader because of his visionary leadership.
The eSwatini leader also noted that he enjoyed visiting Lesotho as this provided him with an opportunity to renew and strengthen the cordial relations that exist between the two Kingdoms.
“Our last visit here evoked great memories. We commend the development we see in Lesotho,
which demonstrates commitment by all citizens towards a shared vision aimed at improving their
welfare and general landscape of their country.
“To achieve the desired outcomes of development and prosperity for our people which we know King Letsie is passionate about, a conducive environment needs to prevail, and peace and stability must reside among us and serve as a cornerstone for all our campaigns.
“We remain deeply concerned about the violence in different parts of the world, which is negatively
impacting many lives and restraining global trade. We wish to urge dialogues and consensus-building to resolve all our differences in order to avert conflict,” he said.
King Mswati III then extended an invitation to King Letsie III to his 55th birthday celebrations which will be help on 6 September. The birthday celebrations will coincide with the 55th independence anniversary of the Kingdom of eSwatini.