CHAIRPERSON OF ORGANISING COMMITTEE
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER
CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Good morning,
It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to this important high-level breakfast meeting of the Lesotho Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This is not just another meeting on our calendar. This gathering marks the beginning of a defining chapter in the life of our institution – as we prepare to celebrate fifty (50) years of organized private sector representation in Lesotho,
Fifty years:
- Half a century of advocacy
- Half a century of enterprise
- Half a century of resilience.
The Lesotho chamber of commerce and industry was founded at a time when our economy was structurally different, our markets were narrower, and our challenges were of a different magnitude. Yet through political transitions, regional shifts, global shocks, and economic cycles – the chamber has endured. Not perfectly, not without challenges, but consistently. And that consistency is because of one thing:
You – the private sector.
The jubilee is not a celebration of an office, nor is it a celebration of a secretariat. It is a celebration of enterprise in Lesotho. It is your story.
Distinguished members,
A golden jubilee is not merely about looking back, it is about positioning the next fifty (50) years. If we approach this jubilee as a gala dinner, we will have missed the opportunity. If we approach it as a strategic moment of renewal, we will have honored our predecessors properly.
This jubilee must:
Reposition the chamber as the undisputed voice of business
- Strengthen public private trust
- Showcase Basotho entrepreneurship
- Attract regional and continental partnerships
- Inspire the next generation of business leaders.
The presence of the Ministry of Trade today signals that government recognizes the strategic importance of a strong private sector voice.
But let me say this clearly:
Government policy can create opportunity, only business can convert it into growth. Today’s session is intentionally limited to our top tier membership, because leadership requires ownership.
We are here to:
- Present the jubilee roadmap
- Share logistical preparations
- Outline financial and partnership structures
- Seek our strategic input
- Secure your meaningful participation
The organizing committee has worked diligently, the secretariat has completed foundational arrangements. But no plan becomes impactful and champions are in this room.
Allow me to speak candidly, a jubilee of this magnitude requires three things:
1. Participation - Your presence at events.
2. Partnership - Your brands aligned visibly with the jubilee.
3. Patronage - Your financial and material support to elevate this beyond an ordinary anniversary.
This is not sponsorship. This is institutional investment.
When the chamber’s credibility rises – your influence rises. When the chamber’s voice strengthens – your operating environment improves. When the chamber attracts continental institutions – your market access expands. A strong chamber is not a luxury. It is an economic necessity.
The jubilee gives us a platform to:
- Engage development finance institutions’
- Attract regional chambers
- Deepen dialogue with policymakers
- Position Lesotho as a competitive investment destination
- Reassert business as the engine of job creation.
If structured properly, this jubilee can produce:
- Policy reform momentum
- Renewed investor confidence
- Stronger sectorial collaborations
- Increased media visibility for Basotho enterprises
In short – it can shift perception. And perception drives capital. Every institution reaches a point where it must re-introduce itself. This is ours.
We must use this jubilee to answer three questions:
- What does the chamber stand for today?
- What kind of business environment do we demand?
- What legacy do we intend to leave for the next fifty (50) years?
Distinguished members, this morning, I ask for three commitments:
1. That you actively participate in jubilee activities.
2. That you align your corporate brand visibly with the celebration.
3. That you view this not as an event – but as a strategic repositioning of organized business in Lesotho.
Let history record that when the chamber turned fifty (50), Its leadership did not merely celebrate – it recalibrated.
Allow me to thank:
- The jubilee organizing committee for their dedication
- The secretariat team of meticulous groundwork
- And you, our members for sustaining this institution for five decades.
Your continued confidence is our mandate.
“WHEN FUTURE GENERATIONS SPEAK OF THE NEXT FIFTY (50) YEARS OF ENTERPRISE IN LESOTHO, MAY THEY SAY THAT THE LEADERS IN THIS ROOM CHOSE TO BUILD – NOT MERELY TO BENEFIT”
I THANK YOU!
Secretary General
Fako Hakane