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Lesotho

Little usable land, low economic output, high rate of HIV. Little Lesotho is facing some big challenges.

 

Map of Lesotho

Capital

Maseru

Official languages

Sesotho and English

Area

30,344km²

Population

2.1 million

Population growth

0.3%

Rural population

80%

Gross domestic product

1.9 billion US dollars

Annual income per capita

1,264 US dollars

Agriculture as a proportion of GDP

5.7%　

Severity of hunger according to the Global Hunger Index

serious (score: 22.7; trend: -5.3)

Proportion of the total population undernourished

11.3%

Human Development Index

0.514 / Ranking: 160 out of 188

Proportion of the population living on less than 1.25 US dollars a day

61.9%

 

It could easily be overlooked on a map – Lesotho, a small country in the middle of South Africa. With an area of 30,344 square kilometres, it is only a little bigger than the German state of Brandenburg, and has 2.1 million inhabitants according to the latest figures. With its mountainous terrain, its average altitude is 2,000 metres above sea level. As a result, the alpine climate, uncommon on the African continent, transitions through four seasons with extremes of temperature between summer and winter.

　

Since independence in 1966, political tensions have been a feature of the democratic monarchy, resulting in an attempted military coup in 2014, and repeatedly giving rise to periods of instability. The economic system is integrated into that of the Republic of South Africa. Lesotho imports around 70 per cent of its food from its large neighbour because, due to its own mountainous location, only around 10 per cent of the land can be used for agriculture. At the same time, however, 80 per cent of the population live in rural areas, mostly as subsistence farmers. Just recently, the weather phenomenon, El Niño, plunged the country into one of the most severe droughts in its history. In 2016 the Government declared a state of emergency, as half a million people were affected by food shortages. Thus the ‘Kingdom in the Sky’ – as Lesotho is also known, because of its high elevation – remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

　

Small, dependent Lesotho

Agriculture in Lesotho is a tough business. Three quarters of the country consists of mountainous regions in which, for the most part, only pastoral farms are able to operate. Inappropriate farming methods lead to overgrazing and over-cultivation of the scarce usable land, a consequence of which is soil erosion. According to estimates in a country report by the Bertelsmann Foundation, 40 million tonnes of fertile soil are lost each year.

The weather phenomenon, El Niño, has exacerbated the situation in Lesotho, just as it has in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the Government declared a state of emergency last year, some measure of recovery has been possible thanks to humanitarian aid. More than half a million people are still dependent on foreign aid, particularly for food supplies. The start of the wet season, usually in March, promises some respite.

　

HIV hotspot

An already unsatisfactory health situation has been made even worse by this disaster. The number of undernourished people has increased, especially among pregnant women and nursing mothers, and infant mortality has risen markedly. One of the country's biggest problems is HIV. Lesotho has the second highest rate of infection in the world, affecting almost one in four; but the country has neither the financial means nor the infrastructure necessary to provide a functioning health care system for the majority of its residents. About 25 per cent of health care expenditure is covered by donor agencies.

　

　

 

The country imports 90 per cent of its goods from South Africa.　

　

Due to its geographical location and its own low economic output, Lesotho is a highly dependent nation. It imports at least 90 per cent of its goods from South Africa, and many of its citizens continue to earn a living as migrant workers in South African mines or households, although fewer than under the apartheid regime. In addition, a large part of the population works in the textile industry, Lesotho’s biggest employer after the state.

　

Lesotho exports its most valuable resource, water, mostly to South Africa. The Highlands Water Project has been under way since the mid-80s, involving the construction of five dams, two of which have already been completed. The large volumes of water from the melting glaciers are collected in these and exported to South Africa. A project not without controversy. During construction thousands of residents were displaced and inadequately compensated. Even the World Bank, which financed the project, was critical, saying that the money was not invested as intended in poverty alleviation. Even in the ‘lowlands’, where two thirds of the population live, many have no access to the improved water supply.

　

FOLLOW THE FLAG In Lesotho colourful flags fly in the villages to show where home-brewed beer or home-made food is sold. White is for sorghum beer, yellow for sorghum ginger beer, green for vegetables, and red for meat. Mealie pap　(maize porridge) is the most frequently eaten dish here. It is generally served with peanut sauce or beans.

Lesotho’s challenges

According to Alexander Erich, GIZ’s programme manager in Lesotho, the country has to face up to three big challenges above all others: hunger, HIV / AIDS and unemployment. According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the unemployment rate is around 25 per cent. Having fallen some way short of achieving the millennium development goals, the Government now intends to meet this challenge through the 2012 National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP). The aims of the plan include sustainable economic growth of five per cent to enable the creation of 47,000 new jobs. Besides this, various initiatives are planned to promote the sustainable use of resources, especially those relating to water and soil. Particularly in light of the current disasters, this has top priority.

 

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