IMPLEMENTING THE APRM VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY LESOTHO REPOR T

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs evaluates the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Lesotho as of September 2011. Using the APRM Monitoring and Advocacy Template (AMAT), the study assesses 13 substantive issues across four themes: vulnerable groups, socio-economic issues, governance, and service delivery. The report finds that while Lesotho has established necessary legal and policy frameworks, actual implementation remains weak and is rarely linked to the APRM process, resulting in an overall rating of 'orange minus'.

• The APRM has a low profile in Lesotho among both government and civil society, with a lack of direct 'branding' or linkage between national policy initiatives and the mechanism's recommendations.
• Poor and vulnerable men are a neglected group in gender discussions, facing economic displacement due to the decline in South African migrant labour and a patriarchal social structure that assumes they possess the resources to cope.
• The elderly in Lesotho face economic and social vulnerability, including abuse and the burden of caring for orphans; the government-sponsored old age pension of LSL 300 per month is the primary direct intervention, though it is considered inadequate.
• Herders and herdboys (balisana) are a marginalized group with limited access to education and employment, often living in harsh conditions and remaining largely invisible in national policy and the APRM process.
• The Land Act of 2010 introduced a leasehold system to encourage commoditisation and foreign investment, but it is fiercely contested by those who fear it will lead to landlessness and the erosion of Basotho tradition.
• Poverty is widespread in Lesotho, with over half the population living below the poverty line; the country is heavily dependent on foreign aid and revenues from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
• Lesotho produces only about 30% of its annual food needs, and the report notes the absence of an integrated national food security policy to address declining productivity and shrinking arable land.
• Corruption is perceived as rife in both public and private sectors, entrenched by a lack of accountability and the ineffective functioning of anti-corruption agencies due to resource constraints.
• While the mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral system adopted in 2001 has brought relative stability, elections remain associated with conflict and the system is viewed as open to manipulation.
• Lesotho has one of the world's highest HIV/Aids prevalence rates (23%), which threatens the country's survival and undermines the skilled workforce, despite commendable policies such as wide antiretroviral therapy distribution.
• Education has seen progress in adult literacy (82%) and the implementation of free primary education, but the quality and relevance of higher and vocational education have declined.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2011). IMPLEMENTING THE APRM VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY LESOTHO REPOR T. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Implementing-APRM-Views-from-Civil-Society-Lesotho-Report.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. IMPLEMENTING THE APRM VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY LESOTHO REPOR T. 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Implementing-APRM-Views-from-Civil-Society-Lesotho-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=IMPLEMENTING THE APRM VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY LESOTHO REPOR T |date=September 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Implementing-APRM-Views-from-Civil-Society-Lesotho-Report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2011implementing, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{IMPLEMENTING THE APRM VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY LESOTHO REPOR T}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Implementing-APRM-Views-from-Civil-Society-Lesotho-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }