By Ebi Kesiena
Lesotho’s main LGBTQ rights organisation, the People’s Matrix, on Wednesday said that it had not received eight million dollars in US funding, as claimed by US President Donald Trump.
During his address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump referenced a past US aid project, stating that the US had allocated “$8 million to promote LGBTQI+ rights in the African nation of Lesotho,” which he described as a country “nobody has ever heard of.”
However, People’s Matrix spokesperson Tampose Mothopeng refuted the claim. “We are not receiving grants from the US,” Mothopeng told AFP. “We have no knowledge of any such allocation and have not received funds anywhere near that amount.”
A review of the US government’s foreign assistance website did not show any funding specifically directed towards LGBTQ rights in Lesotho. Instead, it revealed that approximately $120 million had been allocated to “health and population” programmes in the country in 2024, including $43.5 million for HIV/AIDS initiatives.
Lesotho, a small mountainous kingdom surrounded by South Africa, has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates globally, with nearly one in four adults living with the virus. Since 2006, the US has contributed over $630 million to HIV/AIDS programmes in the country, according to the US embassy.
Concerns about the future of these programmes have been growing. In mid-February, more than 30 non-governmental organisations warned that Lesotho’s HIV response was at risk of collapse due to cuts in US foreign aid.
Trump’s remarks also sparked reactions from Lesotho’s citizens. Journalist and activist Kananelo Boloetse responded on social media, referencing the country’s unique geography:
“Ever heard of the Kingdom in the Sky? Guess not, too busy golfing to notice,” he wrote on platform X.
“Lesotho is the only country in the world entirely above 1,000 metres in elevation, higher than your approval ratings ever got. We’re here, we’re proud, and we’re not your punchline.” he added.
