—Says gvt is developing a policy to address the problem
Moroke Sebokoto
Prime Minister Sam Matekane has acknowledged the youth unemployment crisis in Lesotho, describing it as a pressing issue that requires strategic action.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Matekane said he is acutely aware of the crisis as “a parent, an African and a leader.”
He said his government was working overtime to devise policies and strategies to effectively address the problem.
Mr Matekane revealed that he had already instructed all government departments and ministries to strategize and develop a comprehensive policy to tackle the high youth unemployment rates in the country.
However, the Prime Minister pleaded for patience from the youth as his administration explores ways to remedy the situation.
Mr Matekane said the joblessness crisis was a complex issue that needed to be addressed carefully and methodically.
The Prime Minister’s acknowledgement comes after a coalition of Lesotho’s youth organizations and political party youth leagues urged him to declare the youth unemployment crisis a national emergency during a press conference on Tuesday this week. This was their second media briefing on the unemployment crisis, following an initial press conference at the end of April this year.
The youth urged the Prime Minister to immediately develop and implement an emergency national response plan to address the growing crisis.
They were prompted by the recent Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) recruitment process where thousands of young people showed up for just 500 available posts.
In Maseru district alone, an estimated 10,000 youth descended on the military barracks for interviews, while Leribe and Mafeteng saw around 7,000 and 5,000 applicants respectively.
Youth organisations said the massive response to the LDF recruitment call was clear evidence that youth unemployment had reached crisis levels in Lesotho.
Thus, the youth urged Mr Matekane to formally declare the situation a national crisis and develop an immediate, comprehensive plan to address it. In his social media post, the Prime Minister said he was “already seized with addressing the issue”.
“As a parent, an African, and a leader, I have taken the concerns of Lesotho’s youth seriously. Over the weekend, we heard their cries for more opportunities, jobs, and dignity. In response, I have given clear instructions to all government departments to develop concrete plans to combat poverty, especially among the youth,” Mr Matekane said.
“On Monday, the Cabinet met to thoroughly consider the recommendations presented. The message is clear: every part of the government must act responsibly.”
Mr Matekane emphasized that “this is a time for action, not just talk”, further calling for patience from Lesotho’s young people.
“However, I also call for patience, cooperation, and sacrifice as we work to rebuild trust, restore public sentiment, and create new opportunities,” Mr Matekane said.
“To the youth of Lesotho, I hear you. I will work alongside you to address these pressing issues. This is not a time for empty promises, but a time to take real steps towards positive change in our community.”
During their press conference this week, Bacha Shutdown President, Advocate Tumelo Qophe, spoke out against the government’s failure to address the country’s youth unemployment crisis.
“We stand before you as a united coalition of registered youth civil society organizations, political party youth leagues, and concerned individual young people,” Adv Qophe said. “We speak with one voice, with a clear message: we are tired of being ignored.”
Adv Qophe noted that the recent LDF recruitment initiative had been a “sore eye opener,” as Basotho witnessed firsthand the severe hardship and peril that unemployment poses to the lives of the country’ youth.
“The truth was laid in plain sight of the vast numbers of people without any means of living and consistently suffering throughout life,” Adv Qophe said.
This is not the first time the coalition is reaching out to the government to address the youth unemployment crisis. On April 30, 2025, the coalition submitted an official letter to Premier Matekane, urgently requesting that he declare youth unemployment a disaster. However, Adv Qophe said they had received no response despite numerous follow-ups.
ABC Youth League Secretary General, Teboho Nyabela, echoed Mr Qophe’s concerns, lamenting that the government continued to turn a blind eye “to a crisis affecting over 38.9 percent of young Basotho”.
“This is not just a statistic: this is a national catastrophe,” Mr Nyabela said. “A disaster that has led to mental health crises, drug abuse, prostitution, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS-related deaths, rising crime, and tragic suicides among young people who see no future in their own country.”
Thandi Chabeli, Secretary General of Bacha Shutdown, went a step further, calling on Mr Matekane to acknowledge youth unemployment as a national emergency and immediately develop and implement an emergency national response plan.
“We are ready to work with the government, and as a next step, we will formally write to parliament, asking them to urgently support our call for youth unemployment to be declared a national emergency,” Ms Chabeli said.
The youth organizations have also urged the public, private sector, and all Basotho to stand with them in this critical fight.
Reatile Makateng, President of the Voice of Youth Society, said that the law was in their favour as it clearly mandated a disaster response approach “when there is significant hardship to the lives of citizens”.
He cited the Disaster Management Act of 1997, which grants the Prime Minister clear powers and responsibilities to act in the face of a disaster.
“We have therefore requested that the government urgently develop and implement a Disaster Management Plan, a Disaster Relief Plan, and a Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan as outlined in the Act,” Mr Makateng said. “Yet the Prime Minister and his government have chosen silence on this issue.”
Lebohang Ntsau, chairperson of the DC Youth League, pointed out that all these legally required plans are absent, which is “a sure sign of an ignorant government.”
He added that funding for the necessary disaster response can be urgently mobilized under the same Act.
“Youth unemployment is not just a policy issue, it’s about dignity, survival, and hope,” Mr Ntsau said.
“We are simply demanding what is rightfully ours: the opportunity to live meaningful, productive, and dignified lives.”
Prime Minister’s Press Attache, Thapelo Mabote, told the Lesotho Times yesterday that Mr Matekane is “acutely aware of the youth unemployment crisis and is taking the matter seriously”.
According to Mr Mabote, Premier Matekane had already instructed all government ministries and departments to “meet, strategize, and develop a comprehensive policy to address the youth unemployment crisis”.
Mr Mabote said that once this plan is finalized, the Prime Minister will deliver an official speech outlining the government’s intentions and approach to tackling the crisis.
He emphasized that Mr Matekane is “very cognizant of the struggles faced by the country’s youth and is deeply concerned about the issue”.
All Basotho Convention (ABC) leader, Nkaku Kabi, attacked Mr Matekane over the weekend over his failure to address the youth unemployment crisis saying the PM was “clueless” about how to do it.
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