In tackling the challenges within Lesotho’s socio-economic landscape, the government of Lesotho is currently working on Bilateral Labor Migration Arrangements (BLMAs).

Some critics perceive this as a strategic move of “passing the buck” in dealing with unemployment, raising crucial questions about whether these initiatives genuinely address local jobs scarcity or merely shift the responsibility to the external party.

Do you ever wonder how it feels to come from an economically disadvantaged family while surrounded by rich neighbors?

Picture this: every day a child observes these prosperous neighbors reveling in the fullness of life, while their own home can scarcely afford a third meal of the day. For some, residing in a landlocked developing country like Lesotho evokes a similar sentiment, respectfully speaking.

Lerato (not her real name), a Mosotho woman currently living in a South African township, shares her dream of living in South Africa, fueled by the diverse culture she admired on SABC1.

“I admired SABC 1 a lot and I loved the culture in South Africa, the diversity. Then my father told us to move here when he’s dead,” Lerato shared.

Lerato had extended family in South Africa, and occasional visits opened her eyes to the opportunities the country offered. After completing her fourth year at The National University of Lesotho in 2013, she decided to relocate to South Africa with her entire family, but their plans didn;t unfold as expected, leading to their return. 

The turning point came when Lerato had a child. The child’s father, grappling with addiction, lost control of his life. Compounded by issues with Lerato’s mother who disapproved of her lifestyle choices, this became the tipping point, prompting Lerato to return to South Africa. 

“In Lesotho, I was good financially. It’s just that there’s so much more on this side. My only real motivation was to come and get a better life for my child. Lesotho was okay but as an aspiring trader, my research led me here.” Lerato said. 

When asked about the transition from Lesotho to South Africa and if it had impacted her sense of cultural identity, Lerato says that the only notable challenge in her transition was the language. Fortunately her boyfriend is Pedi, but the majority of the community there is Zulu, with her finding some of the words challenging to pronounce. As a result of that she mostly speaks English, which is another problem on its own in a township. 

Another significant challenge that Lerato encountered as a Mosotho migrant is not having a visa, where she always needs to find a way of discharging her passport. Which has essentially led her to living like an outlaw. Not that she minds, Lerato points out. 

According to Lerato, there are opportunities in South Africa everywhere one goes if a person is smart. The mining industry is also dominant there so there’s plenty of work. Lerato says that being in South Africa challenges the brain to grow by having to learn different languages and interacting with people from all over the world. 

“However, it also gets lonely. The disadvantage is that sometimes one realizes that they might be alone in a faraway place with no family support. That can cause a lot of vulnerability and guys here are good at taking advantage of that.” Lerato says. 

Migration is definitely not a new concept for Basotho people, especially for those living in the rural areas.

According to a research paper on Migration and Development in Lesotho (Rocchi & Del Sette, 2016), in the last decades of the 20th century, about half of the adult male population of Lesotho migrated on a temporary basis to South Africa to work predominantly in the mines, and other sectors.

As such, migrant remittances, that is, money or goods sent from Basotho in SA to families and friends back in Lesotho, contributed considerably to the reduction of poverty.

Unfortunately, Rocchi & Del Sette, 2016, since the early 1990s, the number of Basotho men working as migrants in South Africa declined drastically over the years (from about 673 000 in 1987, down to 406 000 in 2001 and bottomed at 43 000 in 2010), causing a dramatic drop in remittances and a consequent increase in poverty among the households dependent on such incomes for their living.

This and other factors have created a phenomenon: feminization of migration, which gave rise to specific problematic forms of migration, such as the commercialized migration of women and girls as domestic workers and caregivers, often resulting in the trafficking of women for labor and sexual exploitation.

Basotho men that think that all women are golddiggers might be surprised to know that during the past decade more and more women became primary income earners  and have thus been increasingly present in migration flows. 

And so still, in a way migration continues to be the means of survival for Basotho people. However, one cannot ignore the risks of exploitation, human trafficking as well as the socio-economic impact on the country.

Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr. Retselisitsoe Matlanyane, in the recent budget speech, said that the government has allocated M71.6 million to implement policies and programmes that will improve the labor and employment sector. With regards to BLMA, the initiative is supposed to diversify employment opportunities and promote skills development through agreements with countries such as Qatar, Seychelles, and Mauritius.

Does Lesotho have enough skills to export while sustaining and growing the country? Some critics argue that labor migration agreements can lead to a “brain drain”, that is, depleting the country of skilled professionals. 

According to a scholarly article titled “Lesotho: From Labor Reserve to Depopulating Periphery?” (Cobbe, 2012), a longstanding history exists of educated Black Africans moving between Lesotho and South Africa, and though the precise number remains unknown, the impact of the movement is substantial.

According to the World Bank, approximately one-third of physicians born in Lesotho have chosen to emigrate. Consequently, the government of Lesotho has had to seek foreign-born physicians to address healthcare demands.

What makes this issue worse, is the substantial salary disparity between Lesotho and South Africa, where the national income per person is nearly four times higher. It’s a stark reality that warrants a moment of reflection. This striking economic difference has perpetuated persistent shortages in Lesotho, affecting various skilled professionals, including doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers and other essential roles.  

Lisemelo Lethoba, an MA Economics graduate (and a Bcom Law degree and a diploma in United Nations Studies), passionate about sustainable development, warns of potential brain drain, especially due to better working conditions abroad.

However, Lethoba suggests that the government can reverse this by implementing robust diaspora policies. Such policies should foster strong connections and provide opportunities for skilled individuals to contribute to their home country, through remote work, investments, or knowledge transfer programs. 

In her opinion, the Bilateral Labor and Migration Agreement (BLMA), represents a policy strategy aimed at safeguarding the interests of Basotho in the potential host countries. The agreement, being binding on both the sending and receiving countries, will inherently serve as a protective measure for Basotho. 

“_ Effective policies should prioritize pre-departure safety training, enforce fair employment contracts, ensure access to legal support abroad,and establish mechanisms for regular monitoring of working conditions. Collaborative efforts between Lesotho and receiving countries are crucial for safeguarding the rights and well-being of Basotho workers overseas,” she emphasized. 

According to IOM UN Migration-Lesotho, out of the population of 2.1 million people (2020), only about 1000 people are migrants with Women making up an interesting 45.8 percent. All of these recorded migrants make up a whopping USD 561.6 million in remittances  (2021) that makes its way to Lesotho. 

If these bilateral agreements are effectively implemented, we could witness billions in USD remittances flowing into Lesotho.

Such a substantial influx of funds could significantly impact Lesotho’s seemingly stagnant economy, potentially driving growth and development.

However, there’s a concern among some observers that the current economic landscape may not fully capitalize on these remittances. Instead of circulating within the country to stimulate domestic production and economic activity, a large portion of these funds may still flow out of Lesotho as people opt to spend on imports.

This trend highlights a critical issue: Lesotho’s limited capacity to produce goods internally, hindering the circulating flow of the economy. 

During her attendance at the Diaspora Homecoming event hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thaba Bosiu last December, Lethoba noted with disappointment that the government primarily focused on seeking business-oriented investments from the diaspora.

The attendees agreed that the diaspora has much more to offer and stands ready to contribute. Lethoba believes that leveraging migration agreements to encourage Basotho in the diaspora to invest in social projects beyond remittances is a powerful strategy.

The government could incentivize such investments through tax breaks, facilitating partnerships with local organizations, and providing support networks for project implementation.

 “Encouraging diaspora involvement in social projects not only fosters community development but also strengthens ties between Basotho abroad and their homeland, leading to sustainable impact and shared prosperity. We win and grow together this way,” she expressed.

An increasing number of skilled Basotho individuals are leaving Lesotho in pursuit of better opportunities, and these opportunities aren’t far from reach.

The question looms: can Lesotho genuinely afford to lose more skilled workers? While Bilateral Agreements stand as a strategy to tackle employment  and skills development concerns, and every budget speech unveils new projects addressing these issues, the challenge persists year after year.

If we’ve pinpointed the factors driving Basotho to seek opportunities abroad, shouldn’t our focus shift to cultivating thriving conditions within Lesotho?