During a recent address to the American Congress, President Donald Trump claimed that “no one has ever heard of” Lesotho to justify proposed budget cuts to U.S. aid for HIV programmes in the country.
He cited various African initiatives he deemed unnecessary, including Mali’s $14 million for social cohesion, Zambia’s $50,000 for vegan innovation, and Uganda’s $42 million social and behavioural change programme.
Regarding Lesotho, Trump incorrectly stated that $8 million would be used to promote the LGBTQIA+ community, while CNN fact-checkers clarified that only $477,121 was allocated to three health projects between 2021 and 2022. These studies primarily focused on the effects of feminising hormone therapy on the immune system in the context of HIV, given Lesotho’s high prevalence rate of about 25% among adults.
While Trump’s comments were off-base, he also confused Zambia and Namibia, creating the fictional “Nambia.” Lejone Mpotjoane, Lesotho’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his shock at the President’s dismissal of a sovereign nation.
