…says country must fully exploit its competitive advantages to create jobs
BASOTHO Development Front (BDF) leader, Bothata Mahlala, says Lesotho can no longer afford to rely on foreign markets and outside assistance to create jobs, arguing that the country must instead harness its own resources and capabilities to tackle unemployment.
The Quthing-born businessman and philanthropist says the BDF’s ideology is rooted in looking inwards, supporting Basotho-driven projects and creating employment from the country’s existing resources.
Mr Mahlala, who made his name through the Bothata Mahlala Development Foundation (BMDF), has supported thousands of pupils in his home area of Mount Moorosi with school shoes, uniforms and bursaries. He contested the Mount Moorosi constituency under the Democractic Congress banner in the 2022 general elections, narrowly losing to the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) candidate with just over 200 votes.
He later left the DC and formed the BDF, which has since rolled out youth-focused projects across the country.
His message comes against the backdrop of persistent economic challenges, including uncertainty in the textile and apparel industry, Lesotho’s largest source of formal employment. The United States’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides eligible African countries with duty-free access to the American market, was extended to 31 December 2028 in September this year, following an earlier lapse.
Mr Mahlala, however, believes Lesotho should not build its economic future on the goodwill of foreign markets, arguing that the country has the capacity to produce and export on its own terms.
In this week’s exclusive interview with the Lesotho Times senior Reporter Mohloai Mpesi, Mr Mahlala speaks about the BDF’s plans to tackle unemployment, his criticism of the current government, corruption, political defections and internal party democracy.
LT: What is your party’s position on reducing the growing unemployment rate in the country?
Mahlala: As the BDF, we say, ‘Cast your net where you are’. It means looking from within your own backyard for something you can do to reduce unemployment.
Whenever AGOA is about to expire, government leaders go up and down to America to beg for an extension, yet they have always known that it would expire.
As the BDF, we say we should by now be at a level where we can feed ourselves as a country.
What do we have that can help us reduce high unemployment? We have factories that are no longer operating at full capacity. We cannot abandon those buildings simply because AGOA has expired.
We can look for things to produce for other markets like South Africa. Our cost of production is lower than South Africa’s, and our factory workers are paid less than their South African counterparts. We can produce for the South African market.
We also have water, and we can create employment through agriculture. These are things that do not require anyone’s help.
Lesotho also produces clean water, which means we can bottle it, load it into containers and export it to countries that need water.
We have mountains that attract tourists. Some people would like to come to Lesotho for hiking. That can happen when they know they are safe and that no one will rob or kill them.
There are things that do not even require money to attract investment to our country.
LT: What is your opinion of the current government after four years in office?
Mahlala: The current government belongs to a chosen few. It benefits a handful of people, especially those close to the country’s leadership, rather than the entire nation.
Tenders are given to companies owned by ministers and people close to them. People who have successfully delivered services to the government are not paid, while those close to the leadership get paid.
That kills the private sector, yet the Prime Minister promised that people who had done work for the government would never be paid late. We do not see those practices becoming history. Instead, they continue.
To succeed in business, you must know someone in a leadership position in government.
That pushes even people who do not want to enter politics into politics because the understanding is that, without someone in government, you will never succeed.
LT: What are your views on reports of corruption in the country?
Mahlala: We have Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports. The PAC is an authorised body that provides oversight of public finances. It is not just someone from the street; it has real documents. But the government does not adhere to its recommendations, as if the committee has no say.
We have Auditor-General’s reports, which are clear about government finances and how much is missing from the public purse.
We have never heard, even once, what steps the government has taken regarding the unaccounted funds.
Recently, there was the M109 million fertiliser tender case, in which the perpetrators have not been taken to task. A DC Member of Parliament, Mr Lekunya, returned only M6 million.
No one is asking about the remaining amount. When someone returns a small portion of what they unlawfully benefited from, that is the end of it. It means that tomorrow someone will steal M200 million and return only M10 million.
No one dares to check how much has been stolen, how much is being returned compared with what should be returned, and then act against the culprits.
LT: But there is the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) to investigate and initiate prosecutions where there is corruption. Are you saying it is ineffective?
Mahlala: The DCEO is staffed by civil servants of the government of the day. You cannot go to your master and tell him he is corrupt. That master has the power to write you a letter the following day and dismiss you. We have seen it happen in other government ministries.
So, they protect their jobs by overlooking the wrongdoing of their master.
As the BDF, we say institutions like the DCEO should be independent. If the DCEO were independent, there would be investors willing to inject money to fund it. Even its employees’ salaries would be much better if they were not paid by the government. That is possible.
The DCEO would then work hard and independently, without depending on the government. If we do that, many solid cases would be filed in court and, as a result, a lot of government money would be recovered.
LT: Beyond calling for prosecution, what concrete action will the BDF take? Would you push for independent investigations regardless of political affiliation, even if it means holding your own allies to the same standard?
Mahlala: That is an obvious answer. However, before calling for independent investigations and further stretching the public purse, we need to test the pillars of good governance and the independence of the judiciary.
Processes must at all material times be carried out properly, in a timely manner and according to prescribed procedures. Where they are compromised, that is when independent commissions can be established, with time-bound turnaround periods.
LT: Defections are common in Lesotho politics. How do you tell genuine conviction from opportunism, and what does this trend say about ideological politics in the country?
Mahlala: We cannot claim that participation in politics still stems from the original motives of fighting for justice or advocating for human rights. Those times have passed; we have gained our independence and control of interests in all spheres.
It is particularly interesting to see that, lately, politics has become a bargaining chip, with people looking for opportunities. Naturally, people want to align themselves with those they feel have a high chance of providing opportunities, and unfortunately, that is now what drives the electorate’s choices.
Nobody seems interested in aligning with a person of the same social and economic standing as themselves. Voters are now looking to successful people to be their leaders, believing that because they are successful, they can also lead and influence the success of the greater majority.
So, why not support them?
LT: Many parties have been weakened by internal divisions and power struggles. What democratic mechanisms will the BDF put in place to resolve disagreements fairly and keep your own members from leaving?
Mahlala: Internal divisions are mostly caused by members who do not have the interests of the greater majority at heart. The BDF tries its best to ensure that it has people of calibre who understand the vision and the bigger picture.
We have our own mode of operation, which includes turning our visions and plans into action that will keep people more focused than scrambling for power.
We hope our eight social pillars will see the light of day soon, so that we focus on important issues, not self-serving interests.
We have pledged that even if we are few, we will stay and make the lives of other people better.
LT: You recently dissolved committees within the party. What informed that decision, and how can you assure members it was meant to strengthen the party rather than consolidate power or silence dissent?
Mahlala: The dissolution of the committees was to pave the way for the election of new committees. The interim committees were nominated by the leader and can be dissolved by the leader for various reasons.
As we pave the way for those elections, we need to make sure we are on the same wavelength, without derailing the party’s vision and mandate.
LT: If voters remember one thing about the BDF at the next election, what do you want it to be?
Mahlala: How the BDF contributes daily to changing the lives of others.
You can look at what it has done in Quthing, providing road access and electrification to some areas, among other things.
Lately, it also offered Basotho, regardless of party affiliation, the chance to learn to operate yellow plant machinery so that they can qualify for jobs on big projects.
The BDF is currently preparing to launch a unique youth project that taps into Lesotho’s natural endowments.
