Lesotho-India relationship– a narrative that goes beyond trade

It is a rarity among people in positions of power to exude such humility and honesty. Honourable Monyane Moleleki, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho is one such exceptional leader.

In an exclusive interview with The Times of Africa, the esteemed dignitary became nostalgic and said that he was ‘pleasantly surprised’ with the developments India has made so far. Currently in New Delhi, India, for the 14^th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave, Mr. Moleleki informed about the priority sectors he was looking for collaboration, the agreements he has signed with certain Indian companies and why India is his favorite destination to do business.

How has your stay in India been so far?

Let me start with the airport because that is always the window of any country you visit. I am saying this without exaggeration or without acting and without any intention to buy anybody’s face. When I arrived at the airport, first of all I didn’t recognize the airport from the one I had seen about fifteen years ago, when I came here for the first time to open up a mission in New Delhi.

It is a completely new airport – big, beautiful and well-designed.

On the road from the airport to the city, was where I got the most pleasant of all surprises that I was to see here in India. We passed along a beautiful road, well-built and maintained; on both sides of which I saw the most beautiful flowers. The whole symphony of flowers with lovely manicured lawns looked like a lawn of a wealthy, tasteful man.

Arriving here at the hotel, we found the best hospitality lavished upon my delegation and myself. I have been very comfortable so far.

Coming to the meetings, I saw Honourable Suresh Prabhu, the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry. He is a gentlemen with a passion for what he does. He did not speak from a text or read it as a speech, he talked to us Africans.

And I can attest to the things that he said.

Because we as a nation in Southern Africa, in the Kingdom of Lesotho, have known the people of Indian heritage for the last 130 years. We are very well used to them. They intermarry with us. Since their arrival over a century ago, they have integrated comfortably into our society. They participated in the fight for independence from the British, on the side of our indigenous population.

We don’t associate Indian people with oppression, grabbing or stealing from us, or violence or arrogance.

We associate them rather with business, and business is good any time.

Honourable Minister Suresh Prabhu spoke of wanting to make African countries and people prosperous, with no intention of grabbing anything from us.

I believed in him. It resonated with my impression and my observation of the people of India.

‘Business,’ as you said, ‘is good anytime.’ What are your expectations from the 14^th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave? What are the sectors in which you would like to collaborate with the Indian business community?

One of the priority areas is Small Business Development; another is General Industrialization; the third one is Agriculture and the fourth is Energy and Electricity.

I have brought a large delegation of 7-8 people from the energy sector, specifically electricity. We hope to do business in all these sectors.

In fact, we are about to conclude an agreement with an Indian tractor company called TAFE.

TAFE has been to my country, Lesotho’s Agriculture Minister has been to India. We are confident that the collaboration that TAFE has with the company Massey Ferguson – Agco, would lead to good results.

Farmers in Lesotho are increasingly becoming aware about the technological innovations in the market. In order to build upon this awareness, is your Government planning to infuse digital technology into agriculture?

Yes! The discussions that we have had with the representatives of Indian companies have assured me that there are immediate term gains along with more long-term gains in the future for the farmers that can be made with the application of digital technology into agriculture.

Have you tied up with any Indian company for projects in the SMEs sector?

Not yet. I haven’t had the fortune of discussing it with the Indian businesspersons. Though our Minister of Small Business Development is in discussions with the Indian companies.

He has already seen some good small-scale technology and machinery and expressed full satisfaction in those projects.

What kind of collaboration are you looking for with Indian Government in the future?

The people of India have been with us for a long time. We are used to the faces, to the attitude, to the religion, to the business approach with Indian people. I met with the representatives of a company yesterday who are tendering for a big project between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. They are building tunnels underground and working upon other major infrastructure projects such as dams and so on. I said to the gentleman and I am repeating it through you that I wish that an Indian company can win it.