The Impact of Basotho Migrant Labourers’ Retrenchment from South African Mines on Rural Development in Lesotho: The Post-Mine Livelihood Strategies of Former Basotho Miners at Koro-Koro in the Maseru District

Abstract

The migration of Basotho men in search of employment opportunities in South African diamond and gold mines dates back to the 1800s. The South African mining industry has been the source of employment and livelihood for many Basotho families by remitting incomes for centuries. However, there was a downturn in events starting in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when many South African mines started to downsize their foreign labour force. This contributed to the loss of remittances that were invested in farming and the maintenance of many rural households in Lesotho. This study was conducted to investigate the post-mine livelihood strategies of former Basotho migrant labourers at Koro-Koro in the Maseru district. The research followed a descriptive research design where primary data was collected from a sample of 50 former Basotho mine workers using snowballing and simple random sampling techniques. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using face-to-face interviews and observation. The collected data was analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using descriptive statistics, mainly percentages. It is argued in this paper that retrenchment and the loss of jobs by many Basotho men in South African mines were major blows to the livelihoods of many rural households. In addition, Basotho men who worked in South African mines are now confronted with unemployment as well as futile exertions while engaging in alternative income generating activities, both farm and non-farm.