Africa-Press – Lesotho. MATŠOTLEHO Pelesa left Leribe 15 years ago with the hope of getting a permanent job at the Letšeng Diamond Mine. The job failed to materialise. Years later, she heard that Mothae Mine, situated close to Letšeng, was hiring, she again tried her luck.
Again, she did not get the job. Last Thursday, Pelesa was hoping that maybe her dreams would finally be answered when Qaqa Mine, the third mine in her vicinity, was launched.
“We were hoping to get employed today,” Pelesa said while waiting outside the mine premises.
She was with dozens other jobseekers from Phutha-Lichaba, an impoverished village in Mokhotlong, an area close to the three mines. Disappointment followed for many of them.
“We just learned that today is only a day for the official launch. They don’t seem to be hiring anyone as we were initially told,” she said.
Like many people here, hopes of securing a job at the mine are vanishing. “We have found out just now that the mine will hire workers using a similar system used by the other two mines.
They took lists of names from the villages. The problem is that people from our village are often side-lined in favour of those from surrounding villages,” said Pelesa.
“We are not treated as part of Mokhotlong but we will see what will happen this time around.
”
It was windy, cool and dusty in the Qaqa valley, situated between the Letšeng Diamond and Mothae Mine, as the official launch of the new mine took place.
Gathered to witness and celebrate the event were people from all over Lesotho and others from South Africa. Top of their expectations was getting hired by the mine on the same day.
“At first we were very hopeful that we would get jobs here.
As people from Phutha-Lichaba we have been unlucky with Letšeng and Mothae mines. It seems the trend is continuing,” said Pelesa. Qaqa Mine is the second licensed mine run by Basotho. The mine’s journey started in 2017 when authorities issued Morafe Group of Companies with a prospecting licence.
“The Qaqa kimberlite deposit was discovered around 1957 or 1956 alongside many and in 2017 Morafe received a prospecting licence,” Mohapi Khofu, the CEO of Qaqa Mine, said during the official launch.
Investors have poured in M48 million into the venture so far, Khofu said, highlighting their commitment to developing the Mokhotlong district and ultimately contributing towards poverty eradication in the country.
“We promise to acquire skills from locals because we know there are many Basotho who have various skills, Basotho who have trained in different parts of the world,” Khofu said.
He said so far 86 people have been employed and many more will be hired throughout the trial process and when the mine starts operating at full throttle.
The Principal Chief of Malingoaneng, Qetho Sekonyela, expressed hope that the opening of the mine would provide employment opportunities for people in his area.
“Our people are dying in abandoned mines in South Africa, they have become illegal miners.
We hope that with mines opening in our area, eventually this business of Basotho going to South Africa to work as illegal miners will come to an end,” Chief Sekonyela said.
He pleaded with Qaqa Mine management to give priority to residents of Mokholong when hiring unskilled labour, and open skilled jobs for all Basotho. The MP for Motete constituency, Tumahole Lerafa, said the unemployment crisis and poverty bedevilling the country can only be eased if companies such as Qaqa Mine flourish.
“When mines open we are grateful because this means our people are getting jobs and will be able to provide for their families,” Lerafa said. Lerafa added that he is looking forward to the opening of many more mines throughout the country to create jobs and wealth for Basotho.
Deputy Prime Minister Mathibeli Mokhothu described the initiative to issue mining licences to locals as “a noble one that is critical for the development of Lesotho, job creation and eradication of poverty”.
“Rome was not built in one day and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” Mokhothu said.
“We are hopeful Basotho that are granted such opportunities will take full responsibility for the development of Lesotho,” he said.
“In order for these local businessmen to be able to develop and create jobs we need to have a development bank. We also need policies regarding shareholding to be reviewed so that we protect Basotho from getting into ventures that take advantage of them.
”
Mokhothu said going forward, the Minister of Mining, Serialong Qoo, must see to it that the shareholding policy is reviewed to ensure that the government holds 51 percent of shares in the mines. Any international investor coming into the country must partner with a local to get business, he said.
“We have learned the hard way through the opportunity we had with the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was exploited by the Chinese and after all these years there is no development we can point to,” he said.
“We put our fate in the hands of the Chinese and when they close the factories we are left helpless because we did not develop local investors.
”
Mokhothu said the same happened with water, which Lesotho exports to South Africa while Basotho are left without water and “that is very embarrassing”.
“It is high time that Basotho benefit from our resources and opportunities,” Mokhothu said. He advised that locals should make full use of opportunities that come their way.
“If they do not use these mining licences, let us revoke them and give them to those who will put them to use,” said Mokhothu.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
