President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed Lesotho’s co-operation in dealing with illegal mining.  

In Pretoria on Thursday, he told the country’s prime minister, Samuel Matekane, who is on a working visit to SA to co-chair the historic inaugural session of the binational commission that such activities took a toll on both countries’ economies.  

“We were deeply saddened by the unfortunate loss of lives of illegal miners in Harmony Gold Mine in Welkom. Our respective governments are working with the mining company on the best methods, as well as the plan that has been put in place to retrieve the remains of the miners without endangering the rescue personnel,” said Ramaphosa.   

The matter is highly sensitive and “emotive”, particularly for the people of Lesotho. and SA “will do everything that we can to make sure this whole challenge we have been presented with is properly handled”, he added.

Both leaders were aware of the “sensitivity and complexity” of the matter, said the president.

Ramaphosa also welcomed Matekane's commitment to prioritise the implementation and completion of the comprehensive national reform process. 

The elevation of the bilateral commission of co-operation between the two countries to a binational commission was testament to the unwavering commitment to further bolster relations for mutual benefit, he said.  

“SA attaches great importance to its bilateral relations and co-operation with Lesotho. Our relationship is anchored in historic bonds of language, culture and heritage. Economic relations between our two countries have grown over the years and continue to mutually benefit our respective peoples,” said Ramaphosa. 

South African businesses in Lesotho contributed to job creation, while Lesotho’s water resources continued to benefit this country, he said, adding that Lesotho's people had for years worked on local farms and mines. 

“It is important for the governments of both countries to work together to resolve challenges faced by businesses and put in place mechanisms to ensure investments are protected.” 

Responding, Matekane said his visit was not only about strengthening ties between the two countries, but also about celebrating the launch of the binational commission agreement. 

“The official launch of the binational commission ushers in a new beginning in the relationship between SA and Lesotho.”  

He reiterated Ramaphosa's comments on the countries sharing historical ties of language, culture and commercial bonds dating to pre-colonial times. “For centuries, our forebears freely interacted and enjoyed people-to-people relations that continue to underpin our relations even today.”  

The economies of both countries are not only intertwined but interdependent, said Matekane.

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