Limpho Sello
FIRST Lady Masekoalane Majoro this week provided meals to more than 1000 Basotho who were travelling to South Africa through the Maseru border post.
In an interview with the Lesotho Times, Ms Majoro said the initiative was funded by her office to assist the travellers who had queued for hours to cross into South Africa.
Thousands of Basotho who are resident in South Africa have been crossing back into the neighbouring country since 1 January 2020. They had come to Lesotho for the just-ended festive season but many people decided to cut short their stay due to reports that South Africa would introduce stricter measures including a lockdown of the country’s borders to ban international travel as part of efforts to stop the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Therefore, they have been trying to cross back to South Africa quickly in case the border is closed.
However, due to the requirement to present valid Covid-19 clearance certificates, travellers have been spending long hours queuing at the borders.
And Ms Majoro said she understood the frustrations of the travellers after spending long hours queuing.
“We know that waiting for long hours is frustrating and we also know some do not even have money left to spend on food,” Ms Majoro said.
“This is a small gesture from my office to wish them well as they go back to South Africa to work for their families. That is why we are here providing meals for everyone who is passing through the border, so that among their frustrations, hunger is the least.”
Each traveller got a quarter loaf of bread, a slice of polony and a cup of soup.
