Lesotho
Lesotho is a lower-middle income country, performing in the mid-range across all categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. Over the past five years, Lesotho has experience notable advances in Freedom of Expression, Freedom of the Press and Credible Elections. It has not suffered from significant declines in this period. Economically, the country continues to grapple with high levels of poverty and inequality, and unemployment has remained a persistent challenge. The main economic sectors include subsistence farming and small-scale manufacturing, and remittances, mostly from neighboring South Africa, comprise about one-fifth of the overall GDP.
Lesotho was an independent kingdom until it came under British rule in the late 19th century. Prior to gaining independence in 1966, it was known as Basutoland. While completely encircled by South Africa, the Kingdom of Lesotho is isolated by the Drakensberg Mountains. The country experienced a series of coups until the return of multi-party democratic elections in 1993; the repeated coups, including an attempted one in 2014, are a reflection of the power of the army and the constant tussle for power between politicians and the monarchy in a context of underdevelopment. Lesotho’s politics have also been destabilised by its constitutional arrangements, which have produced chronically weak coalition governments, politicised security forces and a judiciary vulnerable to political interference. Since 2012, repeated efforts have been made to address these deficiencies through a comprehensive package of constitutional reforms but have been frustrated by the very political instability they are designed to rectify. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has repeatedly had to intervene in Lesotho to ensure democratic stability, and the reform program has been a major priority of the international community.
The most recent election revealed that development issues remain top of mind for voters, as poverty, hunger, and unemployment continue to loom large. Public health challenges remain pressing, as Lesotho has the third-highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world (one in five adults) and one of the lowest life expectancies (55 years). Large-scale corruption in the public sector has undermined confidence in key institutions.
In recent years, majorities have expressed support for greater gender equality, including in terms of women’s eligibility to become chiefs. The country has experimented with the use of gender quotas. Abortion, while currently illegal in Lesotho, is a subject of fiery debate, and women suffer from widespread gender-based violence. LGBTQIA+ rights also constitute a major societal cleavage, and while same-sex sexual relations were legalized in 2012, no other protections currently exist. The presence of so many competing issues and societal cleavages has further complicated the passage of the national reform agenda.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch the new government’s (as of 2022) performance, especially as it has pledged action on improved governance and the rule of law. The new prime minister has promised to enact electoral reforms to reduce the chance of future coups. Action on the constitutional reform programme, corruption, and development will impact the country’s political future.
Monthly Event Reports
March 2024 | Ombudsman’s report finds that prisoners were abused in Maseru
Ombudswoman Tlotliso Polaki published a report on 19 March that detailed the findings of an investigation into allegations that prisoners were abused at the Maseru Correctional Centre Institution in December 2023. The Ombudswoman’s investigation found that prison staff, and notably trainees of the Lesotho Correctional Service, intentionally provoked a confrontation with inmates. On 21 December six inmates at the facility escaped. The following day, prison officials arranged a search of the facility. The Ombudswoman found that the search was intentionally aggressive in order to provoke fights with inmates, and that 300 of the 650 inmates were beaten. The Ombudsman’s report further identified an orchestrated effort to conceal the abuse and a denial of medical care to those who had been injured.
October 2023 | Security agencies intervene in Lesotho’s politics, warning opposition against no-confidence vote
On 16 October, the heads of three of Lesotho’s security agencies issued a public statement warning the political opposition not to carry out a planned parliamentary vote of no-confidence against the country’s Prime Minister, Sam Matekane. In oblique language, they stated that they would not allow Matekane’s government to be removed from office in this way, raising fears the military has returned to Lesotho’s politics (the country has a history of coups d’état). The Transformation Resource Centre, a civil society organisation, said it was ‘concerned at the intrusion of security institutions in the legitimate political process and governance.’ Opposition parties warned of a coup threat and claimed that politicians linked to the vote of confidence were being harassed by the security agencies. On 31 October, Prime Minster Matekane secured the support of a new coalition partner which gave him a parliamentary majority and thereby diminished the prospect of a no-confidence vote.
October 2022 | Lesotho elects new Revolution for Prosperity party to lead coalition government
Lesotho held its general election on 7 October. Of the 65 political parties that contested the election, the newly formed Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) party emerged with the largest presence in the National Assembly, the lower house of Lesotho’s Parliament, winning 56 of the 120 seats - members of Lesotho’s upper house, the Senate, are not elected. The RFP’s failure to win a majority of seats meant they have had to form a coalition government with the Alliance of Democrats and the Movement for Economic Change. The government is headed by RFP’s leader, Sam Matekane, who was sworn in as Prime Minister on 28 October. Voter turnout was 34.7 per cent, 9.0 per cent lower than in the last general election in 2017. The preliminary findings of international observers praised the elections for being well run and peaceful, but raised concerns about poorly regulated campaign finance, a lack of independent information, and the low representation of women (they accounted for just 33.0 per cent of candidates).
September 2022 | Lesotho’s Constitutional Court strikes down constitutional reform package
On 12 September, Lesotho’s Constitutional Court struck down a long-awaited package of constitutional reforms that had been passed less than two weeks earlier to pave the way for next month’s general election. The passage of the reforms, which were intended to tackle the country’s notorious political instability, had come after the dissolution of parliament for the election, and had been made possible only by Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro declaring a State of Emergency that allowed him to recall parliament. The Court, however, judged the declaration to be unconstitutional, finding that the circumstances did not amount to a state of emergency. The ruling was then confirmed by the Court of Appeal on 19 September and so the country will now hold the election under an unreformed framework. This may risk further instability. However, the Southern African Litigation Centre, a human rights organization, welcomed the ruling’s reinforcement of the rule of law.
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