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GV Plane taxiing (3 shots)
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GV Mobutu and officials walking on tarmac (2 shots)
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GV Moshoeshoe down steps and greeted by Mobutu
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SV Band playing and Moshoeshoe receives flowers (3 shots)
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GV Moshoeshoe greeting officials
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SV Guard of honour
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GV Moshoshoe and Mobutu walk to dais and take salute (4 shots)
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GV Airport building
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SV PAN Down steps and walks towards airport building
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Initials BB/1623 FC/TB/BB/1851



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire, on Friday for the ninth anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Zaire.

Zairs's President Mobutu Sese Seko, who led a bloodless coup d'etat on November 25 1965 to topple the civilian government, was at the airport to meet King Moshoeshoe.

The Oxford-educated King was one of the first African heads of state to arrive in Kinshasa for the celebrations.

SYNOPSIS: African heads of state had started to arrive in Zaire this week for the country's ninth anniversary celebrations to be held next week. King Moshoeshoe the Second of Lesotho, who flew into Kinshasa on Friday, was among the early arrivals for the occasion. Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko, led a party of senior government officials to the Ndjill Airport to meet King Moshoeshoe who came on an Air Zaire aircraft. Nine years ago on November twenty-fifth, President Mobutu led a bloodless coup d'etat to topple the civilian government. He was then the Army Commander-in-Chief. On the same day he announced to the nation that he was to take over the Presidency for five years. He had since been re-elected.

King Moshoeshoe who often travelled to African countries, United States, Britain and Israel, was introduced to senior government officials. He was educated in Oxford University in Britain, and has been described as a modern-minded monarch with great political acumen. The political involvement of the thirty-six-year-old King who was unwilling to remain as a mere figurehead, led to his house arrest in nineteen sixty-eight. Two months later, he left for Holland where he stayed in exile for eight months.