"Lesotho Leaps Forward: A Chronicle of Transformative Developments"
1. BIG DEVELOPMENTS IN LESOTHO
• A REVOLUTIONARY WAVE OF DEVELOPMENT HAS SWEPT ACROSS MANY SECTORS
OF LESOTHO'S ECONOMY, RESHAPING ITS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FABRIC.
• THE COUNTRY HAS ADOPTED A TRAJECTORY OF PROGRESS, FROM THE
ENORMOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE LESOTHO HIGHLANDS WATER PROJECT,
WHICH SUPPORTED WATER SUPPLIES AND HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATION,
TO THE PROSPEROUS DIAMOND MINES THAT ENRICHED THE NATION'S COFFERS
AND LOCAL PEOPLE.
• ROAD NETWORKS AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY HAVE CREATED NEW AVENUES
FOR WEALTH IN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND EFFORTS IN TOURISM AND INNOVATIVE
AGRICULTURE DEMONSTRATE A DEDICATION TO SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.
2. WE HAVE DAMS AND WATER PROJECTS SUCH AS LHWP
LESOTHO HIGHLANDS WATER PROJECT(LHWP) IS THE LARGEST BI-
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT BETWEEN LESOTHO AND
SOUTH AFRICA.
IT INVOLVES THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN INTRICATE NETWORK
TUNNELS AND DAMS TO DIVERT WATER FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF
LESOTHO TO SOUTH AFRICA.
IT PROVIDES WATER FOR SOUTH AFRICA, MONEY AND
HYDROELECTRICITY FOR LESOTHO.
LHWP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECT’S OVERALL
IMPLEMENTATIONS WORKS SUCH AS DAMS, TUNNELS, POWER
STATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURES ON LESOTHO’S BOARDERS.
THE PROJECT IS BEING UNDERTAKEN IN PHASES, AND PHASE ONE
WAS COMPLETED IN 2004 AND WAS INTENDED TO SUPPLY WATER
TO THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY.
3. CONT. KATSE DAM
PHASE 1A INCLUDED CONSTRUCTION OF THE
185M-HIGH DOUBLE CURVATURE CONCRETE
ARCH KATSE DAM IN THE CENTRAL MALUTI
MOUNTAINS AND THE 72MW MUELA
HYDROPOWER STATION. THE DAM HAS A
STORAGE CAPACITY OF 1,950 MILLION M³ AND A
SPILLWAY DISCHARGE OF 6,252M³/S. PHASE 1A
ALSO INVOLVED BUILDING A 45KM TRANSFER
TUNNEL AND A 37KM DELIVERY TUNNEL.
AND THE SOURCE OF THE HYDROPOWER ENERGY
IS BASED IN MUELA, AND IT SUPPLIES THE
LESOTHO COUNTRY WITH ELECTRICITY
4. LESOTHO ALSO HAS MINING SECTOR
DIAMOND MINING: LESOTHO IS KNOWN FOR ITS
DIAMOND MINES, PARTICULARLY THE LETŠENG
DIAMOND MINE,
ACCORDING TO WWW.LETSENGDIAMONDS.CO.LS ,
THE MINE IS SITUATED HIGH IN THE MALUTI
MOUNTAINS IN LESOTHO, SOUTHERN AFRICA, AND
HOLDS A LEASE GRANTED BY LESOTHO
GOVERNMENT IN 1999.
SO FAR IT HAS PRODUCED THE TOP QUALITY
DIAMONDS WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF
LARGE (10.8 CARAT) IT HAS THE TOP FIVE CARATS,
NAMELY, THE LESOTHO LEGEND, LETS’ENG STAR,
LIGHT OF LETS’ENG, LETS’ENG LEGACY, AND,
LESOTHO PROMISE
5. OTHER MINERALS IN LESOTHO INCLUDE
APART FROM DIAMONDS, THE COUNTRY'S MAIN MINERAL
RESOURCES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS BASE METALS, CLAYS,
DIMENSION STONE, SAND, GRAVEL AND URANIUM.
THE LACK OF INITIATIVE TO EXTRACT OTHER MINERALS
COMMERCIALLY IS MAINLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE INADEQUACY
OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND FINANCES.
HAVE OCCURRED TO A LIMITED EXTENT FOR INTERNAL
CONSUMPTION.
RESERVES OF BITUMINOUS SHALE AND COAL HAVE ALSO
BEEN IDENTIFIED.
6. APART FROM MINING LESOTHO HAS INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENTS
ROADS AND TRANSPORT: LESOTHO HAS UNDERTAKEN PROJECTS TO
IMPROVE ITS ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING THE
CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF ROADS CONNECTING
REMOTE AREAS AND URBAN CENTERS. THIS INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT IS CRUCIAL FOR FACILITATING TRADE,
TRANSPORTATION, AND ACCESS TO SERVICES.
SANI PASS IS A MOUNTAIN PASS LOCATED TO THE WEST OF
KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, ON THE ROAD BETWEEN
UNDERBERG, KWAZULU-NATAL AND MOKHOTLONG, LESOTHO. THE
SANI PASS ROAD WAS ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES,
WHICH INHIBITED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH-EAST OF
THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO.
THE SANI PASS ROAD FULFILS AN IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL
TRADE, SERVICE AND TOURISM FUNCTION. THE SOUTH AFRICAN
GOVERNMENT COMMENCED WITH THE UPGRADE OF THE SANI PASS
ROAD BETWEEN UNDERBERG AND THE LESOTHO BORDER.
7. ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
• APART FROM HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATED THROUGH PROJECTS LIKE
THE LHWP, LESOTHO IS EXPLORING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES SUCH AS
SOLAR AND WIND POWER TO ENHANCE ITS ENERGY SECURITY AND
SUSTAINABILITY.
• ACCORDING TO LNDC, LESOTHO ENERGY MASTER PLAN ESTIMATED SOLAR
ENERGY AT AN ANNUAL AVERAGE OF 7,520 MJ/M2 PER DAY ON HORIZONTAL
SURFACE.
• AS PART OF THE NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY, ONE OF THE
MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE ENERGY SECTOR IS TO
PROMOTE THE ADOPTION OF SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES.
9. AGRICULTURE AND LIVE STOCK IN LESOTHO
• LESOTHO'S IRRIGATION PROJECTS BOOST FARMING PRODUCTIVITY, AIDING
SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AND BOLSTERING FOOD SECURITY. LIVESTOCK
FARMING, ESPECIALLY OF SHEEP AND GOATS, IS PIVOTAL FOR RURAL
LIVELIHOODS, WITH INITIATIVES ENHANCING BREEDING AND DISEASE CONTROL
FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH.
• A NEW FINANCING AGREEMENT AIMED AT IMPROVING THE LIVELIHOODS OF
WOOL AND MOHAIR FARMERS WAS SIGNED RECENTLY BY IFAD AND THE
KINGDOM OF LESOTHO BY CORRESPONDENCE.
• 160,000 POOR RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN LESOTHO WILL BENEFIT FROM NEW
FINANCING FOR A PROJECT THAT WILL BOOST FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION,
MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND STRENGTHEN LIVELIHOODS
FOR GREATER INCOME.
11. END OF PRESENTATION
• PRIDE AND HOPE ARE SPARKED BY LESOTHO'S INCREDIBLE ADVANCEMENTS IN
MINING, INFRASTRUCTURE, AGRICULTURE, AND OTHER FIELDS. IT IS INSPIRING TO
SEE HOW RESILIENT AND DETERMINED THE COUNTRY IS TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN ITS RUGGED GEOGRAPHY. THESE ADVANCEMENTS DEMONSTRATE
LESOTHO'S STEADFAST DEDICATION TO ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ITS
CITIZENS IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTING ECONOMIC GAIN. LESOTHO GIVES PROMISE
FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AS IT PUSHES FORWARD,
EMBRACING INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY.
• THANK YOU
• BY SAHIDAH