Lesotho, Rwanda to share governance best practices

THE government of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Lesotho agreed to sign a MoU through which they will share best practices on governance.The Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, said that both countries are working on the draft which will be signed within the first quarter of 2013.The decision was reached on Friday after a weeklong visit by a delegation of 15 government officials from Lesotho led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Government, Mothetjoa Metsing.“What is unique about Lesotho and Rwanda is that we are the same people; when I visited I was expecting a different breed of people but I see no difference between us. That is why we must overcome these artificial borders that divide us and cooperate in ways that can improve the lives of our people,” Metsing said.“In our short visit we had the opportunity to witness firsthand how decentralisation works in Rwanda and how monitoring of government policies is considered seriously right, from the grassroots to the highest levels of governance.”Metsing added that given the history that Africa has gone through, what has been achieved in Rwanda gives hope that things can change for the better. “We (Africans) have been characterised by poverty, divisions, mistrust and I believe it is the time for us to cut those chains off,” he added.Minister Musoni said that formalising the partnership with the Kingdom of Lesotho opens opportunities for both countries and a platform for economic cooperation.“There is a lot we can share and learn from each other as Africans. We have different frameworks such as the AU and other regional blocs through which we can cooperate, but bilateral relations are the most practical in this modern era,” Musoni said.“On our side as the Local Government Ministry, it is a pleasure to have started a focused and specific cooperation with Lesotho and we are hopeful that it will serve a good purpose for both our people.”The Lesotho team had discussions with mayors, ministers and players in the privates sector and, according to Metsing, the Local Governance ministries from both countries will sign the agreement and set the ball in motion for other institutions.

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Lesotho, Rwanda to share governance best practices