Staff Reporter
On Saturday, Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), visited Thaba Bosiu, where he participated in a tree-planting event at the mountain base and toured the Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village to learn about the history of the Basotho people.
The visit is part of a high-level delegation from three United Nations (UN) agencies invited by His Majesty King Letsie III, who serves as the FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Nutrition.
The delegation, which arrived in Lesotho over the weekend, includes Valerie Guarnieri, World Food Programme (WFP) Assistant Executive Director for Programme and Policy Development, and Donal Brown, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Associate Vice-President for Programme Management.
The delegation’s goal is to strengthen investment in Lesotho’s agricultural sector and support the country’s efforts to improve food and nutrition security.
Thaba Bosiu, located about 24 km east of Maseru, served as the residence and military stronghold of Morena Moshoeshoe, the Kingdom’s founding father, during most of his mid-19th-century reign.
The Basotho nation was founded there in 1824.
During the tour, Dongyu learned that Thaba Bosiu—literally “Mountain of Night”—was named because Morena Moshoeshoe and his followers ascended the plateau at night in the chilly midwinter of 1824.
Dongyu was accompanied by Letsema Adontši, Minister of Environment and Forestry, and Thesele ‘Maseribane, Ambassador of Lesotho to Italy.
At the mountain’s base, across the road, lies Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village, an architecturally innovative complex that provides a modern spin on traditional Basotho stone-and-thatch building techniques.
The village incorporates a replica Basotho village of traditional homesteads, which Dongyu also visited.
Later, Dongyu met with His Majesty King Letsie III at the Royal Palace in Matsieng. The King welcomed him and expressed gratitude for accepting the invitation to visit Lesotho.
He described Dongyu’s visit as historic, noting that it occurred at a time when Lesotho was facing immense food security challenges due to an El Nino-induced drought, with almost three-quarters of the population at risk of serious famine this year.
The King emphasised that 2024 is an important year for Lesotho, as the nation celebrates and commemorates 200 years of its existence.
He highlighted that the celebrations are paired with efforts to accelerate agrifood systems transformation to end hunger and malnutrition.
The King expressed encouragement by the enthusiasm and commitment of Dongyu and the FAO country team and looked forward to increased collaboration to improve nutrition and food security in Lesotho and across Africa.
Dongyu expressed gratitude and appreciation for the invitation and warm welcome. He stated that his visit to Lesotho was to acknowledge the continued support His Majesty extended to him in his role as FAO Director-General and His Majesty’s efforts as FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Nutrition.
Dongyu mentioned that he would use his visit to strengthen FAO’s work on the ground in Lesotho, identify shortcomings and strengths, and mobilise the needed support to develop a concrete plan for progress through various programmes and projects.
He reaffirmed his commitment to support Lesotho in transforming its agrifood system and improving rural livelihoods. Dongyu also highlighted the importance of effective water management projects for agrotourism and aquaculture and recommended that Lesotho establish Green Cities to develop vertical growing systems, increasing adaptation and resilience to climate change.
