Rearranging Basotho social realities : Basotho youth policies and programmes since independence

The study critically examines how Basotho social realities are considered in policy and programme development. Since independence, various political systems have pursued youth policies and programmes; however, youth unemployment remains high. The study therefore questions the persistence of youth unemployment despite governments' continued commitment to youth employment. It traces the history of development policy in Lesotho, arguing that policies across various political systems and ideologies have overlooked Basotho social contexts, leading to social engineering and the distortion of social realities. Basotho society has a long history of migrant labour, leading to dependence on wages and remittances from South African mines and little reliance on agriculture. However, many youth employment programmes remain focused on agriculture, while others provide only temporary relief or fail to offer the wages young people seek. The study's central thesis is that policies that ignore Basotho social realities constitute social engineering and amount to a rearrangement of social realities and are therefore unlikely to succeed.
Guided by youth empowerment theory and Charmaz's constructive grounded theory, the study offers a practical framework rooted in Basotho lived experiences. This framework aims to improve youth policies and programmes to address persistent unemployment, aligning government actions with young people's actual aspirations and socioeconomic needs. The study used document analysis and interviews with elders who were youth and government officials during the BNP, military, and early democratic tenures to obtain a historical account of policy formulation and implementation. It used face-to-face and telephonic interviews to gather data from government officials from entities that serve the youth, such as the Ministry of Gender, Youth, and Social Development; the Ministry of Agriculture through the Smallholder Agriculture Development Programme; parastatals such as BEDCO and young people from different sectors of youth who have received services from the youth and who have been monitoring youth issues closely to cover emerging needs, aspirations, and needs of youth.