Honourable Deputy Prime Minister Dr Monyane Moleleki is expected to welcome to Lesotho, nine Ministers responsible for sport in the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Member Countries for the Council of Ministers meeting which will be held at Avani Lesotho on the 12^th of November 2019.

The meeting will be held to deliberate and shape the future for sports development in the region.  Region 5 ordinary sessions for Council of Ministers meetings are held every two years straddling extra-ordinary meetings which are held on the margins of the Regional Youth Games. The Games will be hosted in Maseru, Lesotho from 4 to 13 December 2020.

The Council of Ministers meeting was preceded by a meeting of officials held on the 9^th and 10^th of November in preparation for the Council of Ministers meeting.  Official opening of the meeting of officials was conducted by the Honourable Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation Dr. Mahali Phamotse on the 9^th of November 2019.  Immediately after the Council of Ministers meeting, the AUSC Region 5 in collaboration with the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees (COSANOC) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will be hosting a Regional Sports Forum on 13 and 14 November 2019 with delegates to all these meetings set to depart Lesotho on Friday 15 November 2019. 

The Council of Ministers meeting is a platform for Ministers of the Region to share and strategize as a collective body and formulate cohesion of sports development policies and programmes.  These meetings provide a platform for all Members Countries to get an update about the affairs of the Region and get to share notes on how other Member Countries are implementing sports development programmes, such as Podium Performance Programme and Women Leadership Programme.  The meetings are hosted on rotational basis by all Member Countries.

 It is in the same Council of Ministers meeting that there will be presentations about performances by Member Countries at the just ended 2019 African Games, the preparations for Maseru 2020 Region 5 Games and the Malawi 2022 Region 5 Games, ratification of 2018 Audited Financial Statement, Resolution on the handing over of the AUSC Region 5 Chairmanship to Lesotho and the adoption final communique.