Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Mr. Tlohang Sekhamane has been elected as the new Speaker of the 11th Parliament during the special sitting of the Parliament on Tuesday.
Mrs. Tšepang Tšita ‘Matlhohonolofatso Mosena was elected as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly following her resignation as a newly sworn Member of Parliament.

He defeated Mr. Kose Makoa with 69 votes to 49, the latter name had been nominated by the opposition while Mr. Sekhamane was nominated by the parliamentarians from the ruling parties.

A total of 118 parliamentarians voted on the day with only one parliamentarian missing.

After being elected, he was elevated to the seat of the Speaker where he delivered his maiden speech as the new Speaker of the 11th Parliament.

He said he accepts the honour bestowed on him and his family.

Mr. Sekhamane who is also a former Government Secretary said he was fully aware of the daunting task laying ahead and urged the new parliamentarians to fold their sleeves and hit the ground running in the deliverance of services to the electorate.

He, therefore, urged all parliamentarians to put aside their political differences to work in unity for the betterment of the country.

He noted that the majority of the parliamentarians are new faces of young people.

‘Young symbolises freshness and new ideas as well as a new era’ he commented.

Mr. Sekhamane also appealed to the parliamentarians to leave their mark by changing the lives of ordinary Basotho.

He also commended Basotho who went to the polling stations to vote in their numbers for the government of their choice.

The Speaker stated that the October 7 National Assembly elections were peaceful, free, and fair.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Tšita-Mosena thanked all members for electing her without objections, saying, the need to prioritise the reforms agenda is key if Lesotho is to prosper.

Meanwhile, the Speaker swore in the new Members of Parliament.

Among those who were sworn in included a Member of Parliament with a disability who uses a wheelchair plus two MPs Basotho nationals of Indian origin.

Source: LENA 25/10/2022