MASERU, March 5 -- The youth face mounting challenges, from unemployment to a lack of technical skills, yet their aspirations remain high. The national budget has once again spotlighted the pressing challenges facing Lesotho's youth unemployment, lack of skills, and limited opportunities.

With many forced into informal and even dangerous work, such as illegal mining, the government's budget, the analysts cautioned that it must go beyond rhetoric and prioritise tangible investments in education, vocational training, and job creation.

While the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Dr Retselisitsoe Matlanyane acknowledged the severity of this issue in her recently tabled budget speech, the absence of a detailed strategy to address...