Seithati Motšoeneng
INJECTING resources into Lesotho’s creative industry can create opportunities leading to independence for the country’s youth, while also generating much-needed revenue as it happens in other countries, says Minister of Information, Communication, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Nthati Moorosi.
Ms Moorosi said this during Monday morning’s launch of the Film for Community Action (FCA) operating under Khaya Holdings, further placing emphasis on the importance of growing Lesotho’s creative industry. The minister compared the country to South Africa and Nigeria, whose film industries generate billions for the two countries. The launch took place at Avani Maseru.
“If given enough tools, the creative industry can give the youth opportunities to be independent, and we, as a country, could generate revenue like other countries leading the industry,” Ms Moorosi said.
“South Africa earns R8 billion from the creative industry, while countries like Nigeria make millions of American dollars. I don’t understand why we cannot follow their ways so that we get the same results because the sector has potential.”
According to the communications minister, Lesotho’s creative industry needed to be uplifted by being given a platform to market its content “because the industry has potential to be an economic driver and reduce high youth unemployment rate”.
Ms Moroosi further declared it was time the youth moved from sitting on their laurels and basking in the sun, adding “the corporate world awaits you”.
The minister assured the youth that should they come up with great content, she would ensure it was broadcast on national television.
“I want to make a pledge to you, that I will get LNBS on board to broadcast those films in their raw state because that’s what makes it real and relatable,” the minister said.
For his part, Khaya Holdings Managing Director, Tumahole Lechesa, said the company’s mandate was to solve existing problems and come up with solutions.
“Lesotho is experiencing a high unemployment rate which is likely to rise up to 40 percent in 2024, and through this programme, we want to create more opportunities for the youth,” said Mr Lechesa.
He also said FCA is a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, as well as Khaya Holdings and other stakeholders.
FCA was launched with a film masterclass led by Botswana-born Clint Phuthego who stars as Paballo Morake in the South African SABC 2 soapie, Muvhango.
In his address at the event, Mr Phuthego encouraged the gathered youth to be courageous in life and master their own characters because their uniqueness “is the definition of who you are”.
He said it was important to be resilient as he auditioned for five years to star in Muvhango “I started to audition from 2018 until I got the role of Paballo recently, and I was told that I had long been shortlisted on the show, but that they just had not found the character that suited my personality,” Mr Phuthego said.
Maseru District Administrator, Tsepo Lethobane, who was also an invited guest at the event, said it was an honour for the programme to start in Maseru as it was densely populated and a trend-setter for all the other districts.
He also highlighted the importance of investing in the youth as the future of the country and commended Khaya for creating the FCA programme for the benefit of Basotho youths.
