Inequality haunts Lesotho

By Neo Kolane

Activist group Unity for Radical Transformation, says Lesotho is among the world’s most unequal countries and, with a Gini coefficient of 44.6, it is among the 20 percent most unequal countries in the world.

This is according to a statement issued yesterday when Lesotho celebrated 55 years of independence.

The statement says the majority of the people live in abject poverty, and many still lack basic necessities such as electricity.

“However, Lesotho is a nation where the economy is still largely dominated by foreign firms.

“Youth unemployment is among the highest in the world, and three times higher than the average rate observed in other lower-middle-income countries.

“Almost 31 percent of adolescents aged 15-24 and 24 percent of young adults aged 25- 34 are unemployed.”

The organisation further states that education and health care remain abysmal.

“Despite the country’s vast natural resources, water especially, many households still do not have access to clean running water. Taps in Mafeteng are running dry.

“Lesotho is also a nation where there is growing disillusionment with political leaders because they are corrupt and are ignoring the needs of the people.

“It is a known fact that after independence, the country’s economy grew at an acceptable rate.
The collapse in growth can be explained by something that happened in the 1990s,” the statement read.