Microsoft Word - 100527_APRM_Lesotho Roundtable.doc

This briefing summarizes a South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) roundtable held on 29 March 2010 regarding Lesotho's experience with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The discussion, featuring former APRM Focal Point Ambassador HM Leteka, Professor Roger Southall, and Tšoeu Petlane, examines the milestones of Lesotho's review process, the findings of the Country Review Report, and the socio-economic challenges facing the country.

• Lesotho's APRM process involved several key milestones: accession in July 2004, the creation of a multi-stakeholder National Governing Council (NGC) chaired by a representative of women's groups, and the appointment of a consortium comprising the National University of Lesotho and the Lesotho Institute of Public Administration and Management as the Technical Research Institution in 2007. The process faced a delay when the NGC suspended activities during a snap election in February 2007 to avoid accusations of political bias.
• The Country Review Report identified that Lesotho lagged in the ratification, domestication, implementation, and reporting of key international treaties and conventions. In response, the ministry of foreign affairs and international relations updated its treaty records. The report also noted that while the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system introduced after 1998 is more inclusive than the First-Past-The-Post system, tensions between parties and perceptions of a dominant executive persist.
• Economic findings in the report highlighted Lesotho's vulnerability due to its enclave economy, which is entirely surrounded by South Africa and heavily dependent on international development aid and revenue from the Southern African Customs Union. The report flagged high poverty and unemployment rates, as well as limited resources and institutions to combat corruption.
• Professor Roger Southall noted that Lesotho faces profound underdevelopment, with a formal unemployment rate of 30% (5% higher than South Africa). He highlighted a decline in life expectancy caused by HIV/Aids and other diseases, and a shrinking sector for Basotho men working as migrant labourers in South African mines. He argued that the country remains a 'dormitory economy' dependent on South African core areas and remittances.
• The Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) electoral model used in Lesotho allocates two-thirds (80) of the 120 National Assembly seats via First-Past-the-Post plurality and one-third (40) via Proportional Representation (PR). The PR seats serve as compensatory allocations for parties that scored disproportionately fewer seats than their share of votes, provided the party did not obtain a majority of seats in the FPTP poll.
• Tšoeu Petlane identified several omissions in the APRM report, including insufficient exploration of the Basotho Diaspora, the complexities of the relationship and sovereignty issues between Lesotho and South Africa, and the failures of long-term planning regarding the dwindling diplomatic presence in Maseru after democratic change in South Africa.
• Lessons from the process include the critical need for smaller countries to secure budgets beforehand, as Lesotho relied on funding from the United Nations Development Programme and the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ). Additionally, the involvement of civil society and the media was deemed essential for legitimacy and transparency.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Microsoft Word - 100527_APRM_Lesotho Roundtable.doc. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_lesotho_roundtable_20100329.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Microsoft Word - 100527_APRM_Lesotho Roundtable.doc. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_lesotho_roundtable_20100329.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Microsoft Word - 100527_APRM_Lesotho Roundtable.doc |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_lesotho_roundtable_20100329.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndmicrosoft, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Microsoft Word - 100527\_APRM\_Lesotho Roundtable.doc}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/aprm_lesotho_roundtable_20100329.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }