Former British protectorate against the Zulu thrust in the 19th century, Lesotho gained its independence in 1966. This constitutional monarchy of 2 million subjects as big as Belgium, called the "kingdom in the clouds," and is the only country whose minimum altitude exceeds 1400m.
His numbers are terrible: 200000 AIDS orphans, ¼ of the population is infected with HIV even if the retroviral treatments are increasing, life expectancy has fallen to 34 and a first in Africa, deaths are about to outnumber births. Added to that chronic drought for five years, one third of the country's wells have dried up as the country provides, through its reserves at a price of Pharaonic dams, water supply from its giant neighbor to Africa South in exchange, originally, corn, whose production has dropped in recent years and was replaced by biofuels.
The only exports are wool and mohair.
How to survive in these conditions? infusion and an international pool of labor to South Africa since appartheid whose remittances constitute 40% of GDP.
But then, since 1 June, the temporary pass to go to work as miners or domestic are no longer issued, and the waiting time for obtaining a passeportpeut take a few years. The thousands of border workers are now forced to stay in Lesotho or smuggled across the border. The new diamond-cutting factory could not absorb the workforce fired. Even the textile industry, time saved from bankruptcy, sees its future in new black working conditions deteriorate and the production of Lesotho may no longer compete with Bangladesh and Cambodia with the possible further questioning AGOA agreements.
Since last May, a petition (about 40,000 signatures) circulating in the country, demanding that Lesotho is attached to its huge neighbor. Vuyani Tyhali unionist and founder of the Popular Movement of the Charter of Lesotho said that his country "is not just locked, but it is locked by South Africa; There is no reason why we continue to exist as a country with its currency and its military "(The Guardian. June 2010). Despite their attachment to their culture, regardless of Basotho are attached to their Parliament, chaotic, or the assassination attempts and strikes between successive ballots challenged. However, many Basotho rely on the benevolence of the State of South Africa, African National Congress, ANC, was established in Lesotho in 1912 by King Letsie II, and the time of Appartheid, branch organized army of the ANC's guerrilla actions from the enclave.
Do King Letsie III and his diet Will accept to study the problem, or are we now facing to a threat of internal conflict?
September 2010.
His numbers are terrible: 200000 AIDS orphans, ¼ of the population is infected with HIV even if the retroviral treatments are increasing, life expectancy has fallen to 34 and a first in Africa, deaths are about to outnumber births. Added to that chronic drought for five years, one third of the country's wells have dried up as the country provides, through its reserves at a price of Pharaonic dams, water supply from its giant neighbor to Africa South in exchange, originally, corn, whose production has dropped in recent years and was replaced by biofuels.
The only exports are wool and mohair.
How to survive in these conditions? infusion and an international pool of labor to South Africa since appartheid whose remittances constitute 40% of GDP.
But then, since 1 June, the temporary pass to go to work as miners or domestic are no longer issued, and the waiting time for obtaining a passeportpeut take a few years. The thousands of border workers are now forced to stay in Lesotho or smuggled across the border. The new diamond-cutting factory could not absorb the workforce fired. Even the textile industry, time saved from bankruptcy, sees its future in new black working conditions deteriorate and the production of Lesotho may no longer compete with Bangladesh and Cambodia with the possible further questioning AGOA agreements.
Since last May, a petition (about 40,000 signatures) circulating in the country, demanding that Lesotho is attached to its huge neighbor. Vuyani Tyhali unionist and founder of the Popular Movement of the Charter of Lesotho said that his country "is not just locked, but it is locked by South Africa; There is no reason why we continue to exist as a country with its currency and its military "(The Guardian. June 2010). Despite their attachment to their culture, regardless of Basotho are attached to their Parliament, chaotic, or the assassination attempts and strikes between successive ballots challenged. However, many Basotho rely on the benevolence of the State of South Africa, African National Congress, ANC, was established in Lesotho in 1912 by King Letsie II, and the time of Appartheid, branch organized army of the ANC's guerrilla actions from the enclave.
Do King Letsie III and his diet Will accept to study the problem, or are we now facing to a threat of internal conflict?
September 2010.
