Foreword by Minister of Finance

Foreword by the Minister of Finance

Once more, I am extremely delighted to invite you to the 6^th edition of Lesotho Insights. We continue to share the unique story of our Mountain Kingdom with the world. I am proud of this coffee table book because it is the epitome of patriotism. It continues to keep us inspired and also grounded at the same time as we navigate the path for the future of Lesotho and her people.

The story of hope and opportunity for Lesotho never stops but continues to evolve as the world changes. This is what Lesotho Insights stands for. I therefore invite you to read well-researched, analytic and thought-provoking articles that not only educate and entertain but also give you a bird’s-eye view of our country in the family of nations. The content is written in the language of optimism and beauty that defines the joy of being a Mosotho. The foresight of the publishers of this publication should therefore be truly honoured and appreciated.

Lesotho Insights continues to earn prominence, and I was particularly impressed when I noticed that the Right Honourable the Prime Minister, Mr. Samuel Matekane is leading us by example in the spirit of patriotism, presenting this book as a gift for international guests that visit the State House. The UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, the 8th President of the African Development Bank  and many other dignitaries that have been to our shores have been recipients of this marvelous publication presented during their trips to Lesotho. I encourage all our Ministers and development partners to do the same.

We are at a point at which we celebrate the resilience of our democracy as a nation. After a period of turbulence that characterized our democracy for over a decade, we applaud the Right Honourable Prime Minister as he has become the first Prime Minister in Lesotho’s coalition politics to successfully complete more than three years in office. Of course it has not been easy at the beginning, but with time, we have all remained resolute to safeguard our democracy. It is now time to shift that resilience towards building our economy amidst the challenges and uncertainties that confront us.

We also note the current trajectory in global geopolitics and how it has affected world economies recently. As tectonic shifts in the world order continue to happen elsewhere, they have affected us directly here at home. During the year under review, we started with challenges brought about by the moratorium on aid that was implemented by the new administration in the United States. This has hit many sectors, especially health, the NGO community and the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Account II. As if that was not enough, the moratorium was followed by the imposition of tariffs that rattled the textile sector.

I look at this as a challenge for all of us—we need to pivot and develop home-grown solutions to manoeuvre through them. We need to build resilience and measures that will cushion us against these storms. I thus invite you all to keep our hands on deck to push for economic development and transformation that places Basotho at the centre of everything that we do.

We have noted the rising unemployment that has grown to unprecedented levels, especially amongst the youth. Youth unemployment in Lesotho is in the region of 39 percent, with young women bearing the brunt at 41 percent. To add context to this challenge, Lesotho’s unemployment rate far exceeds the world average of 15.7 percent. It is for this reason that the Right Honourable Prime Minister declared unemployment a national disaster in June 2025. Our Prime Minister has provided direction on how this pandemic can be contained, and we are working hard to heed his directives to change the landscape and unlock opportunities for our people to make a living. This remains our major preoccupation, and I take this opportunity to invite the private sector to support us in this endeavour.

Looking ahead, we will be celebrating the 60^th Independence of Lesotho on October 4^th, 2026. It is thus incumbent upon all of us to look back and truly reflect on what we have achieved as a nation. We also need to be honest about our shortcomings over the same period and be clear about how we want to correct them and chart a decisive way forward for the benefit of our future generations.

2026 is also the census year and we are working extremely hard to ensure that we undertake this important task successfully. The national census is a very important undertaking as the data that we get helps the government to plan and make projections that help the economy and drive policy direction. It is thus important for all of us to stand up to be counted and to also cooperate with the Bureau of Statistics as they lead us in this important national activity.

I conclude my foreword with a word of encouragement to the publishers and the editorial team of Lesotho Insights. Please continue to tell our story with pride. At this point, you may not fully understand the difference that you are making for our country, but I can boldly tell you that it is huge. I encourage our line ministries, development partners and the corporate world to keep supporting Lesotho Insights because it is a flagbearer that projects our identity on the world stage. Enjoy the read.

Kea Leboha

Honourable Dr. Retselisitsoe Matlanyane MP

Minister of Finance and Development Planning