Mining conference looks to open doors for Lesotho

By Matṧeliso Phulane

The inaugural Lesotho Mining Indaba-Khotla conference which kicked off today at ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre in Maseru is set to be first of its kind to explore opportunities and innovative ideas in the country’s mining sector.

The two-day conference which is held under the theme “The Future of Mining in the Global Landscape” ends tomorrow. It brought together industrial leaders, investors, senior government officials and other stakeholders.

In his opening remarks, the chairperson of Southern Africa Miners Association (SAMA), Jabu Xaba, said they aim to reposition Lesotho into the global mining landscape.

“The specific objective of this gathering is to ensure Lesotho’s mineral wealth leads to the betterment of Basotho. We are going to take the responsibility to ensure that the present era and the future are characterised by mining for the benefit of Basotho.

“We also seek ways to mitigate against adverse implications of mining projects from the humanitarian (social) to the environmental point of view and even to the political point of view.

“We’re also here to open a serious platform for debate on how best we can provide equitable access to mining opportunities, particularly to women,” Xaba said.

He noted that they would further address the painful legacy of unclaimed and unpaid social protection benefits of Basotho people, especially in South Africa’s mining industry. These benefits contribute a lot to the neighbouring country’s economic growth.