LESOTHO APRM POPULAR SENSITISATION PROJECT NSAS SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN LESOTHO

The report identifies systemic governance failures in Lesotho, including a fragmented electoral system, weak separation of powers, and inadequate decentralisation. It highlights severe socio-economic challenges such as a 47.7% poverty rate (2017), rising violent crime, and gender-based discrimination under customary law. The document argues that these issues are exacerbated by corruption, poor infrastructure, and ineffective public policy-making, recommending comprehensive constitutional and legal reforms through the National Reforms Authority (NRA).

• Lesotho's mixed-member-proportional (MMP) electoral system has been manipulated by politicians to create alliances, leading to a proliferation of small parties and instability due to contested outcomes.
• The separation of powers is compromised because the executive branch is drawn from the legislature, which weakens parliamentary oversight and allows for executive overreach.
• Decentralisation is ineffective because the central government has failed to devolve key functions, resources, and financial autonomy to local councils, resulting in poor service delivery.
• Anti-corruption efforts are undermined by the limited autonomy and inadequate funding of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO), which struggles to investigate politically connected individuals.
• Violent crime is escalating in Lesotho, with the country ranking 10th globally in murder rates (46.6 per 100,000 people), while the judiciary and police are overwhelmed by resource constraints.
• Infrastructure is severely underdeveloped, particularly in ICT and energy; the government has committed LSL 30 billion (USD 1.9bn) for development under the National Strategic Development Plan II.
• Customary law in Lesotho reinforces gender discrimination, particularly regarding marriage, inheritance, and the exclusion of women from succeeding to chieftainship.
• Corporate governance is weak, characterized by 'cadre deployment' where appointments to state-owned enterprise boards are used to reward political loyalists rather than based on merit.
• Public policy-making is described as lopsided and ineffective, often lacking evidence-based research and hampered by a public service that is bottom-heavy and lacks technical staff.
• Lesotho faces severe poverty and socio-economic inequality, with a poverty rate of 47.7% in 2017 and a significant gap between rural and urban poverty levels.
• Climate change is inducing fragility in the agricultural economy through recurrent droughts, soil erosion, and extreme weather, threatening food security.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). LESOTHO APRM POPULAR SENSITISATION PROJECT NSAS SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN LESOTHO. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LESOTHO-CSOS-SUBMISSIONS-REPORT.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. LESOTHO APRM POPULAR SENSITISATION PROJECT NSAS SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN LESOTHO. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LESOTHO-CSOS-SUBMISSIONS-REPORT.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=LESOTHO APRM POPULAR SENSITISATION PROJECT NSAS SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN LESOTHO |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LESOTHO-CSOS-SUBMISSIONS-REPORT.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndlesotho, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{LESOTHO APRM POPULAR SENSITISATION PROJECT NSAS SUBMISSION TO THE APRM IN LESOTHO}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LESOTHO-CSOS-SUBMISSIONS-REPORT.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }