(30 Jul 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++PART MUTE++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maseru, Lesotho – 22 July 2025
1. Various drone shots showing hundreds of unoccupied sewing machines at clothing manufacturer TZICC ++MUTE++
2. Various of covered, unoccupied sewing machines
3. Mid of compliance manager Rahila Omar sorting t-shirts
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rahila Omar, compliance manager:
"As soon as the tariffs were announced, we started having some problems with our buyers. We were like on and off. There was no proper, let’s say, we didn’t know where we were standing. So, as soon as the three months suspension came, that’s when we decided that, let’s try to finish the work as soon as possible before the new tariffs are introduced. That’s what we were told. And the work luckily we finished, well, unfortunately, we finished way before time. And that is why now we don’t have any work."
5. Aerial of unoccupied sewing machines ++MUTE++
6. Sewing machines in a line
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rahila Omar, compliance manager:
"We’ve been working with JCPenney – that’s our main buyer like start to end. We’ve been doing JCPenney. Walmart is like an on and off, and Costco as well, but to be honest everything depends right now on the tariffs. If there is a change in a good way or if there are no tariffs, yes, the buyers will decide to come back. If the tariffs are higher or even 50, still, it depends on the buyer if they want to work with us or not."
8. Aerial of unoccupied sewing machines ++MUTE++
9. Various of cutting tables and lights switching off in a material cutting rooms
10. Wide of former textile factory worker Mapontso Mathunya selling snacks and cigarettes as workers return to work after their lunch break
11. Close-up of bucket with items Mathunya sells outside factory
12. SOUNDBITE (Sotho) Mapontso Mathunya, former textile factory worker:
“I’m the breadwinner in my family. I have two children that are currently in school. One is in preschool, and another is in primary school, doing grade seven. Life is difficult, it has not been easy ever since I was laid off work. My husband is also struggling, he is in between piece jobs."
13. Aerial of TZICC manufacturing factory ++MUTE++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maseru, Lesotho – 21 July 2025
14. Wide of Trade Minister Mokhethi Shelile sitting down for interview
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Mokhethi Shelile, Minister of Trade, Industry and Small Business:
"Lesotho is a very small economy. The trade deficit that exists between Lesotho and the US, it’s a natural trade deficit that can happen when you have these type of disparities between two economies. It cannot be bridged and certainly cannot be bridged by imposing tariffs. Because the same tariffs, they are inevitably going to make it difficult for us to get foreign exchange that we can use to buy more stuff from the US."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maseru, Lesotho – 22 July 2025
16. Various of woman showing tag on t-shirt reading (English): “Made in Lesotho”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maseru, Lesotho – 21 July 2025
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Mokhethi Shelile, Minister of Trade, Industry and Small Business:
"To claw back and come back to where we were before this is going to take time. And I think we just have to understand that it is not a natural phenomenon that we are seeing when it comes to economics or economies, how they work, and it will correct itself if we do not sit down and correct it ourselves."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maseru, Lesotho – 22 July 2025
18. Various workers at the TZICC factory loading truck with boxes
19. Aerial showing hundreds of unoccupied sewing machines at clothing manufacturer TZICC ++MUTE++
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