… Demand action on unemployment crisis
A united coalition of registered youth civil society organisations, political party youth leagues, and concerned young Basotho has this week declared that they are tired of being ignored by the government.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Tuesday, the coalition pointed to the recent Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) recruitment process as a stark and painful reminder of the depth of youth unemployment in the country.
“Basotho witnessed, once again, a vivid and distressing display of the severe hardship and threat to life caused by youth unemployment. The truth was laid bare before the nation, the overwhelming number of people without any means of livelihood, trapped in a cycle of suffering,” the coalition stated.
They revealed that on April 30, 2025, they had submitted a formal letter to Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane, urging him to declare youth unemployment a disaster-induced emergency under Section 20 of the Constitution of Lesotho and Sections 2 and 3 of the Disaster Management Act of 1997.
“To this day, we have not received any response,” they said. “Despite repeated follow-ups and sincere attempts to secure a meeting, we have been met with a wall of silence and inaction.”
The coalition expressed grave concern that the government continues to ignore a crisis affecting over 38.9 percent of young Basotho, who remain unemployed, disillusioned, and hopeless, stripped of their dignity and deprived of rights enshrined in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
“This is a national catastrophe,” they said. “A disaster that is driving mental health crises, drug abuse, prostitution, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS-related deaths, rising crime, and suicides among young people who no longer see a future in their own country.”
Citing the law, the coalition argued that any event causing widespread hardship to the lives of Basotho demands a disaster response.
“The Disaster Management Act of 1997 clearly assigns the Prime Minister the authority and responsibility to act in the face of a disaster. And let us be clear, youth unemployment is a disaster.”
They called for the urgent development and implementation of a Disaster Management Plan, a Disaster Relief Plan, and a Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan, all of which are legally mandated under the Act.
“The absence of these plans is not just an oversight, it is a damning sign of a government out of touch with the people it serves.”
They further stressed that funding mechanisms for such a response already exist under Sections 34 to 37 of the Act.
“Yet, the Prime Minister and his government have opted for silence. We will not be silent. We will not be ignored,” they declared.
“Youth unemployment is not merely a policy issue, it is a matter of dignity, survival, and hope. As young people, we are demanding what is rightfully ours: the opportunity to live meaningful, productive, and dignified lives.”
The coalition concluded with a powerful call to action: “We are calling on the public, the private sector, development partners, and all Basotho, especially the youth, to stand with us. Let us demand that the government stop treating youth unemployment as a background issue. It is not. It is a crisis!”
Authored by our expert team of writers and editors, with thorough research.
