mafube a rakile lilemela
About Us
The identity that distinguishes BAP from other political parties is its ideology of social democracy in contrast to the predominant ideology of liberal democracy in Lesotho. The ideology of social democracy is better explained in relation to others.
Unlike liberal democracy which emphasizes the pursuit of civil liberties and political rights above all else, social democracy embraces the simultaneous pursuit of these rights in tandem with socio-economic and cultural rights.
We stand for a fair, just, and inclusive society where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive. Our party is committed to transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership that puts people first. We believe in empowering communities, protecting human rights, and building an economy that works for everyone—not just the privileged few. Guided by principles of equity, integrity, and progress, we are working to create a nation where voices are heard, futures are secured, and no one is left behind.
1. Background: Lest we forget
Historically, Lesotho used to be a united, prosperous and peaceful nation under the political stewardship of the revered King Moshoeshoe 1 who was also renowned for his devotion to the wellbeing of his people, love for peace and remarkable diplomacy. Lesotho’s national motto: Khotso (peace), Pula (rain), Nala (prosperity) was inspired by and is the historical legacy of King Moshoeshoe 1, which he imbibed from the seminal teachings of the legendary Chief Mohlomi, at the latter’s leadership academy. Until the latter part of the 18th Century, Lesotho had a robust agricultural sector producing surplus food for export to South Africa and the region. Lesotho used to supply the region with agricultural produce, especially grains. Because of this agrarian success story, the country gained the renowned image as the granary of Southern Africa. In those days, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy.
When diamond and gold were discovered in South Africa in 1867 and 1886 respectively, Basotho took advantage of this economic opportunity by growing even more grain especially wheat. They supplied grains to the mines, which were attracting massive sums of labour from other Southern African countries including Lesotho itself, Malawi and Mozambique, among others. Basotho farmers improved their factors of production to meet the increasing demand occasioned by the burgeoning mining industry in the neighbouring South Africa, within which Lesotho is completely landlocked.
This prosperity was, unfortunately, short-lived. British colonial policies of deliberate neglect and dispossession of the colonized turned the granary into penury. Large tracts of Basotho’s arable land were usurped, and Basotho were pushed into the barren mountains through conquest. Consequently, a multiplicity of taxes was imposed which further impoverished Basotho and turned Lesotho into a labour reserve for South Africa. This history marked a painful transition of Lesotho from the granary of Southern Africa to the labour reserve of South Africa, a situation that still prevails today.
In 1871, Lesotho (then Basutoland) was colonized and became the British Protectorate along with Botswana and Swaziland. Conquest and colonization underpinned Lesotho’s chronic underdevelopment. The British colonialists and the apartheid regime in South Africa were convinced that Lesotho could not survive on its own. The plan was for Lesotho to be incorporated into South Africa upon gaining independence. But Basotho leaders resisted these machinations because they, for good reasons, abhorred the apartheid system.
Upon independence in 1966, expectations were high that self-government would allow Lesotho to reclaim its former glory of unity, prosperity and peace. But to their shock and chagrin, Basotho got a raw post-independence deal. The country has reeled under authoritarian regimes of both civilian (1970-1986) and military (1986-1993) varieties and mired by various forms of instability. The level of violence in Lesotho is unimaginable and the culture of impunity is entrenched. The spirit of unity, once inculcated by Chief Mohlomi and King Moshoeshoe 1 among the Basotho, has been whittled. There is no peace within the nation and people are divided largely along political, gender, age, class, ethnic, clan/lineage and religious fault–lines. Contemporary Lesotho has not had a visionary, transformative, accountable and responsive leadership that is capable of placing national purpose over and above self-serving individual interest aimed at private accumulation of wealth through misuse and abuse of state resources as well as blatant corruption.
Consequently, the majority of Basotho wallow in abject poverty, hunger, inequality, unemployment and underdevelopment.
The 2019 data shows that 49.7 percent of Lesotho’s population of 2.1 million live below the poverty line (M21.00 per day). This means that 5 in every group of ten people are poor or vulnerable to poverty. While the general unemployment rate is estimated at 22.5 percent, youth unemployment rate is 33.68 percent. Given the devastating socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment has worsened hitting hardest on the youth who account for more than 70 percent of the country’s total population. The African Development Bank projected a 5.2 percent contraction of the Lesotho economy in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the continuous decline of the absorption of Basotho migrants in the South Africa mining industry is exacerbating poverty, unemployment and inequality in Lesotho. From its peak of 129, 000 in 1977, the number of Basotho mine migrants in South Africa has plummeted to a paltry 35, 000 since 2010. Inequality is a major social malaise in Lesotho. The rich grow richer by the day and the poor get poorer, a situation also accentuated considerably by the onset of COVID-19. Out of 19 most unequal countries in the world, 10 are in Africa2. Of this 6 are in Southern Africa. Lesotho is one of these 10 most unequal countries in Africa. The yawning gap between the small group of the extra-rich elites and the large number of the ultra-poor masses is not only shocking and frightening, but it also bodes ill for the socio-economic and political future of the country.
The foregoing is a sorry tale of the state of the nation today, some 56 years after independence. During the Golden Jubilee of our independence five years ago (2016), there was little to celebrate, but more to moan about and mourn. BAP intends to reverse this negative trend of Lesotho’s socio-economic and political developments by revisioning the present and the future predicated on a capable, democratic and developmental state. This will be a state that has the following characteristics: (a) socially responsive, through social welfare measures, (b) people-centered and decentralized, (c) delivering public services efficiently and effectively and in the process combating corruption, (d) leading the development enterprise while leveraging on the private sector to stimulate the economy and for a a corporatist state that creates space for regular dialogue among government, labour and employers through various fora including the national bargaining council.
BAP will create a state that harnesses the huge, and yet untapped potential of Basotho social capital inherent in their organized social formations. These include trade unions, farmers’ associations, employers’ associations, the business community, students’ unions, faith-based organisations, civil society organisations, women’s movement, youth organisations, organized formations of people with disability, etc. BAP’s rule will be anchored upon strengthening the social contract between the state and society. The state will be democratically responsive to citizen demands. Citizens will hold the state accountable. Social cohesion will be entrenched among Basotho themselves through efforts aimed at constructive management of diversity, prevention, management and resolution of disputes through established national infrastructures for peace throughout the country working hand in glove with traditional governance institutions (marena).
2. BAP Identity: who are we?
2.1 Our Vision: Hello Tomorrow
A stable, constitutional and participatory democracy, a united and prosperous nation at peace with itself and neighbours, propelled to higher development orbits by the innovative momentum of its own citizens and demanding its rightful space in the global community of nations.
2.2 Our Mission: The Grant Plan
The mission of BAP is to galvanize and lead society in a collective, action-oriented and innovative effort to transform Lesotho towards a consolidated democratic governance, sustainable peace and inclusive socio-economic development.
2.3 BAP Core Values: Our Fundamental Principles
BAP embraces and firmly believes in three fundamental values and principles:
- Clean Governance
- Rule of Law; and
- Inclusive and equitable socio-economic development.
3. Strategic Goals: the Lesotho we all want
BAP will pursue sixteen strategic goals towards the Lesotho We All Want. These are to:
3.1
Win general and local government elections with high numbers votes;
3.2
Entrench a culture of participatory and democratic governance, human dignity, sustainable peace as well as peaceful co-existence with our neighbours;
3.3
Eradicate poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy;
3.4
Facilitate enhancement of Basotho’s lives and livelihoods through self-help and self-reliance;
3.5
Ensure that the economy addresses key challenges facing Basotho through a human rights approach leaving no-one behind;
3.6
Strengthen all key governance institutions to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of public service delivery;
3.7
Inculcate a culture of constitutionalism, the rule of law, clean governance and justice for all;
3.8
Root out all forms of discrimination, intolerance, corruption and nepotism in all spheres of society, economy and the polity;
3.9
Promote democratic, credible, transparent and peaceful elections that lead to legitimate and acceptable outcomes that add value to the entrenchment of multiparty democracy and political stability;
3.10
Advance inclusiveness and equality in society, economy and the polity paying due attention to the empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable social groups such as women, youth, children, people with disability, the elderly and minority groups;
3.11
Ensure prudent management of natural resources of the nation for the benefit of present and future generations;
3.12
Combat soil erosion and put in place prudent agrarian, wildlife, flora and fauna as well as forestry management strategies for the benefit of all Basotho;
3.13
Provide water for irrigation, livestock and household consumption all times irrespective of season variations;
3.14
Ensure sustainable environmental protection and mitigate against adverse effects of climate change;
3.15
Ensure education and training address the socio-economic challenges facing Lesotho and Basotho; and
3.16
Contribute to the socio-economic development, structural transformation of member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) as well as other key multilateral intergovernmental bodies.
4. BAP Policy Positions: walking the talk
4.1 The Social Sector
Social conditions in Lesotho have been deteriorating considerably since the recent past. As the agricultural sector declined, food insecurity has set in especially in rural areas where the majority of our people live. People struggle for basic needs such as shelter, clothing, healthcare, clean water, among others. According to the 2020 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Lesotho is ranked number 165 out of 189 countries and territories globally placing the country in the unenviable low human development category.
This multi-pronged social malaise has generated all manner of crimes, which even the security forces, especially the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) are struggling to contain, let alone, prevent. Lately, the Lesotho Defense Force (LDF) has begun to play an active role in crime prevention in support of the LMPS. Another ugly trend that Lesotho is currently faced with is the issue of femicide. The police are inundated with cases of women that have been murdered in rape, domestic violence and robbery situations. Ritual murders have also been reported.
The social ills have also triggered pervasive violence that has turned the country into one of the most dangerous places in the world scaring away investors who fear that the climate is not good for doing business. According to the 2021 World Happiness Index (WHI), Lesotho is ranked 145th out 149 countries with the most unhappy citizens on earth. This means that Basotho are perpetually angry. This anger may explain another worrying trend. Of the ten (10) countries with the highest homicide rates globally, Lesotho and South Africa are the only African countries in this group3 (World Population Review, 2021).
The country faces food insecurity due to adverse climate change trends and population pressure on fragile agro-ecological systems. The Disaster Management Authority (DMA 2019) and Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis Committee (LVAC 2019) predict that between 490,000 and 700,000 Lesotho citizens out of a total population of 2,003, 540 (Lesotho census 2016) will be affected by food insecurity and will need humanitarian assistance due to delayed rains and below-average harvest in 2020/2021. We are also confronted with the impact of HIV/AIDS and TB co-infection on the most productive segment of the population, inadequate impact mitigation, treatment and support services for affected communities and the increasing problem of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). The country continues to be ravaged by the adverse effects of the COVID 19 pandemic which is testing Lesotho’s disaster management system. A serious credibility crisis of the COVID 19 response and management system–National Emergency Command Council (NECC) and NACOSEC impacted adversely on the country’s ability to contain the ravages of the pandemic thus causing unnecessary loss of lives. There is, therefore, dire need to strive towards inclusive and equitable social development.
4.1.1 Social development
Social development is meant to enhance the social and economic status of all by ensuring social welfare, social well-being and social protection for all, especially the poor, marginalized and vulnerable social groups in the country. These marginalized groups include children, older persons, women, youth, people with disability, minorities etc. Social development can be attained, among others, by promoting people’s effective participation, independence, equality, self-reliance and social justice. Evidently, most of the social problems prevailing in Lesotho are primarily a direct result of poverty, inequality and unemployment. These include, inter alia, crime, child abuse, substance abuse, homelessness, orphanhood, loss of household head(s), chronic and pandemic diseases, delinquency amongst the youth, domestic violence, abuse of older persons and other devastating community challenges. Poverty, inequality and unemployment subject the most vulnerable persons to very serious and life-threatening conditions. These challenges have to be addressed through relevant and responsive social development programmes, policies and legislation. These should be in the form of community care and community development programmes, free educational support for learners at primary, secondary and high school levels as well as social grants, amongst others. Additionally, there have to be adequate and relevant resources in place, including human and financial resources, especially placement of more social workers in community councils. Depressed social conditions in Lesotho have been compounded by the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic since May 2020 to date. BAP Government will strengthen and introduce pro-poor livelihood programmes and interventions that invest in people, mobilize and support community-based developmental investments and also contribute towards improved health and education outcomes for the poor.
With a view to promote inclusive and equitable Social Development, BAP shall:
a. Craft the social welfare and social protection policies and the requisite legal frameworks.
b. Ensure social protection, social care and social justice for all Basotho and more especially the most vulnerable persons (women, youth, people with disability, older persons, children, victims of disasters and those living under chronic poverty). It will invest in people, mobilize and support community based, person-centred and developmental investments underpinned by high ethical standards
c. Introduce pro-poor livelihood programmes and interventions that invest in people, mobilize and support community-based, and developmental investments; and also contribute towards improved health and education outcomes for the poor by, inter alia, supporting children’s full participation in schools e.g., bursaries at post primary level, access to health services, nutrition programmes etc.
d. Engage more auxiliary social workers and community development workers in all community councils to ensure social inclusion for all and support community based developmental initiatives and rehabilitation services.
e. Utilise a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure effective access to social welfare services, e.g., engage other relevant professionals, more social workers, auxiliary social workers & community development workers in all community councils and electoral divisions.
4.1.2 Health – Health begets wealth
It has been some four to five decades that Lesotho and the International Development Partners employed different interventions to enhance health care delivery and utilization. These include reforms related to policy issues, structural functional changes, financial, administrative, physical developments and entities related to human resources for health etc. Among others equipment, consumables, such as pharmaceuticals were given priority. However, little success has been achieved, particularly in respect of equity and universal access to healthcare.
The hardest-hit groups by health challenges are the needy people living in the hard-to-reach mountainous regions of Lesotho. During BAP tenure in government, there is need to address the above-mentioned challenges extensively. BAP will have to confront these challenges head-on. The Primary Health Strategy of taking services to the people’s door-step, at homes and in communities is by far the most preferred BAP approach. The Strategy can be attained by strengthening the Community-based resources through decentralization of services at the Local Government through Councils. Additionally, the available Flying Doctors services, military helicopters and the mobile clinics all need to be reinforced to meet the challenges faced by the country. In some countries, such as Rwanda, drones are also used for acceleration of health service delivery. BAP will explore this route of healthcare provision as well. The Ministry of Health has a cadre of Village Health Workers in all the villages to meet the health needs of the communities. However, they face remuneration challenges; they are not on the MoH payroll. BAP will ensure that these workers are integrated into the labour force roll.
With a view to scale-up the effectiveness of the Heath Sector, BAP shall:
a. Advocate for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all people living in Lesotho to ensure that there is equity in access to health services so that all people who need the health services should get them, not only those who can pay for them and so that the cost of using health services does not put the people at risk of financial hardship.
b. Prioritize universal healthcare at all levels of society. Health care shall be provided in the community and closer to people’s own homes to enhance equity through accessibility and availability of primary care. To this effect, continuing reforms of primary health care and investment in services shall be at the forefront of health improvement initiatives. There shall be rollout of mobile services (including the use of drones where feasible) to ensure access to mountainous places as well as remote and small communities whose population may not warrant establishment of a permanent health facility. The mobile/drone services will include additional screening services for TB, HIV, and Non-Communicable Diseases (cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.), COVID-19, blood transfusion as well as immunization for children and other essential services for mothers and the elderly. Strengthening of the community health worker programme shall be top on the list as a way of ensuring accessibility to basic health care services at the community level.
c. Establish comprehensive emergency services in all Lesotho districts for pre-hospital medical treatment and transport of the ill or injured with proper guidelines for government and private service providers to follow for the benefit of the nation.
d. Prevent and reduce morbidity and mortality of communicable and non-communicable diseases among Lesotho citizens.
e. Establish a Rapid Response Research Unit for all forms of epidemiological diseases such as Covid-19.
4.1.3 Food and Nutrition Security for a Healthy Productive Nation
Malnutrition is a condition that happens when the body is deprived of adequate food and a varied diet and is deprived of calories, vitamins and minerals and other nutrients required to maintain healthy body functions. The two most immediate causes of malnutrition are insufficient nutrient intake and infections and this forms a vicious cycle. The most serious form of malnutrition in Lesotho is undernutrition in children under five years due to greater nutritional requirements for growth as well as repeated infections. Youth and women of childbearing age as well as the elderly also have high malnutrition rates. Malnutrition is a consequence of poverty. Evidence points to a strong correlation between malnutrition and wealth, ecological zone of residence, education attainment of parents, access to health services, water and sanitation etc. Lesotho also faces a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) due to chronic malnutrition. Between 2013 and 2020, 30% to 36% of the population are said to be food insecure respectively, due to a combination of factor. An estimated 1.96 billion maloti (or US$200 million) were lost in the year 2014 as a result of child undernutrition. These losses are equivalent to 7.13 percent of GDP in 2014. The highest element in this cost is the loss in potential productivity as a result of undernutrition-related mortalities, Cost of Hunger Study, 2020.
The nutrition situation in Lesotho is characterized by high stunting rates in children under the age of five, wide-spread micro-nutrient deficiencies in children, adolescents and adults, and overweight and obesity in some segments of the population, as well as the growing incidence of diet related Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) which are costing lives and imposing a burden on the health budget. At least one in three children under the age of five is stunted (33.2 %) Lesotho Demographic Health Survey (LDHS) and 2014 34.9% according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2018. Stunting is a result of repeated episodes of malnutrition and leads to irreversible impaired growth and development. Around 45 % of the adult population in Lesotho is stunted according to Cost of Hunger study (COHA Lesotho, 2016). This shows that 45% of adult population have not reached their full potential. The LDHS 2014 Report has asserted that half of all children have some form of Anemia, whilst more than one in four women (27.3%) in the 15-49 age group have Anemia. Vitamin A deficiency among pre-school aged children is a severe public health problem in 2005, with 32.7% of these children being affected (World Health Organization, 2007). The same applies to Iodine deficiency in school-aged children as one fifth were deficient in 2002 – more recent statistics are not available.
Despite the multitude of problems and impact on the economy, very few resources financial and skilled manpower and technical resources are allocated to this unknown and least understood sector by the policy makers. Lesotho is a food-deficient country, and malnutrition is rife, especially among young children in rural areas. Cognizant that this is mainly driven by the high levels of poverty and unemployment, BAP’s policy prioritizes food and nutrition as one of its key strategic areas.
The broad scope of food security calls for a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach. The state is primarily responsible for providing a framework within which households and individuals can exercise choices to achieve food security in a manner that will not jeopardise the security of future generations. The state must also take appropriate measures to ensure that vulnerable groups, particularly young children and the elderly are able to meet their food needs.
Food security is defined as access by all people at all times to adequate, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy and productive life. As a country is largely self-sufficient in food, thousands of children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and an estimated 54% of people are vulnerable to food insecurity. Food insecurity is closely associated with poverty and vulnerability.
To ensure the provision of food and nutrition, BAP shall:
a. Reposition and prioritize nutrition as a core development strategy and its role as a major determinant of health and wellbeing, and earmark adequate human, technological, infrastructural, and financial resources.
b. Develop and implement the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy premised upon a multifaceted, well-coordinated, evidence-based response to support nutrition at every stage of the life cycle, targeting mothers of childbearing age, infants and children between 0-60 months, early childhood and development centres, adolescents, and the elderly. Incorporate nutrition in all TB, HIV, and Aids as well as COVID-19 programmes.
c. Develop and implement integrated nutrition-specific interventions related to child feeding, care-giving patterns, and child health as well as nutrition-sensitive programmes addressing food and nutrition security, safe water, adequate sanitation, good hygiene, nutrition education, and access to social development grants. Develop a framework and plans for monitoring, evaluation, and research on nutrition.
4.1.4 Education (basic, tertiary, technical and vocational)
The only way Lesotho can compete in the international labour market is by dramatically improving the skills of Lesotho’s workforce, yet thousands of our young people leave school every year without the skills they need to get a good job. The Basotho Action Party government will not accept another generation being condemned to an uncertain future of unemployment and dependency.
BAP will promote fair access to universities, the professions, and good jobs for young people from all backgrounds. BAP will use funding that currently supports ineffective employment and training schemes, such as Manpower Development Fund, to provide our own help for people looking to improve their education and skills. This will allow us to:
▪ Alter the funding model to give priority to qualifying youth from poor families;
▪ Ensure that families (which can afford) pay for the boarding and lodging for their children at higher institutes of learning;
▪ Give SMEs a R 20 000 bonus in tax reduction for every apprentice they hire;
▪ Ensure that Government Contracts are awarded to business enterprises that show evidence of absorbing local trained youth as well as people living with disability;
We will ensure that Lesotho’s universities enjoy the freedom to pursue academic excellence and focus on raising the quality of the student experience.
BAP believes firmly that education is life. Education is the foundation and fulcrum of nationhood and development. In the education sector, BAP shall:
a. Inculcate the fundamental values and quintessential principles of national identity, pride, patriotism and loyalty within our basic education system
b. Broaden the curriculum and access to tertiary education through open distance learning harnessing the use of information technology and communication by expanding the network of public institutions to the districts for ease of access with corresponding funding by curbing wasteful spending of public funds in RSA tertiary institutions.
c. Improve Innovation and Data Analytics, vocational and entrepreneurial education specialisation from as low as primary and ensure quality through capacitating regulators/enablers in education (CHE, ECoL, NCDC, Inspectorate, etc.).
d. Aggressively promote employment generating type of education by providing affordable technical and artisanal training for all youth that cannot make it beyond the basic education level.
e. Establish a Youth Development and Rehabilitation Fund for youth from impoverished families to enable them access to vocational training and equip them to be self-reliant
f. Ensure a mutually reinforcing partnership between and among all key education stakeholders e.g., proprietors, teachers’ formations, student formations, development partners, etc. at all levels, to ensure not only smooth operations but also quality and diversity of the education offering.
g. Transform the educational system so it addresses contemporary challenges facing Lesotho ensuring that the youth become employers and create wealth.
h. Transform Lerotholi Polytechnic into the Lesotho University of Technology in order to encourage development of technical skills and expertise in order to respond adequately to the contemporary challenges facing the country.
i. Strengthen research and innovation by establishing institutional centres of excellence in science which will work in close collaboration with institutes of higher education and private sector in order to position Lesotho strategically in the context of the fourth industrial revolution and artificial intelligence.
j. Transform Lesotho’s education system in order to attract, foster, reinforce, develop, and retain critical human capital through flexible (adjunct) engagement and sponsorship.
k. Invest in Research Fund for local science evidence-based solutions that could encourage/facilitate development of new products by e.g. providing incentives to companies that invest in ST research.
l. Ensure that our basic education system recognizes our traditional and cultural values and norms with special emphasis given to maintaining high ethical and moral standards (botho) especially among the youth.
4.1.5 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics applications are key drivers of economic activity globally. However, these are advancing at a glacial pace in Lesotho. Lesotho has almost no research activity, with little to no investment in research and funding, accounting for less than 0.05 percent of GDP. According to recent research, innovation activity, which is a strong predictor of entrepreneurial activity, is substantially lower in Lesotho than in other African countries. This is because most research effort is concentrated in a single institution (NUL), although significant research activity has recently been recorded at government laboratories (agriculture). Furthermore, corporate research is either non-existent or outsourced and mainly in the form of troubleshooting rather than structured research aimed at driving the economy, indicating a lack of learning and knowledge advancement. This is because the private sector in Lesotho is driven by subsidiaries of foreign enterprises that rely on their mother companies for fresh information generation. Even worse, the Lesotho government is the only source of research money and appears to have little interest in research, resulting in no substantial research outputs.
The advancement of science and technology for our country’s development, requires a strong foundation of learners in school science and mathematics. Yet the performance in science and mathematics has been dismally very poor for decades (See Tables 1 and 2 below is an example). To correct this situation, there is a need for: functional school laboratory infrastructure in all schools, efficient supply of laboratory equipment in schools, availability of well-trained laboratory technicians in all schools, and strong collaboration of schools with National University of Lesotho researchers to facilitate use of IT based innovative science teaching methods in schools.In addition of the 15 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Lesotho, NUL is the only public university (Council on Higher Education, 2015). Thus, there is only one public university in the country, which is expected to advance Research and Innovation in Science & Technology with the support of government. Yet NUL, like schools, is currently underfunded, and there is an unnecessary heavy reliance and expenditure on RSA HE institutions for science and technology based further training. In 2021 the Government of Lesotho sponsored an estimated 892 students in South African HEIs, spending over M100.00 million annually, and a total of about M400 million in the period 2021 – 2024, annually instead of investing in the growth of the local HE sector.
In an effort to encourage growth and sustain application of science and technology, BAP shall:
1. Strengthen research and innovation by establishing institutional centres of excellence in science which will work in close collaboration with institutes of higher education and private sector in order to position Lesotho strategically in the context of the fourth industrial revolution and artificial intelligence.
2. Transform Lesotho’s education system in order to attract, foster, reinforce, develop, and retain critical human capital through flexible (adjunct) engagement and sponsorship.
3. Invest in Research Fund for local science evidence-based solutions that could encourage/facilitate development of new products by e.g., providing incentives to companies that invest in ST research.
YEAR | GRADE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Table 1. Junior Certificate Performance in Science in the 2017 – 2019 (Source: ECoL, 2019) | |||||
A | B | C | D | E | |
2017 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 7.1 | 14.3 | 48.2 |
2018 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 7.2 | 13.9 | 49.5 |
2019 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 6.5 | 13.6 | 31.4 |
YEAR | GRADE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Table 2. Junior Certificate Performance in Mathematics in the 2017 – 2019 (Source: ECoL, 2019) | |||||
A | B | C | D | E | |
2017 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 9.0 | 6.5 | 37 |
2018 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 19.1 |
2019 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 7.5 | 5.7 | 26.9 |
4.1.6 Housing, Urban Development and Human Settlements
Approximately 29% of Lesotho’s 2.2 million people live in urban areas permanently. It is projected that by 2050, this proportion will have grown to 46% or approximately 1.5 million people. But Lesotho has no policy on urbanization and human settlements planning and related legislation is deficient and terribly outdated. Political will to develop human settlements policy and update related legislative instruments does not exist. Settlement planning requires sufficiently decentralized and adequately resourced local government, which also does not exist.
Over 70% of urban development takes place spontaneously as unplanned and minimally serviced settlements. Similarly, over 70% of urban residents obtain access to housing informally, including access to land, housing finance and construction.
Majority of urban residents earn less than US$99 per month and can afford dwelling units that cost not more than M48 000. As a result, the rate of tenancy in ma-laene (low-cost flats) is very high, sometimes in excess of 80% in some urban neighborhoods, especially those that are adjacent to industrial estates. Nearly 300 000 urban inhabitants live in slum conditions. However, urban housing is not considered a priority in national development. For instance, Housing forms a small Directorate in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship Affairs, and receives a very small share of the Ministry’s budget. The low priority status given to housing and settlement planning is due in part to the lack of a ministry of government that is dedicated to Housing, Land and Human Settlements.
A National Housing Policy (2018) is in place, but there are no budget commitments to implement it and the existing institutional framework for implementation is grossly inadequate. Basotho throughout the length and breadth of the country deserve decent and affordable housing. With regard to habitat and human settlements, BAP shall:
a. Design legislative frameworks that promote and protect the right to shelter as one of the fundamental rights and freedoms.
b. Ensure that all human settlements, especially urban and rural growth centres, and settlements that are associated with mining and water resources development, are appropriately located and planned in order to, inter alia, safeguard valuable land resources (e.g., farmland) and protect ecologically sensitive environments (e.g. wetlands, rangelands and forests).
c. Embrace the global call by the United Nations’ New Urban Agenda 2030 for the creation of human settlements that are sustainable, inclusive, resilient, safe and accessible to all, irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity and economic status.
d. Guarantee genuine decentralisation of government to ensure that local councils are also fully-fledged housing, land and planning authorities in their jurisdictions, as is the global norm, with central government only providing policy oversight and to ensure that local authorities comply with national legislation and accountability requirements.
e. Ensure that human settlements and land matters are accorded the visibility that they deserve through the creation of a government Ministry that is responsible for Land and Human Settlements, also in line with international best practices.
f. Revise existing and planning laws and enact new ones) to ensure effective and transparent land governance and governance institutions, such as legislation that establishes structures such as the Housing and Planning Boards, Independent Housing and Planning Inspectorates and Professional Registration Institutes or Councils.
g. Ensure integration between human settlements and developmental programs.
h. Guarantee Decentralisation of government to ensure that local councils are also fully-fledged housing, land and planning authorities in their jurisdictions.
i. Put in place appropriate structures/mechanisms to ensure transparency and visibility in Human settlements and land matters.
4.1.7 Sports and Recreation
In order to promote sports and recreation, BAP shall:
a. Mainstream promotion of youth talent into all sporting codes. The Ministry of Sports and Recreation should be set up in order to enhance the value of sports: encourage as many people as possible to participate in sports; encourage excellence at the elite level; encourage more sport in schools and bid for major sports events, develop more sports facilities of international standard.
b. Ensure that local government becomes an effective foundation in fulfilling sports facilities for citizens in their own villages. Local governments should allow private companies to leverage municipal services such as sports facilities. The local administrator retains ownership and maintains decision-making capacity and control to a large degree, but private entities provide and manage the services. Building a close working relationship with local government is an important step for all sporting and active recreation organisations, especially when planning for new facilities and services. Sports administration and management shall be incorporated into the educational curriculum.
c. Ensure that sports become one of the well-publicised issues in our local media channels. Sports issues shall gain a lot of publicity and discussions in the media. New technologies should be used widely in the coverage of sports because media has a huge potential to promote sports for both entertainment and job creation.
4.1.8 Culture (language, history, heritage, museums, archives, art, music, paintings, writings, folklore etc)
Culture is the heart and soul of a nation. It forms the core identity of a nation. A nation without culture suffers identity crisis. Our culture is fast diminishing. Our history and heritage were distorted by colonialism. Our language is fast losing its elegance and majesty. We do not have enough memorialisation of our culture by way of museums, archives, art, writings, story-telling, paintings film etc. With a view to promote our culture and heritage, BAP shall:
a) Develop a Language Policy that is inclusive to incorporate all languages spoken and used (such as sign language) in the country, and their orthographies.
b) Promote proper and appropriate language use with focus on media and youth and inculcate pride in Sesotho language. Highlight the role language plays in all spheres of life e.g., advancement of economy, development, and democracy.
c) Promote arts in all its forms for visibility of Basotho culture, forging international relations and to ignite consciousness towards transformation and a just society.
d) Establish a functional National Arts Agency; National Arts Council and a Film Commission/Office. These will lead towards professionalism of the sectors through establishment of guilds, infrastructure (arts centres) and regulation of the industries.
e) Activate existing policies and systems for tangible results and decentralise offices for easy accessibility nationally.
f) Champion decolonization of Lesotho’s educational system.
4.1.9 Poverty, Unemployment and Inequality
The 2019 data shows that 49.7 percent of Lesotho’s population of 2.1 million live below the poverty line (M21.00 per day). This means that 5 in every ten Basotho are poor or vulnerable to poverty. While the general unemployment rate is estimated at 22.5 percent, youth unemployment rate is 33.68 percent. Given the devastating socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment has worsened hitting hardest on women and the youth. Women account for more than 50% of the country’s population of 2.1 million while the youth account for more than 70 percent of the country’s total population. The African Development Bank projected a 5.2 percent contraction of the Lesotho economy in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the continuous decline of the absorption of Basotho migrants in the South Africa mining industry is exacerbating poverty, unemployment and inequality in Lesotho. From its peak of 129, 000 in 1977, the number of Basotho mine migrants in South Africa has plummeted to a paltry 21, 000 at present. Inequality is a major social malaise in Lesotho. The rich grow richer by the day and the poor get poorer, a situation also accentuated considerably by the onset of COVID-19. Out of 19 most unequal countries in the world, 10 are in Africa4. Of this 6 are in Southern Africa. Lesotho is one of these 10 most unequal countries in Africa. The yawning gap between the small group of the extra-rich elites and the large number of the ultra-poor masses is not only shocking and frightening, but it also bodes ill for the socio-economic and political future of the country.
4 These are South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Central African Republic, Comoros, Zambia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Guinea Bissau and Rwanda.
In order to address the soaring rate of unemployment in Lesotho the Basotho Action Party government will introduce the Accelerated Infrastructure Development Strategy (Aids) whereby the government working together with its development partners and investors will build infrastructure at an accelerated rate with a view to paying for the infrastructure at a later date.
With this strategy it is envisaged that the current unemployment will be reduced by 75% and the economy of the Lesotho will grow by an overwhelming 200%. The main infrastructure targeted includes:
▪ Construction of Roads
▪ Water supply and Sanitation
▪ Electricity generation and supply
▪ Information, Communication and Technology (ICT)
▪ Tourism Infrastructure
▪ Office and residential accommodation for Police, District Governments, Correctional Services, Courts of Law
In the Republic of South Africa particularly, the government has a policy called ‘Targeted Procurement Policy’ which is designed to generate employment and empowerment in the construction industry. The policy targets the youth and women. It also ensures capacity building through training in the different fields of construction of local entrepreneurs.
Every construction tender document requires the bidder to indicate how he will employ a minimum percentage of youth, women and the disabled in his staff. It also requires the bidder to indicate the training and level of training he will provide to local entrepreneurs so that when the project is completed the bidder will leave the local entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to tender in their own right.
Capacity building and training by contractors can be achieved through sub-contracting of local contractors.
The South African Government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) was introduced as an immediate and necessary response to address the rising rate of unemployment in the country. Yet, the success of the EPWP was to depend on how it was best internalised within all spheres of government in particular, the local government sphere.
We propose that Lesotho adopt a similar programme to the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) of South Africa because it has been successful not only in creating the much-needed jobs in the construction industry but it has also been successful in the skills development of local communities.
It is important therefore that all public infrastructure project procurement be guided by the proposed EPWP.
The District Governments will need to begin identifying and implementing projects utilizing labour intensive methods through their District Infrastructure Grants (DIG). DIG will be a conditional grant which, in terms of the proposed Division of Revenue Act, will require that District Governments apply the EPWP Guidelines in spending. In addition, District Governments will be challenged to attach the principles of EPWP to their own capital budgets so make a greater impact on local unemployment levels.
In an effort to generate wealth, create employment/self-employment and promote equality, BAP shall:
a) Develop a national strategy aimed at reducing (where possible eradicating) poverty, unemployment and inequality in Lesotho.
b) Use social grants as one of the means to combat poverty, unemployment and inequality, including introduction of a social security mechanism.
c) Create an enabling environment for the private sector to contribute to the fight against poverty, unemployment and inequality as part of corporate social investment and responsibility.
d) Promote free education and universal healthcare as a way of reducing poverty, unemployment and inequality.
e) Encourage agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition as a basic method for reducing poverty, unemployment and inequality.
f) Forge mutually beneficial partnerships and cooperation with regional (Southern Africa), continental (Africa) and international development partners (e.g., the UN) aimed at tackling poverty, unemployment and inequality, without perpetuating external dependency.
g) Promote sustained socio-economic development, higher level of productivity and technological innovation as a means of fighting poverty, unemployment and inequality.
h) Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including discriminatory laws, policies and practices.
i) Promote and develop artisanal and trades training facilities for the youth, especially school drop-outs and those seeking to acquire new skills in order to be employable.
j) Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, religion or economic status.
4.2 The Economic Sector
Lesotho has been characterized by low level of development, poor growth and macroeconomic instability since independence. Macroeconomic instability relates to inconsistent economic performance, systemic external vulnerability, high unemployment and increasing poverty which have all invariably become structural challenges facing the country. BAP strives to restore the macroeconomic stability that Lesotho so desperately needs. Besides the externally driven factors such as the poor performance of the South African economy, foreign aid and Covid-19, the dominant factor has been the weak political leadership that has led to rampant corruption and total disregard for fiscal discipline.
According to the Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) macroeconomic outlook report of March 2021, Lesotho’s economy contracted by 6.1% in 2020. From 2015 to 2021 the economy grew by a paltry 2.2% while poverty rate remained as high as 57%. According to the budget of 2022/23, growth is expected to remain at the same level as 2021 and average 2.8% in the medium term. The pedestrian growth for 2022/23 is expected to be driven by the mining sector which happens to be very sensitive to global demand given the Covid-19 pandemic and the retail sector that is also dependent on the ever-declining per capita income. On the other hand, the current account deficit of the balance of payments which the represents the country’s net financial flows with rest of the world, continued to decline. It worsened to 5.4% of GDP in 2022 compared with 1.8% in 2021. In 2019 it was as high as 8% of GDP. The deterioration in the current account is mainly ascribed to the trending fall in customs revenue and the runaway consumption expenditure.
The current account deficit in Lesotho is either financed by net capital inflows in the form of foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as loans and grants. FDI inflows depend on growth prospects and investment opportunities. As mentioned, GDP growth in Lesotho has been very low to attract meaningful FDI. On the hand, the country’s attractiveness as an investment destination has been deteriorating for the past decade due to political instability. Consequent to the worsening balance of payments position of the country, national reserves which maintain confidence in the currency and also support the parity of Loti to South African rand have reached the critical level of 3 months of imports.
Among the myriad reasons responsible for weak economic growth, deteriorating livelihoods and rising poverty rate in Lesotho, lack of fiscal discipline appears to be the main culprit. According to the 2022/23 budget, fiscal deficit is expected to hit almost 8% of GDP. This will be way above the threshold of 3% considered the international norm. Due to patronage-driven politics and politicization of the civil service, public expenditure has reached uncontrollable levels while service delivery has virtually collapsed. On the other hand, total revenue happens to be declining. From 49.6% of GDP in 2020/21 it has dropped to 46.2% in 2022/23 while total expenditure has increased from 36.7% of GDP in 2021/22 to 38% in 2022/23. Government’s inability to contain the wage bill and profligate spending are the main factors driving the high fiscal deficit. The public sector wage bill is expected to increase from 16.4% of GDP in 2021/22 to 18.5% in 2022/23. The rise in public spending happens at the back of a falling trend in customs revenue. Customs revenue depends on imports, hence growth of the SACU countries, especially South Africa. Both Lesotho and South Africa’s economies have been performing poorly for quite a while and the medium- term prospects are not promising either. To add salt to the wound, the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated an already untenable fiscal position. Should this position not be reversed with
immediate effect, the country does not only face a situation where it will default on its external debt, as it is already doing with domestic creditors, but also risks the depletion of its international reserves and collapse of the Loti peg.
To reverse the on-going deterioration, Lesotho needs to embark on aggressive structural reforms underpinned by macroeconomic stability and pro-growth inclusive economic policies. Macroeconomic stability is aimed at fiscal consolidation, spurring the financial sector, and setting a conducive industrial and trade policy environment to foster industrial and private sector growth and development.
To restore macroeconomic stability, BAP shall aggressively, effectively and efficiently deploy the following critical policy instruments:
Effective Fiscal Policy: Fiscal policy implementation will encompass immediate containment of public spending, efficient and effective social welfare spending, optimal tax revenue collection, and reform of state-owned enterprises.
a). Tax Reforms: Budgeted total revenue for 2022/23 amounts to 46% of GDP of which 22% is tax revenue while the remaining 24% is accounted for by customs receipts. Lesotho’s fiscus has since independence been consistently and precariously dependent on international taxes than domestically collected taxes. This has been the result of the lop-sided centre-periphery economic ecosystem within the SACU sub-region. Given the increased unpredictability and volatility of customs receipts, BAP will ensure that Lesotho urgently increases the share of its domestic taxes and reduces the untenable reliance on customs revenue. This objective will be achieved by:
1. Ensuring that the economy records annual growth rate of 5% and above. A strong economy automatically enhances the buoyancy of the tax system. Tax buoyancy relates to a situation where any change in income can translate into higher rate of tax revenue collected.
2. BAP will ensure that Lesotho’s tax base is broadened to cover all areas of economic activity. This will be achieved through, among others, elimination of:
– inefficient and unnecessary exemptions
– Unjustified exclusions, deductions and other preferences.
3. Aggressive improvement of tax administration. This will entail:
– improving tax enforcement through a more efficient tax collection governance system and enhancement of organizational and institutional capacity of tax collecting entities
– Technological upgrading of the tax system to facilitate e-billing delivery and e-payment
b). Public Finance Management Reforms – Public finance management systems in Lesotho have for a long time been in terminal decline. Reforms after reforms have not yielded positive results. The public sector procurement system is in shambles and the epicenter of abuse of public funds. Corrupt allocation of tenders and delayed payments to service providers have become a new norm and evil practice that have to be exorcised with absolute determination and resolve. BAP is the only party that will introduce public finance management reforms (PFM) that work. The centre of gravity behind this problem has been lack of leadership. Reform programmes that have been tried before and now have failed simply because senior executives do not take ownership of consultants reports and leave their execution to junior operatives. BAP will do things differently as follows:
– The Minister of Finance will take full charge of implementation of the of PFM and periodically report to Cabinet and Parliament
– All arrears to the private sector will be paid with immediate effect
– Tenders will awarded in accordance with procedures as set out in the public service procurement policy
– Effective expenditure controls will be put in place and public sector wage bill be reduced to at least 20% of total expenditure compared with 49% according to the 2022/23 budget.
– BAP will follow the following principles in managing public funds:
1. Government taxation and spending must go through a democratic approval process
2. Government spending should be open to public scrutiny
3. There must be honesty in dealing with public funds in all spheres of government
4. Stewards of public funds must not take undue risks or gamble with public funds
5. Self-aggrandizement with public funds will be totally forbidden and illegal
6. All those dealing with public funds will be called to account for their stewardship through legislative review and audit process
Expected outcomes of the BAP fiscal policy shall be:
1. Expansion and diversification of the production frontier through fiscal incentives
2. Cutting public spending and debt down to international norms
3. Significant improvement of official international reserves
4. Investor confidence boosting.
c) Effective Financial Policy: The financial policy in Lesotho is determined externally by the South African monetary policy through the Common Monetary Area (CMA) arrangement. The CMA and determination of its policies is dominated by South Africa and all that Lesotho can do is to willy-nilly adjust its policies regardless of their impact on its economy. Key financial instruments at the disposal of the CMA are the interest and exchange rate policies. Due to imbalances between the two economies, automatically the rate of return on large financial investment flows favours the South African economy and has by design or fortuitously turned Lesotho into a net exporter of capital. The exchange rate as well is exclusively determined by South African in favour of its economic conditions while other CMA members simply follow suit regardless of consequences on their economies. In this regard, BAP’s policy is to advocate for a participatory, inclusive and member-driven CMA agreement that will impact the economy of Lesotho in the following manner:
1. Create more investment opportunities to absorb the domestic excess liquidity
2. Deepen the local capital market
3. Boost local exports
4. Build strong international reserves.
d) Effective Commercial/Trade Policy: Lesotho’s trade policy is significantly dependent on the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). In its current form, it is the preserve of SACU members as a collective to set trade tariff rates that determine export and import of goods between SACU countries and the rest of the world. However, to-date tariff rates are determined by the South African International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC). While the SACU agreement was last amended in 2002 to among other things democratize tariff setting, that has never materialized. South Africa through ITAC unilaterally determines the external tariff for exclusive development of its industries. An effective trade or commercial policy is vital for industrial growth and development that BAP wants to create for Lesotho. As it is, SACU does not optimally serve the interests of Lesotho in line with the aspirations of BAP.
As part of the macroeconomic framework to protect Lesotho’s trade interests and the acceleration of its industrial development BAP shall:
1. Ensure active participation of Lesotho in the determination of SACU external tariff in accordance with the 2002 Agreement.
2. Strengthen and improve the country’s capacity to effectively participate in all SACU policy implementation matters including trade and factor movement.
3. Optimize and effectively utilize the SACU trade policy for industrial growth and development of Lesotho.
4.2.1 Industrialization
Fostering industrial development of Lesotho is one of the key focal points of BAP. Lesotho needs a new paradigm shift to achieve structural transformation and diversification of the economy. For this to happen BAP has identified the following imperatives:
• Design and implement industrial development policies that work
• Remove structural constraints
• Upgrade and develop technological capabilities of local firms
• Champion and own the development process.
In order to achieve these broad objectives, BAP shall:
a) Aggressively put in place a strategy for indigenisation of the textile and apparel sector for local ownership of the industry.
b) Introduce industrial zones in every district to generate employment and reduce rural-urban migration.
c) Provide the necessary incentives and life-supporting skills and training as well as introducing retraining programmes of the workforce for skills that are in demand.
d) Put the MSMEs in the front seat of local production.
e) Invest in agro-processing and cottage industries and provide supporting value chains.
f) Introduce and implement good manufacturing practices (GMP) for quality and standard of local products.
g) Ensure the speedy/efficient access to market as well as financial institutions to enhance access to finance for SMEs.
h) Provide tax incentives.
i) Introduce rental holidays to manufacturing and other companies involved in innovation, research and development of local production.
j) Re-open negotiations with the Republic of South Africa relating to trade relations between the two countries especially around the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
k) Expand Lesotho’s industrial capacity beyond the textile and apparel sectors opening up new horizons for job-creation, innovation and scientific exploration by the country’s youth.
l) Promote a localization policy in trade and industry. Foreign ownership shall be confined strictly to large-scale enterprises, while small-to-medium enterprises shall be reserved for Basotho only.
m) Drive industrialisation of various sectors to achieve socio-economic development.
n) Accelerate economic digitisation in order to boost, in particular, Agro-industries, Fashion and Tailoring.
4.2.2 Manufacturing
The Basotho Action Party government will transform Lesotho from a primarily agricultural society into one based on the manufacturing of goods and services.
The time has come to charter a new course for Lesotho’s manufacturing industry. How should Lesotho identify and position itself on the global stage in the twenty-first century, and what should it endeavour to achieve?
Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan have all constructed effective channels for stakeholder involvement and inter-ministerial coordination in industrial policy making. Thailand has set up industry-specific institutes and official committees to link the government, businesses, and experts. Malaysia has a three-layer structure consisting of the Industrial Planning Committee, the Steering Committee, and technical resource groups, which together mobilize several hundred people to draft an industrial master plan.
The experiences of these countries make it clear that Lesotho is far behind them in industrial policy formulation and that it has much to learn from them.
In order to boost the manufacturing sector, BAP shall:
1. Re-open negotiations with the Republic of South Africa relating to trade relations between the two countries especially around the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
2. Expand Lesotho’s industrial capacity beyond the textile and apparel sectors opening up new horizons for job-creation, innovation and scientific exploration by the country’s youth.
3. Promote a localization policy in trade and industry, whereby at least 60 percent of this sector is reserved for Basotho entrepreneurs and 40 percent owned by foreign investors. Foreign ownership shall be confined strictly to large-scale enterprises, while small-to-medium enterprises shall be reserved for Basotho only.
4. Drive industrialisation of various sectors to achieve socio-economic development.
5. BAP shall accelerate economic digitisation in order to boost, in particular, Agro-industries, Fashion and Tailoring.
4.2.3 Agriculture (livestock, crop sector and irrigation) and forestry
Lesotho became the thirty fourth country to sign the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact. At the signing ceremony in Maseru, on 4 September 2013, different stakeholders pledged to increase investment in Lesotho’s agriculture through the precepts of CAADP.
By signing the Compact, Lesotho has committed to achieving the goal of raising agricultural productivity by six percent and ensuring that ten percent of its budget is allocated to agriculture.
CAADP, endorsed by African Heads of State through the African Union in 2003, aims to stimulate the reforms necessary for agriculture to have a positive impact on socio-economic growth and sustainable development.
The Basotho Action Party commits itself to this CAADP initiative.
BAP recognizes that agriculture is the backbone of every nation’s economy. A nation that cannot feed itself is a failed state.
Despite the challenges of climate change, lack of policy direction and poor policy implementation, Lesotho has abundant capacity to develop its agricultural sector. This is the sector that has a potential to create significant job opportunities and grow the economy through various industrial value chains.
The BAP intends to change the status quo through a number of interventions that included the following:
a) Advocate for climate smart agriculture and all food systems. To this end we encourage and support agricultural cooperatives (livestock, crop sector, irrigation etc.) and seek to attract young entrepreneurs into the sector, through, inter alia, reserving 80 percent of agricultural produce to Basotho only, encouraging state-supported cooperatives, apprenticeships and internships and building animal clinics and promoting supply chains at all levels to enhance production, processing, packaging, marketing and logistics across the food system.
b) Promote and support open and transparent dialogue to promote a private sector driven livestock industry where wool and mohair, dairy, piggery, poultry, short-cycle livestock enterprises are based on stable food systems and value chains supported by conducive policy and regulatory environments.
c) Advocate for sustainable agricultural water management as a mainstay of climate smart crop production along strong commodity sub-sectors linked to business networks with private sector players across the food system and value chains. We commit to the promotion of high value horticultural commodity production niches including a vibrant citrus industry to take root.
d) Put in place requisite policy and regulations ensuring an environment conducive for investment in agriculture food systems including production; distribution and aggregation; food processing; marketing; markets and purchasing; preparation and consumption; resource and waste recovery. We shall promote open and transparent dialogues for participatory, commodity driven quality control of all agricultural produce.
We shall ensure that a proportion of the local market is ring-fenced for Basotho produce and the rest for imported agricultural products in conformity with both SACU and WTO rules.
e) Encourage and support efforts at village, community, districts and national levels aimed at reforestation of the country and in the process arresting the devastating soil erosion that is contributing immensely to agricultural decline.
f) Pursue open, transparent and participatory innovations for management of the rangeland commons as basis for both livestock production in a managed resource area framework of range resources governance and utilization.
g) Explore the feasibility of the zoning of the country into 3 distinct agricultural zones based on rainfall distribution, climatic conditions etc (Zones: Red meat, poultry & dairy, crops and wool & mohair).
h) BAP shall explore provision of subsidies for commercial farming for each zone.
i) Encourage the development of value chains for strategic agricultural products like piggery and poultry to access formal markets.
j) Develop local supply chains for inputs, supply of agricultural equipment and maintenance in all major agricultural centres.
k) Enhance the capacity of farmers and cooperative societies to produce in accordance with food and safety standards required by the market.
l) Build on the gains of the Lesotho Wool and Mohair Promotion Project to increase production capacity to over 20 000 tons per annum. At this level it would be financially viable to build scouring/processing plant locally.
m) Ensure that smart rangeland management strategies are implemented to secure sustainable feed for the livestock. BAP Government will further ensure promotion of livestock auction and improve mutton value-chains.
n) Use international relations to identify and promote Lesotho’s clip to potential buyers and secure the level of undertaking/interest in buying Lesotho’s wool at a better price per kilo, whether bought in Lesotho, in Gqeberha, South Africa, or elsewhere.
o) Revive the knitting industry as the first step towards building the cottage industry with wool and mohair products. BAP shall work with fashion industry to achieve and allocate small spaces in the factory shells.
4.2.4 Infrastructure development
A balanced economy requires an extensive and reliable infrastructure. But transport has been a low priority for the previous administrations, and the hassle of getting around is bad for business, bad for families and bad for everyone’s quality of life.
The construction industry is a broad conglomeration of industries and sectors which add value in the creation and maintenance of fixed assets within the built environment. Construction procurement as such covers all categories of procurement commonly encountered in other industrial sectors and is not confined to engineering and construction works. Construction procurement includes services, supplies, engineering and construction works and disposals in the form of demolitions.
Government procurement is over a R1500 million a year market that can be used much better to stimulate enterprise and innovation. We will take steps to open up government procurement to small and innovative businesses by:
1. Introducing affirmative procurement for all tenders above M10 Million for all services whether professional services, construction, hospitality etc. all projects whether funded under local or foreign funding shall be obliged to include affirmative procurement specifications in their tender documents;
2. Creating a level playing field for open-source ICT in government procurement; and, opening up contracts to SMEs by breaking up large ICT and other projects into smaller components.
3. We shall introduce the Accelerated Infrastructure Development Strategy (AIDS) which will enable government to spend all the budget allocated towards infrastructure development in any particular financial year.
Lesotho’s complex and unwieldy planning system has long been cited as a significant barrier to growth and wealth creation. We will create a presumption in favour of sustainable development in the planning system. We will establish the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) a democratically-accountable system that provides a fast-track process for major infrastructure projects. We will:
1. Use private or hybrid Bills to promote major projects, such as our plans for a national road, air and high-speed rail network;
2. Ensure that all other major infrastructure projects are considered at planning inquiries which have binding timetables and which focus on planning issues – with final permission given by a Minister; and,
3. Provide transitional arrangements for projects already before the Ministry of Planning to ensure that these projects are not disrupted or delayed.
For Infrastructural Development, BAP shall:
1. Develop and adopt a long-term funding framework for infrastructure development and will explore different models that could be used in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) build, operate and transfer models as a means of infrastructure delivery, working with the private sector to build infrastructure through public private partnerships.
2. Develop enabling legal framework for the establishment economic zones to facilitate private sector participation in development of critical infrastructure in those zones for industrialization
3. Strengthen and improve efficiency of the already existing State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and look into ways to develop synergies for better management.
4. Develop strategies that will combat corruption in the procurement processes in infrastructure development to avoid irregular awarding of contracts and highly inflated prices.
4.2.5 Natural Resources (land, water, mining, sandstone & quarrying)
A major part of Lesotho’s economy is based on the country’s natural resources that include but not limited to land, water, diamonds, wool and mohair, sand, flora and fauna and many more. Lesotho is endowed with natural resources. However, it faces serious challenges when it comes to exploiting them, protecting and preserving them, ensuring that the benefits accruing from them are shared equally, and are responsibly and sustainably utilized.
The way these resources are managed and utilised does not improve the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Basotho, particularly the poor living in rural areas where most of these resources are found. There are no clear regulations in place to help good management of the natural resources that explicitly in favor of local people’s maximum gain/benefits. Where the regulations exist, there is poor implementation and enforcement of such regulations. Again, the nation produces and sells/exports the natural resources in their raw form that lead to low returns and lack of job creation from the resources’ cleaning and/or processing. There is no mechanism for local beneficiation of these resources in Lesotho. Such beneficiation would go a long way in generating jobs locally. Also, lack of regulations to control natural resources harvesting/utilization leads to most of them being depleted with low returns. Last, but not least, most of our natural resources benefit foreign ‘fly-by-night’ investors than locals. Profits are siphoned out of the country resulting in massive leakage of resources needed for socio-economic development. Foreign investors have a lion’s share of Lesotho’s natural resources, while Basotho lack access to and control over these resources. BAP will put in place a robust strategy to ensure that Basotho, especially the marginalized groups, benefit adequately from the country’s abundant natural resource endowment.
With a view to harvest, protect and preserve natural resources, BAP shall:
a) Develop criteria for identifying, documenting, and prioritizing (within newly identified and already existing) natural areas and open spaces for protection, restoration, enhancement, and acquisition to ensure preservation of desired habitats, which support unique plant and animal species and nature resorts.
b) Promote sharing of responsibility for resources management and planning between the different spheres of the government, the community, and other stakeholders to facilitate economic and social development of the country.
c) Promulgate legislation ensuring that a proportion of Lesotho’s natural resources is reserved for local ownership.
d) Enact legislation for encouraging and enforcing local participation in commercial exploitation of natural resources through joint ventures and equity participation.
e) Put in place legislation for the efficient and effective management of the use, development, and protection of natural resources in a way, or at the rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural well-being and for their health and safety.
f) Design and deliver a national development plan and curriculum that promote risk reduction by shifting away from disaster response to a much more proactive prevention and mitigation strategy, and integration of disaster risk reduction principles into key sectoral programmes. BAP shall ensure that the country is well
positioned for risk assessment, preparedness, response, and recovery in the event
of natural disasters. Provide post-disaster measures to restore community life to normal and provide capacity building needs and tools to all personnel involved in disaster risk management from the community level.
4.2.6 Climate change
Climate change is reality of our times. It is one of the major challenges facing all countries of the world. Lesotho cannot sit on its laurels in the face of this global menace. We have experienced extreme weather patterns lately. On the one hand, we have been subjected to extreme drought conditions. On the other hand, we have been confronted by extreme rainfall, storms and floods. All of these have had a negative impact on lives and livelihoods of our people especially those residing in rural areas who depend on agricultural and livestock production. BAP will come up with innovative policies and strategies to ensure that Lesotho adapts to climate variations and vicissitudes.
With the aim of tackling climate change and environmental degradation, BAP shall:
a) Decrease the amount of carbon print (amount of GHGs) each vehicle exhales by ensuring that: The Catalytic Converters are installed properly on each vehicle at registration and annual disk renewals; each vehicle’s carbon print is calculated annually and a fine included in the annual renewal fee; sale of Catalytic Converters is prohibited.
b) Introduce the following policy decisions and encourage neighbouring villages to collaborate and share rangelands: Pass legislation to hand over rangeland management to the local authorities acting as oversight bodies or vice versa.
c) Make a concerted effort to end open defecation and ensure all 9,000 villages in Lesotho have access to clean water and increase awareness on hygiene and sanitation. To achieve these goals, BAP will partner with the relevant stakeholders (locally and internationally) to invest in sustainable technologies that will improve sanitation without water and traditional grid energy requirements; BAP will run hygiene awareness campaigns on various platforms on a weekly basis that will cover all the population; BAP will use the existing water sources and underground water to install public water tanks within 0.5km walking distance from the villages.
4.2.7 Rural and Community Development (telephony, roads, electrification)
More than 60% of Lesotho’s population of 2.2 million live in rural areas. Rural areas face numerous challenges chief among which is service delivery. Previous governments have not succeeded in delivering adequate public services to rural communities such as education, health, road infrastructure, housing, communication, electricity, agricultural support etc. There is a glaring urban bias in policy formulation and implementation. BAP will change this situation by ensuring that adequate public services are provided to rural communities on a sustainable basis. This will also entail transforming local governance to ensure effective devolution of power to local authorities and communities.
In order to improve lives and livelihoods of people in rural and communal areas, BAP shall:
a) Advocate that road infrastructure and electricity supply are basic human rights as well as economic drivers for rural development and transformation of lives and livelihoods of Basotho, the majority of whom reside in rural areas.
b) Enhance provision of and access to services through Strengthening Community structures/groups and local authorities responsible for different essential services (school boards, health centres, water, land committees, etc.). This will not only address basic needs, but it will also promote public participation in development interventions in rural areas.
c) Ensure dissemination of information relevant to grants, sponsorship and other forms of aid meant to support rural communities. Community based personnel will be capacitated for establishment of a resource mobilization unit, the responsibilities will include, for instance, proposal writing, managing collected resources and ensuring even distribution of these resources.
d) Establish value chains of different produce, ensure quality control, as well as facilitate access to markets and other facilities that will help business from these chains, without compromising food security.
4.2.8 Tourism
Given Lesotho’s peculiar landscape, tourism presents a golden opportunity for advancing the country’s economic development. Presently, this opportunity remains largely untapped. BAP will change this situation to ensure that tourism adds value to Lesotho’s economy in a more meaningful and sustainable way. In order to promote Tourism and ensure its maximum beneficiation, BAP shall:
a) Bolster eco-tourism that is environmentally sustainable.
b) Support the hospitality industry as a growing economic sub-sector.
c) Protect and promote nature reserves and encourage their beneficiation by local communities and councils.
d) Develop Tourism policy to address a myriad of prevailing tourism issues such as visa regulations and lack of infrastructure. The policy will also address environment issues and conservation regulations.
e) Develop a Tourism Strategy focusing on:
i. Development of tourism infrastructure
ii. Development of tourism products and investment
iii. Tourism promotion and marketing
iv. Build capacity of public institutions supporting tourism.
4.2.9 Water
Lesotho has a comparative advantage from its mountainous topology and high altitude both of which give it a strong potential to harness and export water to all nearby countries as well as for domestic and industrial use.
For development of the Lesotho water resources, BAP shall:
a) Support protection of rangelands resources and wetlands for development of the Lesotho water resources with consolidated policy for water export to South Africa and beyond. Fundamentally, BAP believes that the national water supply schemes are critical for domestic, industrial and agriculture.
b) Consider social benefit and environmental protection in the allocation and access to water. It is reckoned that everybody should have access to a minimum amount of clean, safe and reliable water supply at an affordable price for basic household use.
c) Ensure that the management of water resources contributes to socio-economic development. Water should be used efficiently, with a pricing policy and other mechanisms to encourage water allocation to higher value uses in order to optimise its net economic and social benefits.
d) Ensure that sectoral water allocation takes into account the economic development potential associated with water use by promoting the efficient use of water with due regard to social development and food security. This implies the implementation of appropriate water pricing mechanism to reflect its economic and social value and to provide economic incentives for its efficient use.
e) Undertake a thorough review of the 1986 Treaty and, if deemed necessary, re-open negotiations with the Republic of South Africa aimed at addressing any fundamental issues that might need to be addressed following the contemplated review.
4.2.10 Mining
The mining of Lesotho’s various natural resources has to be restructured in such a way that benefits Basotho especially communities that reside next to the mines. This is not the case presently. BAP will transform the mining sector to ensure its added value to the overall socio-economic development of he country and in particular enhancement of lives and livelihoods of communities adjacent to the mines.
In order to leverage the mining sector, BAP shall:
a) Promote a comprehensive mining policy which takes into account the control and regulation of licensing and with equitable share of Lesotho as a host by increasing the share of Lesotho in all mining agreements.
b) Earmark considerable resources for investment into mining as one of the key sectors for economic growth and employment generation.
c) Regulate local quarry mines, sands and sandstones with a policy that gives local government authorities a share and /or beneficiation from the exploitation of resources in their jurisdiction.
d) Encourage curriculum reform to ensure that higher education includes geology, geophysics, mineralogy and geochemistry.
e)
Promote Basotho equity participation and joint-ventures in mining projects.
f) Establish the requisite domestic supply and value chains through an aggressive private sector development programme dedicated to the mining sector.
g) Adopt a mining policy that among others, focuses on local skills transfer by obliging mining operators to:
i. Train deserving Basotho employees in key managerial and technical positions;
ii. Develop succession plans to ensure that the majority of top positions are held by Basotho;
iii. Establish partnerships with local technical institutions to provide critical and supporting training relevant to and demanded by the mining companies;
iv. Strengthen the capacity of supporting and regulatory institutions for protecting the interests of Basotho in the negotiation of mining contracts as well as ensuring strict compliance with agreed guidelines and regulations.
4.2.11 Energy
Lesotho has a huge potential to ensure its own energy security and self-reliance. It has abundant water. We also have to exploit opportunities presented by solar energy. At the present moment, Lesotho is not utilizing its available resources to guarantee sustainability of its energy security and self-reliance.
In order to ensure sustainable value addition from the Energy Sector, BAP shall:
a) Invest in renewables for energy security including solar, hydro, wind and hydrogen.
b) Build on the current Lesotho Renewable Energy and Energy Access Project (LREEAP) to expand access to electricity to every household in Lesotho by 2030 through, inter alia, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).
c) Promote the use of solar energy, wind energy and hydro energy as the primary energy sources to secure energy demands that would fuel economic growth and
social development. Every Mosotho deserves reliable electricity supply in every party
of the country.
d) Collaborate closely with livestock farmers to promote bio-gas for use by households to provide alternative and climate-sensitive sources of energy.
e) Develop maintenance adherence policy in order to safeguard reliable energy generation and transmission to the last mile.
f) Develop energy mix that is in line with the Paris Declaration Agreement.
4.2.12 State-Owned Enterprises
The state-owned institutions are better placed outside civil service to render improved service delivery on critical development-focused areas of the society with much higher effectiveness. These institutions when established with clear mandate and commensurate supportive corporate policies, business processes and procedures supported by appropriate structure become an effective state resource base for delivery of basic services towards improved livelihoods. It is, therefore, quite imperative that these institutions enjoy the level of autonomy that ensures their utmost effectiveness with minimal political interference as to insulate them from being used as tools for political advancement.
These enterprises are far less effective on their intended mandates owing to the fact that they have been reduced to platforms that are used for placing political friends either in their boards and or senior management in the quest to control the use of these institutions for political gains. It has become a norm lately that Board of directors is appointed by the Minister in the sectoral ministry in question regardless of requisite qualifications and experience needed for the position.
In the early 1990s, the Government of Lesotho (GoL) had about 32 enterprises of which 17 were directly owned by the Government of Lesotho, 12 were owned by Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC), and 3 owned by financial institutions. In the period between 1996 and 2001, the Privatization Program managed to sell 10 enterprises and 9 enterprises were put under liquidation. Most of Lesotho’s State-Owned Enterprises are incorporated under the Companies Act; the only three exceptions are Lesotho National Development Corporation, Basotho Enterprise Development Corporation (BEDCO), and the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC), which have their own founding Acts.
In order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of State-Owned Enterprises, BAP shall:
a) Adopt a clear policy for the appointments of State-Owned Enterprise Board of directors, individuals with appropriate qualifications, skills, expertise, competences and experience. First preference shall be given to certified directors.
b) Promote the adoption of the locally developed Governance Code or its equivalent for all SOE’s and give incentives to those that follow the code. The code should promote (inter- alia) the following: Integrity, competence, responsibility, accountability, fairness, and transparency.
c) Facilitate private sector participation in SOE’s, including ownership of shares by indigenous Basotho and individuals through a transparent vehicle such as the Maseru Securities Exchange.
d) Ensure a policy environment where business is driven by the private sector and strengthen policy formulation geared towards levelling of the playing field for business to flourish and create decent jobs.
4.2.13 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
Lesotho has a large informal sector dominated by MSME’s. Despite the absence of definitive numbers, the World Bank estimates that Lesotho has a total of 200,000 MSMEs. MSMEs employ 200,000 people and account for 85% of overall employment. Informal-sector micro enterprises with fewer than 5 employees make up 82% of the total number of enterprises.
The small share of medium and large firms illustrates the structural weaknesses in Lesotho’s economic model and endemic structural weakness in its private sector. Unemployment remains high at 28% with Youth unemployment at 43%. The sector is further constrained by the lack of regular and up-to-date inventory and status of MSMEs in the country, a weak fragmented and poorly coordinated institutional framework. Despite all efforts made since 2002 to have MSMEs policy which meets the aspirations of the MSMEs sector to date, it has not been mainstreamed into development agenda.
In terms of the enabling Business Environment, Lesotho’s global ranking dropped to 122nd position out of 190 countries ranked, losing 16 positions from the 106th ranking in 2019. The country lags behind her neighbours Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini (Swaziland) in the ranking for the period 2010-2020. Of the constraints of small businesses worth noting is the inability to prepare bankable projects, difficulty in meeting loan requirements and limitations of access to finance under favourable and growth-oriented conditions. This has drawn back on the efforts by existing entities (e.g. LNDC) who partner with commercial banks to provide financing guarantees, but warrants a streamlined focus to genuinely develop MSME’s and meet their financing requirements under favourable terms that will reduce friction in growing the sector, while lubricating the growth of existing MSME’s. In light of these challenges, there is a need for policy interventions to position Lesotho for private sector led growth through comprehensive MSME policy.
Lack of access to credit remains a major problem, especially for SMEs. BAP will change the way banks in Lesotho are regulated in order to assist the SMEs to acquire credit.
BAP recognizes that the Private Sector through business enterprise is the one responsible for creating sustainable employment, working in close partnership with the state. BAP believes that small businesses are key to Lesotho’s economic reconstruction, employment creation and narrowing the inequality gap. Government will help to boost business enterprise by lowering tax rates, reducing regulation and improving workers’ skills.
The BAP will establish a Development Bank. Such a bank shall contribute to the harmonious economic growth and development of Lesotho, having special and urgent regard to the needs of the less developed Districts in the Country.
Towards strengthening MSMEs, BAP shall:
a) Ensure that MSMEs have easy access to funding, BAP shall establish a state-funded Development Bank of Lesotho to finance and take equity in viable projects and to finance high-impact cooperatives with priority given to Women-owned and Youth-owned projects and Businesses.
b) Facilitating small and medium enterprise acceleration, BAP shall Refocus the mandate and adequately fund BEDCO to enable it to craft and execute viable Enterprise Development and Acceleration initiatives country wide.
c) Enhancing competitiveness and facilitating value chains, BAP shall enforce technology transfer from foreign-owned and local Corporates to MSME’s and phase out long-term lock-in contracts for foreign-owned entities while enforcing regulations through licensing and legislative regime and adopting preferential sourcing policies for MSME’s and appropriate tax holidays.
4.3 The Public Sector
Under various political parties forming governments, the Lesotho state has failed to effectively and efficiently provide public services to citizens. Lesotho’s political elites so far, seem to be attracted to the state not to serve the people who elect them into power, but to serve themselves through rampant accumulation of wealth. It is not surprising, therefore, that the public service is highly politicized and de-professionalized. Morale of the public servants is very low. So is their productivity. Even more concerning, the security establishment (the police, the army, the intelligence and correctional services) are also heavily politicized too. This trend of the politicization of the security is accompanied by the securitization of politics as well. The security establishment is supposed to be impartial and professional and not be aligned to any political party.
Today, Lesotho is characterized by systemic corruption, as illustrated by the questionable allocation of M20 million for the change of number plates of vehicles and the M50 million that has been corruptly siphoned from the Ministry of Finance ostensibly to creditors who did not exist. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) has proved ineffective and compromised. The 2020 Corruption Perception Index ranks Lesotho number 83 out of 180 countries globally. With the onset of coalition governments that tend to collapse day in and day out, corruption has multiplied manifold as the elite increase their pace of making hay while the sun shines as they are uncertain of the longevity of their tenuous stay in power. Although the Judiciary and the criminal justice system remain our last hope, they are incapacitated and may have been compromised. The Police Service (LMPS) seems overwhelmed to enforce the rule of law and equality of all citizens before the law.
BAP commits to turn this situation around by creating a capable, democratic and developmental state. A state that is responsive to the needs of the citizens. A state that is steeped in constitutionalism and the rule of law. A state that pursues development in partnership with the private/corporate sector as partners together with organized labour. As a social democratic party, BAP commits to deliver development through tripartite partnership comprising (a) the state, (b) private sector and (c) organized labour.
4.3.1 Local Governance and Decentralization
Decentralization facilitates participation and helps deepen democracy. Nevertheless, it has been confronted with diverse challenges in Lesotho. First, the process has not succeeded to improve participation relative to the traditional system that preceded it. Second, it pitted the chiefs against counsellors. Third, it is hampered by lack of financial resources, human resources and the central government’s tendency to intrude in local government’s affairs and dictate the course of action. However, the prospects demonstrate that there is political will to decentralize although there is still need to address some challenges. Firstly, the central government has to devolve financial powers to the local units. Secondly, it has to ensure a smooth relationship between counsellors and chiefs and continue augmenting the budget allocated to the local government. Finally, it has to promote the use of internet technology and consider making chieftainship the last sub-unit of the local government.
Participation by citizens at various levels is essential to make democratic societies work; especially if the society in question is a developing society in the process of consolidating its democracy.
Local government is the tier of public authority that citizens first look to solve their immediate social problems. It is also the level of democracy in which the citizen has the most effective opportunity to actively and directly participate in decisions made for all of society.
We will amend the Constitution to allow for the decentralization of government into ten (10) District Governments led by District Governors. This will allow the districts to plan and implement their own development programs. A district government is the biggest unit of government that can be sustained given the geographical and population size of Lesotho.
The district governments will be born from the District Legislative Councils elected on the proportional representation basis at the General Elections.
The powers of the district governments shall be circumscribed by the national constitution, which will limit them to certain listed “functional areas”. In some areas the district governments’ powers shall be concurrent with those of the national government, while in other areas the district governments will have exclusive powers. The constitution shall prescribe the principle of “co-operative government” whereby the various layers of government must coordinate their actions and legislation; it shall also lay down a series of rules for resolving conflicts between national and district legislation.
District legislature
Each district shall have a unicameral district legislature, varying in size from 20 to 30 members depending on the population of the district. The members of the district legislature shall be elected by party-list proportional representation for a usual term of five years; although under certain circumstances the legislature may be dissolved before its term expires. By convention elections to the district legislatures shall be held on the same day as elections to the National Assembly.
District Executive
The head of the district executive is the Governor, who is elected by the district legislature from amongst its members; frequently the Governor will be the district leader of the majority party. The term of office of the Governor is the same as that of the legislature (normally five years) with a term limit of two terms. The legislature can force the resignation of the Governor by a motion of no confidence. If the Governorship is vacant and the legislature fails to elect a new Governor within 30 days, the legislature is dissolved and an election is called.
The Governor appoints an Executive Council (a cabinet) of five to ten members of the district legislature. The Members of the Executive Council (or MECs) are responsible for the various departments of the district administration. Because the responsibilities of the district governments are limited to those listed in the constitution, the portfolios are quite similar across the districts. Common MEC portfolios and departmental responsibilities shall include:
▪ agriculture
▪ tourism and environmental affairs
▪ finance and economic development
▪ health and social development
▪ local government, culture and chieftainship affairs
▪ police and public safety
▪ public works, roads and transport
▪ sports and recreation
In order to attain genuine and people-centered decentralization, BAP shall:
a) Put in place a clear policy on decentralization in order to empower citizens and communities. Since services have to be delivered at the local level, decisions have to be made locally.
b) Anchor decentralization strategy more on devolution over and above deconcentration and delegation of power and authority from the centre to local governance sphere.
c) Ensure that decentralization policy guarantees that aspects of administrative, financial and political power and authority are devolved to local government authorities.
d) Create a favourable climate for the collaborative and cooperative working arrangements between and among Members of Parliament, local council and traditional governance institutions at community and district levels.
4.3.2 Media, Social-Media and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The media plays an important role in society. It keeps society informed, entertained and educated on current affairs. In Lesotho, we have a variety of media outlets: print and electronic media; radio, television, social media etc. The world is now moving into the fourth industrial revolution and artificial intelligence. Previous governments are not taking appropriate measures to reposition Lesotho in the face of the current technological revolution. Lesotho has two option: adapt or die. BAP will ensure that Lesotho adapts to the new technological landscape so that it is not left behind.
As a way to promoting freedom of expression, media freedom and leveraging positive attributes of social media, BAP shall:
a) Create an enabling environment for media freedom, freedom of expression, access to information and invest in cutting-edge information communications technologies.
b) Allow open space for social media and drive digital connectivity and skills components of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and artificial intelligence.
c) Create an enabling environment that supports investment of emerging technologies while also adopting regulations to protect users of the said technologies.
d) Craft legislation dealing with the public media which will ensure public accountability, independence from partisan manipulation and a level playing field for all political actors.
e) Formulate clear policies that support an open and inclusive internet in Lesotho, through a multi-stakeholder approach that leverages the expertise and tools developed by public-private dialogues. The broad multi-stakeholder engagement will guide the development of policy reforms that protect internet freedoms of all citizens.
4.3.3 Public service
The Basotho Action Party will reform and downsize the Public Service to ensure that the Public Service wage bill is reduced to 13% of the Gross Domestic Product. In the process we aim to de-Politicise the Public Service in General.
Because of the country’s weak private sector, it is not surprising that Lesotho’s Public Service is bursting at the seams with an estimated size of 18% of the GDP spent on the salaries and wages of Public Servants the highest in Africa and the developed world. Almost every citizen looks to the government for employment.
Public sector productivity has fallen drastically under previous administrations, acting as a drag on growth and reducing the quality of our public services. If productivity in the public sector had grown at the same rate as in private sector services, we could now have the same quality of public services for less each year. So, by improving public sector productivity while getting a grip on the debt, we will still be able to deliver better public services. That is why good governance will cost less with the Basotho Action Party government.
Many civil servants were employed because of their allegiance to the former ruling party leading to a highly inefficient, corrupt and nepotistic Public Service. Many have no clear job descriptions and they spent their daily time loitering along the corridors of the works place, gossiping and disrupting proper delivery of service by others.
In order to build a professional, efficient and effective Public Service, BAP shall:
a) Put in place legislation, rules and regulations aimed at total de-politicization and professionalization of the public service.
b) Form a Special Entity relating to Human Resource Management Matters and transfer the Cabinet Office to the Ministry of the Public Service.
c) Reduce the Government Salary Bill by, inter alia:
➢ Merging closely related Ministries.
➢ Removal of the Office of the First Lady.
➢ Outsource to the private sector all activities that do not form the core business of the civil service
4.3.4 Defense, safety and security
Defense, safety and security is one of the key components of Lesotho’s governance architecture. The security establishment comprises the army, the police, the intelligence and correctional services. It is part of the executive arm of the state. It plays a vital role in terms of entrenching the rule of law, administration of justice and national security of the country. This sector has been politicised by previous governments. It needs to be depoliticised. It needs to be professionalised.
In order to ensure the defense, safety and security of Lesotho and Basotho, BAP shall:
a) Ensure that the Lesotho Defense Force is provided with all necessary institutional and logistical support to enhance its effectiveness in providing security for Lesotho and Basotho.
b) Ensure that there exist harmonious civil-military relations in Lesotho in which politicians do not meddle in the affairs of the LDF and in turn the LDF does not get involved in partisan politics.
c) Put in place mechanisms for ensuring effective civilian oversight and control over the LDF within the confines of the constitution and enabling legislation.
d) Take necessary measures to depoliticize the LDF.
e) Professionalize the LDF and optimize value added of the institution to the development of the country.
4.3.5 Justice and the Rule of Law
Lesotho’s justice system is in crisis. The judiciary is politicized. Politics is judicialized. The executive arm of the state exercises an overwhelming hegemony over the judiciary. A clear case in point is the appointment of the Chief Justice and the President of the Appeal Court by the Prime Minister. Due largely to low morale and politicization of the judiciary, there is currently a huge backlog of cases in courts and cases are set for hearing over three to four years ahead. Detainees spend four to six years awaiting trials in prisons. Torture of suspects and detainees is rife. Corruption is endemic.
Because of very poor law enforcement the country is now infested with murder of innocent citizens by gangsters (banna ba mmino, banna ba likobo kapa banna ba marashea), murder and rape of women and girls, including infants. Due, in part, to unemployment, a large number of young people, especially boys, are attracted to organized crime and gangsterism (manomoro). Some of them migrate to South Africa where they get involved in illegal mining (litotomeng) and related violence including proliferation of illegal small arms and ammunition.
The security establishment (police, intelligence, army and correctional services) is also politicized and infested by corruption. They have also experienced internal conflicts over the years, in part, due to meddling by politicians. The security establishment has to be depoliticized and professionalized.
Both the DCEO and the Ombudsman function at sub-optimal levels. Consequently, they are dysfunctional. They need to be strengthened. Their independence has to be guaranteed. The establishment of the Human Rights Commission has to be fast-tracked.
In order to promote justice and entrench a culture of rule of law, BAP shall:
a) Ensure that all Basotho have access to justice and are treated equally before the law.
b) Enhance effectiveness and efficiency of the justice system.
c) Develop mechanisms to ensure effective horizontal accountability between and among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary premised on the principle of checks and balances.
d) Take appropriate measures within the confines of the law to ensure that all forms of human rights violations are prevented and where they occur are met with the full wrath of the law.
e) Rid Lesotho of the rampant corruption in all spheres of society including the public and private sectors.
f) Make all efforts to ensure that the LMPS, the NSS and Correctional Service execute their rule of law mandates professionally and with integrity.
g) Take appropriate measures to depoliticize these security agencies.
h) BAP shall undertake a comprehensive review of all private security entities in the interest of national peace and social harmony.
4.3.6 Democracy and human rights
Democracy building and human rights promotion are the foundational stones for peace, stability and socio-economic development. Lesotho’s democracy is shaky. Human rights violations are rife. Persistent political instability is at the heart of Lesotho’s enfeebled democracy and human rights violations. Part of the explanation for incessant political instability in Lesotho relates to the country’s weak economy and a miniscule private sector. Given this situation, Lesotho’s elites look up to the state as an employer and a site for wealth accumulation, not as a platform for altruistic advancement of national purpose. The contestation over access to and control over the state becomes extremely fierce among the elites. This is more so during elections. History reminds us of the horrors of the 1970, 1998 and 2007 general elections that were all marred by political violence with serious implications for human rights. Elections are therefore considered by Lesotho elites as war by other means. The elites in control of the state levers will do all they can to keep those outside the state at bay. Those outside the state will do everything to occupy the state. On both sides, violence is a major instrument for the advancement of their cause. Democracy, therefore, becomes some sort of warfare over the control of the state largesse. In this warfare, human rights become a major victim, especially the rights of marginalized and vulnerable social groups.
In order to enhance the effectiveness of democracy and human rights promotion institutions, the BAP shall:
a) Eradicate the culture of violence besetting the country at the moment.
b) Support institutional strengthening, effectiveness and efficiency of existing democracy and human rights promotion institutions including IEC, Ombudsman, Auditor-General and DCEO.
c) Support establishment of other democracy and human rights promotion institutions such as the Human Rights Commission, the Gender Equality Commission, Youth Empowerment Commission, the Commission for persons with Disability, Cultural Equality Commission, etc.
d)
Ensure that all democracy and human rights promotion institutions are accountable directly to the national assembly through its relevant portfolio committees.
e) Promulgate legislation aimed at eradicating all forms of discrimination in both country’s laws and practice.
f) Encourage civil society activism and vibrancy as a bulwark against state excesses and abuse of power as well as corruption.
g) Ensure that Lesotho ratifies, domesticates and implement all key democracy and human rights instruments of the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
h) Put in place legislation ensuring that Members of Parliament do not become members of the Executive as ministers in order to enhance the principle of separation of powers.
i) Develop a leadership code of conduct for senior officials of all the three organs of the state aimed at ensuring ethical leadership, integrity and combatting corruption.
4.3.7 Youth Empowerment
The youth constitute one of the most important, yet still untapped, resources for the socio-cultural and politico-economic advancement of the country. Previous governments have failed dismally to tap the exuberance, vibrancy and energy of our young men and women. The youth constitute about 70% of Lesotho’s population of 2.2 million. They need to be empowered in all spheres of lives at all levels of society. Because of their marginalization and exclusion, the youth are disenchanted, disillusioned and demoralized. They have, therefore, opted to disengage. This is manifested by high levels of voter apathy during elections. The largest chunk of abstention during elections is attributable to youth apathy. Lesotho’s young men and women have to be empowered.
In order to advance the youth empowerment agenda, BAP shall:
a) Establish the Youth Empowerment Commission whose primary mandate is to provide youth with sustainable economic opportunities such as providing opportunities for trade skills and building entrepreneurial acumen. The corporation shall exist in such a way that it caters youth from across different social economic backgrounds such as graduates, those who dropped out, heard boys etc. The cooperation will therefore have the following key performance areas:
✓ Mobilization of resources for youth owned development business, corporations, and trade and professional skills development,
✓ Youth owned business incubation.
b) Implement sectoral skills development through introduction of ministerial and professional programmes for youth to work in. The primary objective of this initiative is to build huge pool of youth skills who have hands on experience, and this can be achieved though internships programs and learn on work skills for individuals that have trade skills. With each ministry been allocated responsibility of providing own sector focused training wastage expenditure could be minimized by enforcing youth development.
c) Introduce youth owned business quota in their procurement and outsourced services and ensure there is no fronting. Considering that vast majority of youth are already struggling with unemployment reserving quotas for will accelerate youth empowerment.
d) Establish youth development Fund which its primary purpose is to economically empower youth in a broad and sustainable manner.
e) Establish an autonomous Youth Development Corporation whose primary mandate is to provide youth with sustainable economic opportunities such as providing opportunities for trade skills and building entrepreneurial acumen. The corporation shall exist in such a way that it caters youth from across different social economic backgrounds such as graduates, those who dropped out, heard boys etc.
f) Promote internships in both the public and private sectors to facilitate the professional and entrepreneurial growth of the youth.
g) Establish quotas in procurement and outsourced services such as tenders as part of its overall strategy to address youth unemployment.
4.3.8 Workers, Trade Unions and Employers’ Organisations
Harmonious partnership between and among role players in society creates conditions for collaboration in development. This was recognized by the creation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1919 to protect and promote industrial peace and harmony among Workers, Employers and Governments globally. Lesotho has fallen behind in the promotion of dialogue among the social partners (Workers, Employers, Government). This has led to lack of respect and protection of workers’ rights enshrined in the ILO conventions, exploitation of workers by unscrupulous employers including the state itself. The sharing of accrued resources is skewed in favour of employers to the disadvantage of workers. Lesotho ranks poorly on international rankings in respect of the promotion of workers’ rights. Reliance on structures like Wages Advisory Board (WAB) that are not fit for purpose has led to unstable industrial relations in the workplace where natural conflicts invariably lead to avoidable and fierce industrial actions.
In order to encourage harmonious relationship between and among trade unions and employers, BAP shall:
a) Promote and protect the fundamental rights of workers individually and collectively through their trade unions.
b) Abolish the current Wage Advisory Board and replace it with Bargaining Councils in different sectors.
c) Make all efforts to promote and protect the rights and welfare of Basotho migrants in South Africa and the entire diaspora throughout Southern Africa, Africa and the world.
d) Promote and support independent workers and employers organisation as required by ILO conventions ratified by the Kingdom of Lesotho;
e) Recognise Trade Union organisations as democratic representatives of workers in both public and private sectors;
f) Capacitate trade union and employers organisation leadership to participate meaningfully in the social dialogue fora;
g) Recognise employers’ organisations as legitimate representatives of employers and hence shall endeavour to support such to be effective partners;
h) Ensure that there is a vibrant participation of social partners in the running of the economy;
i) Encourage, support and built strong social dialogue involving social partners in the running of public affairs;
j) Promote strong social dialogue between independent employers’ organisation and trade unions, and to that end create structures in collaboration with social partners to facilitate social dialogue.
4.3.9 Farmers’ associations
Given that agriculture is the mainstay of Lesotho’s economy, farmers’ associations are key to the country’s economic advancement. Lesotho’s politicians have not appreciated the strategic significance of these associations. Politicians tend to use these associations merely for partisan purposes of winning elections. In between elections, farmers are either neglected or totally forgotten. A clear example is the recent debacle where the Wool and Mohair farmers were hoodwinked into handing over their produce to a Chinese businessman for a song. BAP will enhance the institutional capacity of farmers’ associations, empower them and encourage agri-cooperatives.
In order to enhance the institutional capacity of farmers’ associations, BAP shall:
a) Promote and protect the fundamental rights of farmers individually and collectively in their organized formations.
b) Encourage and support cooperative farming as the age-old way of life for Basotho.
c) Avail resources to farmers in support of agricultural productivity towards ensuring food and nutrition security.
d) Address the peculiar challenges and circumstances of Wool and Mohair farmers.
4.3.10 Civil Society Organisations
Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in Lesotho. But their sustainability and viability as agents for change are challenged. CSOs’ major challenge is their overwhelming reliance on external resources. These resources, predominantly from the North, have dwindled since the recent past, due, in part, to the global financial and liquidity crises. Estimated at 22%, this decline is attributed to a recent sharp rise in credit risk. Consequently, there has been a substantial drop in CSO funding. In response, CSOs have been forced to scale down in both program and human resource capacities. Resorting to other more reliable and secure sources of funding (corporate or government) could be at great cost and risks. It could lead to risking independence and losing credibility which bring added compounding challenges of attacks relating to independence, legitimacy, accountability and transparency. This is despite the fact that they have historically played a crucial role in tackling these issues with many positive results. In a democratic space, CSOs play a crucial role in drawing the attention of society, the state and the corporate sector to the concerns of various interest groups as well as opening the political space for democracy to thrive.
In order to facilitate the growth, vibrancy and added value of the civil society organisations, BAP shall:
a) Promote an institutional mechanism to ensure regular consultation and dialogue with citizens spearheaded jointly by government and civil society in the promotion of effective, efficient, transparent, participatory, accountable, clean and people-centred governance.
b) Fine-tune the legal framework to create a conducive environment for CSO operations including attaining accountable and transparent civil society sector.
c) Create an enabling environment for the effective participation of civil society, including faith-based organisations, in the areas of development and governance throughout the country.
d) Ensure effective coordination of development assistance flows and prioritisation for its utilisation throughout the country in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
4.3.11 Research and Development (R&D)
One of the problems besetting governance in Lesotho is the formulation of policies without evidence-based and scientifically rigorous research. Policies are made based on whims and caprices of politicians devoid of relevance to the popular aspirations of the people. Such aspirations are supposed to be gathered through empirical research undertaken by the country’s research community. Part of the problem is that politicians do not trust academics and think tanks in Lesotho. Thus, explains in part the reluctance of the previous governments to invest resources in higher education. Most governments have tended to view academics as part of opposition. This mindset needs to change and BAP plans to do exactly that: transform the relationship between government and higher education institutions and think tanks for the advancement of R&D. In order to drive a knowledge and evidence-based policy-making, BAP shall:
a) Create a special fund for research for development promoting thematic research in both basic, applied and action research.
b) Embrace research and development (R&D) policy aimed at capacity development of academia and research institutions to scout and drive innovation in science and technology.
c) Promote and protect academic freedom and innovation.
d) Earmark adequate resources for higher education.
e) Support policy research institutions.
4.3.12 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
Women constitute more than 50 percent of Lesotho’s population of 2.2 million. Women are therefore a critical stakeholder for the socio-cultural and politico-economic advancement of the country. Moreover, literacy rate in Lesotho is higher among women than men. Be that as it may, women form part of the social groups that are marginalized and vulnerable in Lesotho. They are routinely subjected to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). An entrenched culture of patriarchy is responsible for this unpalatable state of affairs. Women and girls are raped, murdered and violated on a regular basis. This trend has worsened with the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by the SGBV pandemic as well. One important way of redressing SGBV and uprooting patriarchy is by adopting clear strategies aimed at gender equality. BAP will develop this strategy which will include, inter alia, women’s empowerment initiatives, affirmative action measures, ensuring equal representation of men and women in key decision-making structures, social empowerment of women, economic empowerment of women and political empowerment of women. In line with the aphorism ‘charity begins at home’, BAP has started empowering women within its own structures.
In order to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, BAP shall:
a) Establish the Gender Equality Commission whose main duty shall be to promote gender responsive policies, programs, projects, plans and laws.
b) Promote and protect the fundamental rights of women and girls with a view to eradicate patriarchy, gender-based discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence.
c) Ensure gender parity in all decision-making structures of the party and the statute.
d) Mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment in all its operations, policies, programmes and projects.
4.3.13 Corruption
Corruption is one of the major challenges afflicting Lesotho. It assumes many dimensions: (a) petty and (b) grand. Petty corruption is small-scale in magnitude. Grand corruption is large-scale. Through corruption, people enrich themselves at the expanse of the socio-economic advancement of Lesotho and ordinary Basotho. It manifests in both public and private sectors alike. Public sector corruption permeates almost all spheres of the state including the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, public service, the security establishment, local government, educational and health institutions. Public sector procurement is highly corruption-infested. This is facilitated by the corrupt awarding of tenders by government officials to their political allies and relatives. The private sector has also joined the corruption gravy train through tenders from government. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) has been politicized and thus unable to combat corruption effectively. With the onset of coalition governments, corruption has skyrocketed. This is not difficult to fathom. First, our experience with coalition governments is that we have as many governments as there are parties in coalition. These mini-governments are accountable to the party concerned. This breeds a culture of impunity that allows corruption to spiral out of control. This arrangement renders the Prime Minister a lame duck. Second, given the high mortality rate of coalition governments, the tendency is that public officers and leaders engage in rampant corruption as a survival strategy in case the government collapses. This behaviour accords with the Sesotho saying that roalla le sa sele molekane. Tsa tsela ha li tsejoe. In order to root out corruption, BAP shall:
a) Introduce a national moral renaissance initiative all the way from village, community, district and national levels to inculcate a culture of ethics in all spheres of life.
b) Introduce a leadership code for high-raking officers in the public service.
c) Introduce a regulation for declaration of assets by high-level officers and leaders.
d) Enhance the institutional effectiveness and independence of the DCEO.
e) Abolish tenders altogether.
5. Foreign Policy
Lesotho is part of the larger global community of nations. It interacts with other nations through foreign policy that shapes its international relations. During the Cold War and apartheid, Lesotho’s foreign policy was premised on strategic imperatives for sheer survival in a hostile regional and global environment. It was premised at maximizing aid, trade and investment across the ideological divide of the Cold War. The country was able mobilize external resources from both East and West of the Cold War iron curtain. However, the country’s foreign policy is in crisis of monumental proportions since the recent past. The international image of the country has plummeted to its lowest ebb ever.
The is no more consistency on key principles of the country’s foreign policy. A couple of years ago, a sitting minister for foreign affairs and international cooperation unilaterally altered Lesotho’s long-standing position in support of the struggles for self-determination against Morocco by the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara. This alteration was done without a collective decision by cabinet. Lesotho’s solidarity with the struggles of the Sahrawi people under the leadership of the POLISARIO Front is consistent with the principles stance of other inter-governmental organisations, to which it is a state party, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU). Undoubtedly, this incident severely compromised Lesotho’s hitherto good standing within these two multilateral institutions.
BAP shall ensure that Lesotho’s foreign policy promotes peace, security and stability consistent with the country’s motto: Khotso (peace), Pula (rain), Nala (prosperity). BAP shall strive to promote Lesotho’s international image. BAP shall enhance Lesotho’s international influence. As a first step, BAP shall develop a foreign policy strategy, depoliticize and professionalize the staff in foreign ministry and abroad. BAP will build career diplomacy and eradicate the current cancer of party-political diplomacy.
5.1 Lesotho and South Africa
Lesotho is one of small countries completely landlocked within another country. It is totally surrounded by South Africa. It is abnormal that Lesotho relates to South Africa pretty much like any other country. Given Lesotho’s unique position, special relations are supposed to be negotiated with South Africa. Lesotho’s relations with South Africa have to be re-defined, a task that was supposed to have accompanied South Africa’s transition from apartheid to constitutional democracy way back in the early 1990s. Due, in part, to lack of visionary and transformative leadership in Lesotho over the years, this task still remains. Lesotho-South relations are still molded along their colonial and apartheid parentage. The require fundamental transformation. With a view to redefine and transform Lesotho-South Africa relations, BAP shall:
a)
Utilize the existing platform presented by the Bi-National Commission (BNC) to negotiate a special Lesotho-South Africa relationship given Lesotho’s unique circumstance;
b)
Strengthen joint efforts of both countries to intensify the fight against cross-border crime including, drug and human trafficking, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, livestock theft, etc;
c) Facilitate free movement of persons on the common borders of both countries replacing the use passports with national identity cards in order to ease cross-border movement of persons;
d) In line with the provisions of the Constitution of Lesotho (as amended), put in place a legislative and regulatory framework for the facilitation of dual citizenship between Lesotho and South Africa;
e) Encourage a dynamic and continuous national dialogue on the borders between Lesotho and South Africa, including, if need be, a referendum on the future of borders between the two countries;
f) Revisit the terms of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project with a view to maximize benefits of the project to Lesotho especially ensuring that the project enhances lives and livelihoods of ordinary Basotho, particularly those directly affected;
g) Make concerted efforts to promote and protect the well-being of Basotho in South Africa including negotiating favourable terms of the Lesotho Special Permit (LSP).
h) Renegotiate the terms and conditions of the bilateral extradition treaty between Lesotho and South Africa, with a view to entrench a culture of rule of law and strengthen government’s responsibility to administer justice for all. A major key issue that requires dialogue between Lesotho and South Africa, through the BNC is the former’s access to the sea. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea now gives a landlocked country a right of access to and from the sea without taxation of traffic through transit states. The United Nations has a programme of action to assist landlocked developing countries.
Historically, being landlocked has been a disadvantageous position. It cuts the country off from sea resources such as fishing, but more importantly cuts off direct access to seaborne trade which makes up a large percentage of international trade.
Lack of territorial access to the sea, remoteness and isolation from world markets and high transit costs continue to impose serious constraints on the overall socio-economic development of landlocked developing countries. Their sea borne trade unavoidably depends on transit through other countries. Additional border crossings and long distance from the market substantially increase the total expenses for the transport services.
We plan to engage the government of the Republic of South Africa to give Lesotho Access to the Sea so that Lesotho can have her own Sea Port.
5.2 Lesotho and Southern Africa
Lesotho’s image in Southern Africa is considerably tarnished. Since 1994 to date, Lesotho has featured on the regular summits and special meetings of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) given the persistent violent conflicts that continue to beset our country. These conflicts prompted SADC in 1995 to designate three presidents namely Ketumile Masire (Botswana), Nelson Mandela (South Africa) and Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) as guarantors of governance, peace, security and stability in Lesotho. They were later (1997) joined by Joachim Chissano (Mozambique). More recently, SADC appointed the South African President, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa as its focal point on Lesotho. Noble as these SADC initiatives may appear at face-value, they have had adverse effects on Lesotho’s already whittled national sovereignty. SADC has invested a lot of effort and resources with the aim of stabilizing Lesotho and entrenching democratic governance through this period. These efforts have culminated in the currently on-going governance reforms which are being superintended by the National Reform Authority (NRA).
BAP will reposition Lesotho within SADC and to this end, it shall:
a) Build and strengthen national infrastructures for peace so that Lesotho has the requisite institutional capacity to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts at community, district and national levels, without resort to external interventions;
b) Establish a national peace commission involving all key stakeholders and with decentralized offices at district and community level;
c) Redefine Lesotho’s role within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), the Common Monetary Area (CMA and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in advancement of our national interest and not interests of the political elites who have often used these platforms for self-serving personal interests;
d) Ensure effective implementation of the governance reforms proposed by the NRA with a view to stabilize and democratize the country and remove it from the SADC agenda as a country of concern;
e) Facilitate Lesotho’s meaningful contribution to peace-making, peace-building and peacekeeping in the region through diplomacy, mediation and deployment of peacekeepers.
5.3 Lesotho and Africa
With fifty-five member states, the African Union (AU) is the epicenter of African diplomacy. Lesotho is one of these member states of the AU. So far, Lesotho has not played its diplomatic cards at the AU optimally in pursuit of its own national interest as a landlocked, developing country. It has not built strong alliances with other AU member states in more or less similar situation for purposes of diplomatic lobby for improvement of lives and livelihoods of their citizens.
The AU is the primary inter-governmental platform in pursuit of Pan-Africanism (African unity) and African Renaissance (African renewal). It drives continental unity and integration on the continent. It does this through Agenda 2063-The Africa We Want: Africa’s long-term development blueprint, which is implemented through ten (10)-year implementation plans in place for the period 2014-2023. Agenda 2063 is the AU’s long-term development blueprint of Africa. Through this blueprint, the AU’s vision is that of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena”. In order to enhance Lesotho’s effective participation in Pan-African diplomacy, the BAP shall:
a) Strengthen its diplomatic mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the political capital of Africa;
b) Explore and/or strengthen Lesotho’s diplomatic presence in all the five regions of the African continent (Central, East, North, Southern and West Africa), through either embassies or consulates;
c) Ratify, domesticate and implement all major AU normative instruments on governance, democracy, peace, security, development;
d) Maintain Lesotho’s hosting of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; and
e) Enhance government support to the role of our Head of State, His Majesty King Letsie III, as the AU Champion on Food and Nutrition. It is worth noting that the AU has declared 2022 as the Year of Nutrition under the overall stewardship of the AU Champion on Food and Nutrition.
5.4 Lesotho and the World
Lesotho is one of 192 member states of the United Nations (UN) with headquarters in New York, United States of America. Following the expiry of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UN adopted the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2015. This is the medium development programme to which all UN member states, including Lesotho, have committed themselves until the year 2030. Besides its membership of the UN, Lesotho is a member of the following international intergovernmental organisations the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, the Group of 77 and China, the Landlocked Developing Countries and the Least Developed Countries.
In order to reposition Lesotho globally, BAP shall:
a) Strengthen its diplomatic missions to the UN in New York, the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland;
b) Ratify, domesticate and implement at all key UN instruments on governance, democracy, peace, security and development;
c) Support and implement AU Common Positions on global issues under the coordination of various African Groups across the globe;
d) Improve government coordination/communication with the UN Country Team to enhance effectiveness of their programmes.
6. BAP’s inclusive and participatory approach-leaving no one behind
In order to ensure that implementation of its policies are inclusive and participatory, BAP shall:
a) Adopt a human rights-based and whole of society approach at whose centre lies the Basotho people, premised on the time-tested Sesotho saying that Motho ke Motho ka Batho (a person is a human being because of other human beings).
b) Pay particular attention to redressing the peculiar challenges facing the most vulnerable and marginalized social groups, including women, youth, children, people with disability, workers, peasants, the older persons, minorities, herd-boys etc.
7. The Future: from vision to action
Lesotho has experienced either stagnation or retrogression in terms of socio-economic and political trends since its independence in 1966. Despite being endowed with natural resources and skilled human resources, Lesotho is bedeviled by underdevelopment, poverty, inequality, unemployment, bad governance and persistent political instability. In an effort to redress these problems, in 2000, the country developed Vision 2020.
Lesotho Vision 2020 projected the country’s future through four scenarios: Scenario 1: Melupe (representing political stability, effective public sector management and favourable trends in investment); Scenario 2: Khomo ha li kae batho re bangata (representing political stability, effective public sector management and declining investment); Scenario 3: Metse e metle liotloana (representing political stability, favourable trends in investment and weak public sector management); and Scenario 4: Lesupi (representing political instability, weak public sector management and declining investment).
Unfortunately, by the year 2020, the worst-case scenario of Lesupi was the order of the day in Lesotho and prevailed to the end of the Vision period. This scenario still persists today and has been worsened by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this backdrop, the vision of BAP is to transform Lesotho in a way that improves the daily lives and livelihoods of Basotho, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable social groups in society. Such transformation will aim towards realizing the best-case and preferred scenario of Melupe above. The BAP cherishes the ideal of a prosperous, peaceful and stable Lesotho superintended by a capable, democratic and developmental state caring for its citizens.
8. BAP’s Clarion Call
Towards realizing its vision, mission and programme based on its values and principles of social democracy, BAP makes a clarion call to all Basotho both individually and collectively in their various formations to embrace the quest for a new Lesotho We Want. All are invited to join the march to the new dawn for the sustainable transformation of our country and a better life for all Basotho. In particular, BAP calls on all social groups to be part of this journey, including women and girls; Youth/students/herders; workers in Lesotho and elsewhere; peasants and farmers, teachers, the elderly persons, faith-based organizations, doctors, nurses, traditional leaders, academics, other professionals (e.g., Engineers, architects, accountants etc.), business people, informal traders, taxi operators, persons living with disability and Basotho in the diaspora.
The policy document must evolve as a PEOPLE’s MANIFESTO for a better future. To this end, the ultimate goal is to achieve the Lesotho We Want: a prosperous and cohesive Lesotho at peace with itself and its neighbours. It is on the basis of this comprehensive programme that BAP will develop the PEOPLE’s MANIFESTO which will represent a social contract with the people following the upcoming elections. When BAP wins elections, its government will be guided by this Programme and the Manifesto.