MASERU – Street vendors in Maseru said the return of Basotho from South Africa has added to fears about Lesotho’s struggling factories and shrinking money circulation, raising concerns about how the situation could affect their businesses and the wider economy.
Mrs. Mahlape Silase, who sells second-hand clothes, said she is worried about what comes next.
“I’ve been on the street for many years, but now things are taking a different turn,” she told the agency. “Some of my customers receive money from their loved ones working in South Africa every month. That money helps them buy from me, and it circulates in the community.
Now they’re back with nothing. I fear it’ll hurt us all.”
She said the money sent home by Basotho working in South Africa supports many households and small businesses, adding that a decline in remittances would inevitably affect vendors who depend on customers’ spending.
Mrs Silase pointed to factory closures in Lesotho as another blow.
“Factories are slowing down, and some are closing. That means fewer jobs for Basotho. Less work means less money in people’s pockets, and we feel it here on the street because customers are buying less,” she said.
Meanwhile Mr Bokamoso Shoto, who sells clothes and shoes imported from South Africa, said he is stressed by the current situation but is trying not to panic.
He said Basotho working in South Africa make an important contribution to Lesotho’s economy by sending money home to support their families.
He added that with many of them now returning home without jobs or income, he believes the country is likely to experience negative economic effects.
Mr Shoto said the situation is painful for the affected families, but he does not believe it will last forever.
“This is stressful, but we have seen worse,” he said. “South Africans go on strike, there are times when shops close because of unrest, and we struggle to get stock. But eventually suppliers reopen and business continues. I believe this situation will also pass.”
He said his biggest concern is for Basotho who remain in South Africa and have had to endure the recent incidents affecting foreign nationals.
“I’m worried about Basotho living in South Africa who had to go through those sad incidents,” he said.
He said for now, the vendors say their concern is greater than the impact they have experienced so far, but they remain anxious about what lies ahead if the situation continues.
The Government of Lesotho has launched an operation to repatriate Basotho stranded in the Republic of South Africa following protests linked to the March. About 22 buses were deployed to transport citizens, mainly from Durban, back home safely, with the first buses arriving at the Maputsoe Border Post on the night of June 29.
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