MASERU – Spooked by growing anger from the youth, Prime Minister Sam Matekane says the government will create thousands of jobs both in the public and private sector.
Matekane told a press conference on Monday that the drive to create jobs starts next month.
The prime minister was reacting to the nationwide outcry, mainly from the youths, over the rising unemployment.
The clamour for urgent action started after thousands of youths made a stampede at the army’s recruitment centres last week.
The army was looking to recruit 500 trainees but the youths thronged the recruitment centres in thousands.
Shared on social media, the images of the crowds laid bare the desperation among the youths.
Lesotho’s unemployment rate is at 30.1 percent, according to a 2024 survey by the Bureau of Statistics.
Yet among the youths the unemployment rate is 38.9 percent, 37.1 percent for women and 40.8 for women.
Those numbers could have however increased after the recent job losses in the factories.
Things could still get worse as more factories are wobbling due to the tariffs imposed by the United States government.
Economic growth also remains sluggish, unable to create more jobs and replace those lost in the factories in recent months.
“It’s an obvious fact, my people, that jobs that give people means to live and plan the future, especially the youth, have dwindled,” Matekane said.
Matekane said some acquired skills from schools while others were trained at temporary jobs and all of them witness as opportunities dwindle in front of their eyes.
Promising to do his utmost to ensure that jobs are created nationwide, Matekane called on all sectors to work together to solve the problem.
Matekane said the government will adopt labour-intensive methods to boost productivity and job creation.
Sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, technology, and creative industries will be targeted to generate youth-oriented employment.
He also emphasised the importance of capacitating the private sector to absorb more young people into the workforce.
“The government will accelerate infrastructure development, including roads, energy generation, ICT infrastructure, water resource protection and supply,” he said.
“Our vision is to give hope to Basotho through inclusive development, especially the youth.”
The Prime Minister reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to job creation, calling it a cornerstone of national stability and economic growth.
Matekane outlined a wide-reaching plan to employ Basotho across various sectors in the following ways:
- 6 000 youths, both skilled and unskilled, to be hired for various government programmes.
- 3 000 workers for the construction and rehabilitation of village roads.
- 8 350 people will be employed in waste management in the upcoming quarter.
- 1 220 youths will be recruited under a tree-planting and climate-resilient livelihoods project.
- 2 700 people will assist with electricity connection projects.
- 365 individuals will work on tracking fuel imports at borders and identifying households without electricity access.
- 200 people will be hired to operate 200 newly purchased agricultural tractors
- 3 160 workers will be employed for irrigation projects, while 360 will support the wool and mohair initiative.
- Under the Smallholder Agriculture Project, 80 youth-owned businesses will receive government support.
- The National Volunteer Corps will enrol 2 500 youths who will receive stipends
- Under the Sebabatso programme, 1 077 youths have already been recruited
- The Productive Safety Net and Livelihood Project (PSLP) has created 2 500 jobs, with 40 percent of the beneficiaries being youths.
- An additional 950 young people are currently receiving support to start businesses, with the number expected to double soon.
Nkheli Liphoto
