Lesotho's widely read newspaper, published every Thursday and distributed throughout the country and in some parts of South Africa.
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A DEMOCRATIC Congress (DC) government will establish at least 30 diamond mines within five years of assuming power.
Party leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, told thousands of cheering supporters in Malingoaneng, Mokhotlong, at the weekend that his government would use the country’s mineral resources as the basis of reviving the economy.
He said Lesotho had adequate natural resources to lift its economy if these were properly managed.
“The country has abundant natural resources enough to improve its economy, provided they are well managed. We will ensure that this happens.
“One of our immediate tasks if voted into power will be to radically grow the economy of Lesotho. We will support small businesses so that they can create jobs,” Mr Mokhothu, who is also the deputy prime minister, in the current governing coalition, said.
His government would also leverage on the country’s abundant water resources to establish water bottling companies to serve both local and global markets and create many jobs.
The DC would empower Basotho to own small and large-scale mines, Mr Mokhothu said, to help reverse the current situation in which major industrial firms were foreign owned.
A DC government would work with the private sector to produce a conducive environment for investment to foster economic growth.
“Our government will work hard to create a platform where businesses flourish and compete on global markets.
“We will establish a development bank that will fund businesses,” Mr Mokhothu said.
He said his government would build a school of governance named after the revolutionary leader of the congress movement, Ntsu Mokhehle. The school will offer governance and peace education.
Dr Mokhehle, the late leader of the Basotho Congress Party (BCP) and the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD), served as Prime Minister from April 1993 to May 1998, before relinquishing power to ex-prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili.
Mr Mosisili walked out of the LCD, which itself had broken away from the BCP, in 2012 to form the DC before he relinquished power to Mr Mokhothu after losing the June 2017 elections.
Mr Mokhothu said a DC government would improve the country’s education system to produce employers instead of employees.
