Lerato Matheka
His Excellency Thesele John ‘Maseribane, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Lesotho to FAO and Italy, was honoured with a certificate of recognition by the Africa Region Group associated with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) a fortnight ago.
This acknowledgment celebrates Maseribane’s role as the SADC region coordinator for three key agriculture-based agencies: The World Food Program (WFP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and FAO in Rome.
In an interview with Seahlolo, Ambassador Maseribane attributed the recognition to the dedicated work of his team.
As the SADC Coordinator since his appointment in 2021, his responsibilities include coordinating multilateral issues and aligning all SADC countries to speak with one voice.
Maseribane expressed his belief that the certificate acknowledges his efforts in positioning Lesotho favourably to host an upcoming meeting focused on Indigenous and Organic foods.
“I believe the recognition is from work I have done in ensuring that programs and projects led and financed by the three agencies are adequately implement in the different countries of the SADC region as well positioning Lesotho as a desired country to host the upcoming meeting where Indigenous and Organic foods will take centre stage may have influenced by being recognised,”
He highlighted the global shift towards organic agricultural practices, triggered in part by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, leading to increased interest in organic fertilizers and produce.
The Ambassador revealed that Lesotho is set to host the next African meeting on organic farming, led by the WFP.
He emphasised the significance of these meetings in shaping unified policies for the African continent.
Acknowledging the collective efforts of his small but dedicated team, Maseribane mentioned successful initiatives such as the Letsema Policy induction and the inclusion of young Science and Innovation enthusiasts in decision-making processes.
While the recognition bears his name, Ambassador Maseribane emphasized that it truly belongs to the entire team.
