Without the famine that has put Lesotho in a very vulnerable position, the country is disaster free, Minister in Prime Minister's Office Mr. Mokone Lehata, has maintained. 

Talking to Local Authority structures in Leribe, the Minister said Basotho must intensify food production to eradicate the chronic dependency syndrome afflicting the country and which has caused acute famine.
 
The Minister was presenting the Disaster Management Authority's new strategy in combating disasters. Famine can be overcome through commitment and an intensified production of food along with the proper use and utilization of land.  

He challenged every Mosotho who has land, either a field or a garden, to effectively produce food, assuring people of government support starting from this cropping season. 

The Leribe district's fertile land stands a chance of feeding beyond its borders if the proposed strategy is put into place.  

The Minister is holding similar meetings with local authorities country wide and this was his first.

07 September 2005