LESOTHO: VISIT OF MCC MANAGING DIRECTOR DARIUS MANS AND MCC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MASERU 000231 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT ALSO FOR AF/S E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMCA EAID ECON PGOV PREL LT SUBJECT: LESOTHO: VISIT OF MCC MANAGING DIRECTOR DARIUS MANS AND MCC UPDATE REF: (A) MASERU 215 (NOTAL) (B) MASERU 135 (NOTAL) MASERU 00000231 001.2 OF 003 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) As the potential signing of a Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) compact draws nearer, MCC Managing Director for Anglophone and Lusophone Africa, Dr. Darius Mans, visited Lesotho on March 15-16, 2007, for a series of meetings with GOL officials and other stakeholders. Prior to Dr. Mans arrival, Finance Minister Thahane hosted a working dinner which featured a frank discussion of Lesotho's needs and the status of MCA due diligence activities. Ambassador Perry also held a series of one-on-one exchanges with Lesotho's MCC interministerial team members to clarify our USG specific compact requirements. Dr. Mans' appointments were substantive and focused on outstanding issues of concern to the MCC raised during the ongoing due diligence process, particularly with regard to land reform and health sector initiatives. END SUMMARY. -------------- March 14 Working Dinner -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Prior to Dr. Mans' arrival, Finance Minister Thahane hosted a working dinner on March 14. U.S. Ambassador June Carter Perry, DCM Murphy, Control Officer Smith, and MCC Representatives Deidra Fair and Brian Baltimore participated, as did the following GOL Ministers: Local Government, Dr. Pont'so Sekatle; Natural Resources, Mr. Moleleki; Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng. Senior Finance Ministry officials, Principal Secretary Dr. Majoro, Dr. Khetisa, and Mrs. Mohapi, also attended the in-depth and frank discussion of Lesotho's basic needs and the status of MCA due diligence activities. During the discussions, Dr. Mans emphasized the tight deadlines faced by the GOL and MCC with regards to the completion of the due diligence process. Minister Thahane spoke extensively on the need for increased access to international higher education opportunities for Basotho students and professionals. (Note: Ambassador Perry took advantage of a break in the pre-meeting dinner discussion to reinforce points on the Zimbabwean situation. Minister Moleleki seconded the Ambassador's comments with a highly critical assessment of the actions of President Mugabe. SADC Ministerial Chair Thahane acknolwedged that the SADC Security Organ would address Zimbabwe. End Note.) -------------- Health Ministry Focused on MCC Issues -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Due to airline delays, Dr. Darius Mans arrived in Maseru, Lesotho on Thursday, March 15, 2007. Dr. Mans, Ambassador, DCM, Control Officer, and MCC Staff met with key Cabinet members including new Health Minister Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng on outstanding MCA Lesotho issues. During the meetings, Minister Ramatlapeng stressed the Ministry's progress on key health care human resource issues and her desire to quickly resolve all outstanding MCC concerns. According to Minister Ramatlapeng, a new educational program would dramatically increase the number of nursing students in Lesotho in the immediate future, addressing one of the MCC's key issues. She also reviewed various organizational and personnel changes at the Health Ministry and their possible positive impact on its ability to resolve outstanding problems prior to and after compact signing. Dr. Mans reiterated the importance of the health care component of the proposed compact and his need to have all outstanding issues resolved over the course of the following month. -------------- Land Reform Issues -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Dr. Mans met with Minister of Finance and Development Planning Timothy Thahane, the GOL's primary lead on preparations for the MCA compact. The two discussed project management structures, financing gaps, and land reform issues. Thahane affirmed his intent to meet with MCC officials in Washington on the margins of the April World Bank/IMF meetings to address unresolved issues raised during the due diligence process. ¶5. (SBU) Dr. Mans then met Minister of Local Government Dr. Pont'so Sekatle, who discussed Lesotho's efforts to enact land reform measures. Minister Sekatle expressed her desire to use MASERU 00000231 002.2 OF 003 the MCC land reform initiatives as a springboard to demarcate all land plots in Lesotho, but emphasized that the issue remains highly complex in a country with less than 8% arable land. She also discussed a continuing controversy surrounding the creation of a new land administration body centering on whether the new organization will be part of an existing GOL ministry or a semi-independent parastatal body. (COMMENT: We were encouraged by later discussions between the Ambassador and MCC advisors, Steve Dobrilovic and Tim Fella, that the Minister was open to various alternative solutions. END COMMENT.) Dr. Mans asked questions about the GOL's progress in creating this new land administration authority, and stressed the MCC's need to resolve outstanding issues within the following month. -------------- The Dam Site Visit -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Led by Minister of Natural Resources Monyane Moleleki, Dr. Mans visited the site of the future Metolong Dam (located in eastern Maseru District),to be partially financed by MCC in partnership with the World Bank and the Kuwait Fund. Officials from Lesotho's water authority explained the project in detail, and pointed out the future locations of key dam components. The group discussed the relocation and resettlement plans authored by the GOL, as well as health and education initiatives for individuals living close to the dam site. Once again, Dr. Mans reiterated the need for all outstanding issues regarding the project to be resolved in the following month. (NOTE: Resettlement is not a major issue as it was in the Highlands Water Project given the sparse population near Mohale. END NOTE.) -------------- Donor Briefing and Coordination -------------- ¶7. (SBU) On Friday, March 16, Embassy Maseru hosted a briefing for donors at the Embassy. Ambassador Perry delivered opening remarks and introduced Dr. Mans, who spoke about the importance of donor coordination and the MCC's priorities in the period leading to compact signing. Various donor missions and organizations asked questions concerning health care workers, education programs, methods of donor coordination, and efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. Members of the press were invited to the briefing's opening session, and reported favorably on the event. ¶8. (SBU) Finance Minister Thahane invited the Ambassador and the MCC Managing Director to a private meeting with Kuwaiti officials. Under discussion were the responsibilities of each partner in the Mohale Dam Project. During the meeting, the Ambassador thanked Kuwait for its current collaboration, previous assistance in the Gulf War and the importance of our joint efforts against terrorism. Dr. Mans and Ambassador Perry also participated in the signing ceremony between the Government of Lesotho and Kuwait on the Metolong Dam project. Minister of Finance Thahane, who presided over the ceremony, acknowledged the support of Ambassador Perry and Dr. Mans during the event, speaking glowingly of the contribution which the MCC would make to the future of Lesotho. -------------- Setting the Stage -------------- ¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: The visit of Dr. Mans helped to reinforce the necessity of timely action on the part of the GOL regarding various outstanding issues, especially those related to the health sector and land reform projects. Prior to the visit, Ambassador Perry held a series of meetings with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs (who chairs Lesotho's MCC Interministerial Committee),Finance, and Local Government/Lands to lay the groundwork for the Managing Director's talks. She also made clear the specific areas, e.g., establishment of a Land Authority for urban and peri-urban area and property access for women, that had to be covered before a compact could be signed with the GOL. Substantive progress on outstanding issues was positive. We observed increasing flexibility on the GOL's part and a significant interest in "plus-ing up" the capacity-building aspects of the potential compact. This was especially evident during the March 14 dinner when Dr. Ramatlapeng expressed deep interest in training/human resources to ensure basic technical training of community health workers. Such in-depth side-by-side activity coupled with exchanges would help lead to sustainability as well as poverty reduction. Minister Thahane strongly agreed with the doctor's position. By MASERU 00000231 003.2 OF 003 clearly setting out the MCC's expectations, Dr. Mans set the stage for MCC Washington's next steps toward conclusion of preparations for final negotiations on the compact. END COMMENT. PERRY