Youth unemployment declared a state of emergency

The government has declared youth unemployment a state of emergency, Prime Minister Sam Matekane announced today.

Matekane made the announcement at a one-day national youth dialogue held in Maseru.

This comes after Basotho youth used different forms to urge the government to accelerate efforts to curb unemployment in the country.

One of the youths who attended the conference,

Moselantja Rajoele who sells waffles, saidunemployment needs to be declared a state of emergency. 

Rajoele told theReporter that summits like this happen all the time, yet they do not bring any real benefits to the youth.

“We have seen this before. The only new face is the Prime Minister (Matekane), who may not yet fully grasp the depth of the unemployment crisis while therest of the government officials here already know the magnitude of the problem,” she said.

Real change could come only if the government recognises the unemployment situation in the country as a crisis, she noted.

She added that if Matekane wants to win over the youth, he must ensure that more resources are allocated to tackle the challenge.