Khama-khamane Primary School students learn in an unroofed structure in the Lesotho Highlands. Photos: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi US aid cuts have left schools in Lesotho Highlands looking for alternative funding to fund their infrastructure. Children learn in church halls and outdoors, compromising their education. At Sephalane Primary five grades are squeezed into one
Author: LESCIJ LESCIJ
Starlink launches amid job losses in Lesotho
The CEO of T-Connect Lesotho, Phelane Phomane, at the launch of Starlink. Sechaba Mokhethi Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, has launched in Lesotho through T-Connect Lesotho. The launch comes after massive job losses stemming from 50% US tariffs on Lesotho imports and funding cuts that were led by Musk in the Trump
Mass lay-offs at garment factories as US tariffs bite
The future of garment factories in Maseru hangs in the balance as the United States threatens massive tariffs. Sechaba Mokhethi New orders have plummeted at garment factories after the threat of a 50% US tariff on Lesotho and production lines have shut down. Thousands of workers have been sent home, with factory closures
US cuts food aid to 36,000 children in Lesotho
Learners at Ha Samuel Primary School queue for their breakfast. Photos: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi A programme designed to feed more than 36,000 learners at 200 schools in Lesotho will now end after abrupt cuts by the US Department of Agriculture. The Lesotho government says it’s own food programme will now cover these
Trout farming company’s strange “error” on donations
Fish cages in Katse Dam, photo by Sechaba Mokhethi Sanlei Premium Trout reported community donations of fish heads worth M2.9-million, but actually gave less than M450,000 Sechaba Mokhethi SanLei Premium Trout, which farms trout in Lesotho’s Katse Dam under licence from the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA), overstated its donations to the community,
Big US-funded chicken project shuts down in Lesotho
A major US-funded project aimed at boosting Lesotho’s chicken farming industry has been canned. Photo: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi A M500-million project to boost chicken farming in Lesotho has been canned by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Sustainable Transformation of Enterprises in the Poultry Sector (STEPS) project, launched in 2023, aimed
Gem Diamonds’ Lesotho subsidiary faces scrutiny over handling of sexual harassment case
Billy Ntaote At Letšeng Diamonds Mine in Lesotho, which is known for its record-breakingly, large and lucrative gems, a different story of value is unfolding at the mine—one of dignity, justice, and a woman’s long and painful fight to be heard. Ntsatsi Ratlou, a security officer at the Letšeng mine, which is
The thorny truth of Lesotho’s rosehip industry
'Mapotsana Hlopho helps sustain her family by picking rosehips, which grow wild in Lesotho. One 20-litre bucket sold for between M100 and M200 this year. Photos: Sechaba Mokhethi Sechaba Mokhethi Lesotho’s wild-harvested rosehips are an important industry for the small country’s economy, providing thousands of people in rural villages with a source
Lesotho Highlands Water Project contractor suspended for polluting rivers
Work has been suspended on the 38km tunnel between the Polihali and Katse dams. Photo: Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (fair use). Sechaba Mokhethi Kopano Ke Matla Joint Venture, responsible for building a 38-km tunnel connecting two dams in the Lesotho highlands, has had to suspend operations. Inspections revealed that the company’s wastewater treatment
US shuts down massive Lesotho development project
Millennium Challenge Corporation deputy chief executive Chidi Blyden at the launch of the project in Maseru. Photo: US Embassy in Maseru, copied for fair use. Sechaba Mokhethi The United States has moved to shut down an American-funded M6-billion development project. The government has not confirmed the closure of the Lesotho Health and Horticulture
