Alarm bells ringing at Government Complex

That is almost a third of Lesotho’s entire population.
That is deeply worrying.

What compounds the situation is the fact that Lesotho’s neighbours, from whom the country could get maize supplies, are also grappling with similar crises following poor harvests last year.

The El Nino-induced drought has devastated the southern Africa region forcing governments in the region to declare states of disaster.

The reality on the ground is that most families did not harvest anything at all after the rains failed last year. When that happened in the past, such families usually relied on their families in urban areas to remit some cash home.

But the challenge is that those in urban centres are in trouble themselves. Some have been retrenched from their jobs and are starving.

The hunger crisis is therefore promising to be a long season of hardship for Basotho, so soon after a Covid-19 pandemic caused so much hardships for the people.

We are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic.

Jobs were lost and those affected are still battling to recover financially. The textile sector, which was the second biggest employer in Lesotho after the civil service, continues to shed jobs, four years after Covid-19 broke out.

Without jobs, we can expect a surge in violent crimes as people seek ways to stay above the water.

Starvation is a real prospect in urban areas and in our villages countrywide.

We see desperate cases each day.

That should trigger panic buttons at the Government Complex in Maseru.

Matekane has said his government will set aside a M200 million war-chest to support vulnerable families through food-for-work programmes in the communities.

The government says it is also considering distributing emergency food parcels for the extremely poor for the next six months.

These are commendable plans.

But the reality is that they are short-term plans that do not fix the structural challenges in Lesotho. We think Lesotho needs a complete policy overhaul to deal with the climate-induced challenges in the agriculture sector.

The reality is that our rainfall patterns have shifted over the years and it would be unwise to continue relying on natural rains to support our agriculture sector.

With our vast water reserves, it may now be time to think differently. We need to see how best we can tap into these water reserves to transform our agriculture sector through sound irrigation systems.

That will require lots of investments in the sector.

But that could be the only viable, long-term solution to what is threatening to be a perennial problem.

Once we set up viable irrigation systems, we will be able to wean ourselves from a total reliance on rainfall which is becoming increasingly erratic.

It is a dream that will require loads of political will.

But we are confident that it can be done.

The key lies in stimulating the economy so that the private sector can create jobs for the thousands of young Basotho who are currently jobless.

We are convinced that the solution for Lesotho may lie in tapping the vast opportunities in the agriculture sector and in tourism. This is where the government’s focus must be.

Young ones in the two promising sectors must receive the financial support so that they can grow their businesses. They will need mentors. They will need guidance.