Maseru
Leader of the opposition party, Basotho National Party (BNP), Machesetsa Mofomobe, along with SECTION 2, a civic organization advocating for the respect of the constitution, rule of law, and civil rights of citizens, have jointly urged the Government of Lesotho to consider subsidizing essential food commodities. This call comes in response to the recent surge in prices of basic necessities, which has placed increased financial strain on the populace.
Just last week, Lesotho’s only milling company, Lesotho Flour Mills (LFM) announced that all maize products would be hiked by seven percent and the new prices were effective from Monday this week. According to the adjustments, this means that white maize which was often sold within the range of M3700 and M3900 per metric ton in January, is now priced to as high as M5300.
LFM had attributed the massive hikes in a statement on Monday this week, to the significant spike in South African raw white maize prices, a staple import for LFM. The company announced that the South African white maize surged by a staggering 39% within a span of just two months.
“This meteoric rise can be directly attributed to the adverse effects of the drought caused by the low rainfall and hotter than usual weather during the past two months,” wrote LFM.
In addition to existing challenges, residents are now facing the impact of elevated electricity prices, which took effect on April 1. This follows the approval by the Lesotho Water and Electricity Authority (LEWA) of a tariff increase proposed by the Lesotho Electricity Company, resulting in a 9.6 percent rise in tariffs.
However, it is uncertain if the new electricity prices will go on after SECTION 2 had since filed a Court case at the Commercial Court challenging the new electricity tariffs. They argue that, should the new levy be enacted, consumers will suffer significantly, more especially those with limited income and those operating on small profit margins.
Earlier this week, both Mofomobe and SECTION 2 have urged the Government to intervene in this matter, expressing concerns that the proposed hikes would disproportionately burden a significant portion of the population, particularly those deemed to be economically disadvantaged.
The two parties strongly advocated for the government to prioritize the implementation of a food subsidy program covering all grains. Such an initiative would undoubtedly provide much-needed relief to numerous citizens in a country where nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line, as indicated in the World Food Program (WFP)’s Lesotho Annual Country Report 2023.
Addressing members of the media on Monday this week, Mofomobe issued a clarion call to the Right Honourable Prime Minister and his coalition partners to promptly act on this before the situation gets out of hand.
He said what is more concerning is the fact that the government is failing to address the massive job losses in the factories and other sectors while the cost of living and basic needs continue to shoot.
“In Lesotho, when the public is overwhelmed by poverty, the government initiates interventions. We can all remember in one year when Dr. Pakalitha Mosisili’s Government in similar instances, subsidised the price of Maize meal with M50.
We can also recall back in the days of Covid-19, when then Prime Minister Dr. Moeketsi Majoro decided to subsidise the prices of petrol and other fuel products for Basotho and rightfully so, the current Prime Minister should also do the same to subsidise the cost of maize meal,” he said.
Mofomobe encouraged Matekane to consider his guidance impartially, setting aside any political disparities, and instead reflect upon his counsel for the betterment of the Basotho people.
“I am determined to help him, when the National Assembly reopens, I will file in a motion that the government should make a subsidy of maize meal to relief the whole nation not only the BNP followers.
This is affecting everyone including them (RFP) supporters and all members of other parties. I will forge ahead with that motion even though I am not entirely optimistic that the speaker, Tlohang Sekhamane will fathom the urgency of the matter,” Mofomobe said.
For their part, SECTION 2 had also announced in statement on Monday that it is imperative for the government to subsidise food. They said this was in light of the distressing escalation of food prices that a significant portion of the country’s population cannot afford.
Treasure and Co-Founder of this organization, Mokotjo Motsamai told the Weekly Observer during the week that the hikes would affect a greater part of citizens. He warned that if it goes unaddressed, it would escalate into devastating ripple effects.
“Like we addressed in the statement, it does affect people who cannot afford food. It creates an unequal society. Also, if it goes unaddressed, this might exacerbate the plagues of malnutrition which will hit the health of the most vulnerable people and the crime rate will also soar. We will advise ourselves if the government doesn’t listen. We always have strategies on how to tackle socio-economic issues,” he said.
These abrupt increases are expected to exacerbate the economic challenges faced by certain livelihoods. In response, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Limpho Tau from the office acknowledged the severity of the situation in an interview with the Weekly Observer on Wednesday. He noted that he had previously cautioned about the imminent threat of hunger during a session in the National Assembly two weeks prior.
Tau referenced a prior warning from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, highlighting the adverse effects of the recent prolonged period of excessive heat on crop growth. The resulting withering and drying of plants are anticipated to lead to diminished harvests for the year. Despite these challenges, Minister Tau assured this publication that concerted efforts are underway to mitigate further damage and address the impending food crisis.
“We have been working hard ever since we became aware of the situation. We have a team which is currently designed to address this and we will announce our plan soon,” Tau said.
