The SADC Secretariat and the peoples of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region received with sorrow and heartfelt grief the sad news of the passing on of Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, former Commander of the Lesotho Defence Force on Thursday, 25th June, 2015.
The tragic manner of the passing on of Lieutenant General Mahao, a former seconded employee of the SADC Secretariat is regrettable, and leaves a big void in the fragile political and security environment in the Kingdom of Lesotho and in the SADC region as a whole.
I regret the tragic passing on of Lieutenant General Mahao, as this reverses the tremendous achievements already recorded during the SADC facilitation mission in the Kingdom of Lesotho. I urge the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho to bring to justice those responsible for his killing.
I also wish to reassure the people and Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho that the Secretariat will continue to support and facilitate efforts that would ensure long-term peace and political stability in the Kingdom.
We at the Secretariat convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved Mahao family. We wish the bereaved Mahao family steadfastness, strength, good health, peace and comfort.
