“There is urbanisation in which young men and women are forced to leave their families in search of job opportunities elsewhere like
from rural areas to urban dwellings such as in Maseru where there are many textile industries,” he stressed. He said the state of the economy in Lesotho has forced men and women to go to neighbouring South Africa where they are working as illegal gold miners as well as in Newcastle in the KwaZulu Natal province where they are working in textile factories or as domestic workers.

Mr Mochoboroane, however, did not spare the present 4X4 Coalition Government led by Dr. Motsoahae Thabane saying the decision to take control of wool and mohair from the farmers who rely on farming to feed their families could force them to seek job opportunities to South Africa. The MEC leader said his party is the answer for Basotho based on its policies of economic freedom where he said essential services like access roads, water and electricity should be provided in remote rural areas to address urban migration.

He also highlighted that MEC does not want to see the present political leaders who are in government fleeing the country after a
change of government like what has happened in the past. Mr Mochoboroane said the first major exodus of Basotho fleeing Lesotho were seen in their large numbers in the 1970s. “After the second democratic elections in 1970, we had over 1 000 Basotho fleeing their country of birth to neighbouring countries and that also happened in 1994 as the present Deputy Prime Minister Monyane Moleleki fled to Botswana for a year,” he said. He said even after the 1998 National Assembly elections, many ordinary Basotho as well as members of the security forces fled the country, saying the only post-election time when no Basotho fled was in 2002.

Mr Mochoboroane added he would like to see former Prime Ministers like Dr Pakalitha Mosisili enjoying retirement in their country of
birth, saying even the present Prime Minister Dr. Motsoahae Thabane and his deputy Mr. Moleleki as well as their partners in the coalition Government Chief Thesele 'Maseribane and Keketso Rants'o should not be forced to flee their country again as it happened after the 2015 elections. He sadly reminisced the aftermath of the 1970 elections where he said 700 young men of the Lesotho Liberation Army (LLA) who fought for the liberation of Lesotho, upon their return home, were never absorbed into the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) but were left to die due to stress and other social ills.

He said currently only 200 LLA members are still alive, addingth ey should have been absorbed into the army like what happened in other
countries like South Africa and Namibia having undergone counselling. The MEC leader therefore called on other exiled political leaders and members of the security forces to be allowed to return home and be absorbed into the army just like those who had fled with Dr Thabane were absorbed into the security agencies. On the other hand, he lashed out at Basotho for not being able to honour their freedom fighters like Dr Ntsu Mokhehle and Chief Leabua Jonathan, saying even the late founder of the Basotho nation, Chief Moshoeshoe I, has not been given the proper recognition he deserves.

This is the second time MEC has commemorated Heroes Day after first commemorating it in 2018 where the party leader related the history of the African Union. Heroes Day is commemorated by the entire African continent to honour their former liberation fighters who fought for the freedom from their colonial masters.

Lena