State in Lesotho

The Constitution of Lesotho was adopted in 1993 and has been amended. It protects rights including freedom of expression, access to information, assembly, association, correspondence and fair-trial protections, subject to lawful and necessary limits. Public and legal institutions use Sesotho and English. Lesotho has three constitutional arms: the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. Parliament is bicameral. The National Assembly has 120 elected members, including 80 constituency seats and 40 proportional-representation seats, and normally serves a five-year term. The Senate has 33 members: 22 Principal Chiefs serving ex officio and 11 members nominated by the King. Parliament makes laws, examines executive action, approves appropriations, considers petitions and uses committees for scrutiny. Its Clerk offices support administration, Hansard, committees, research, procurement and public relations. The Prime Minister heads the Government and Cabinet. Cabinet is collectively accountable to both Houses. Ministries and Principal Secretaries administer public portfolios such as Finance and Development Planning, Local Government and Chieftainship, Law and Justice, Public Service, Home Affairs and Police, Defence and National Security, and Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation. The Public Service Commission is the constitutional personnel body, while the Public Service Act provides the framework for a disciplined, impartial public service under ministerial direction and Principal Secretaries. Lesotho is divided into 10 administrative districts, whose headquarters provide major public-service access. District Administrators work with District Council structures. Below district level, the legal categories include Community Councils, District Councils, Urban Councils, Municipal Councils and, where gazetted, City Councils. Principal Chiefs and chieftainship remain formal local governance interfaces. Decentralisation is a legal and policy pathway, but implementation and fiscal transfers are uneven. Council numbers can differ between official publications, so a current Gazette is needed for a precise count. Access to public services depends on the service, residence or citizenship status, document type, local jurisdiction, case status and statutory requirements. Government service information covers birth and death registration, identity documents, passports, procurement, statistics and public information. The Ministry of Home Affairs manages the National Identity and Civil Registry, migration, passports and immigration, and livestock registers. Services may be available through central ministries, district offices, councils or e-services. Fees and processing times are service-specific and should be checked in the responsible agency's current notice or service charter. Complaints may go to the responsible agency, the Government contact centre or the Ombudsman. The Judiciary is independent and operates under the Constitution and legislation. Its structure includes apex appellate jurisdiction, the High Court, subordinate or Magistrate Courts, Courts-martial and specialist tribunals. Official materials use both Court of Appeal and Supreme Court terminology; the latest consolidated constitutional and Gazette text controls when the distinction matters. The Attorney-General advises the Government, the Director of Public Prosecutions handles criminal prosecution, and the Justice portfolio includes Legal Aid and Probation services. Public money is managed through the Consolidated Fund, and Parliament authorises expenditure through an Appropriation Act. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for macro-fiscal policy, revenue, planning, the budget, Treasury, debt and aid, internal audit and procurement policy. Lesotho's financial year runs from April to March. The budget process includes an annual budget and a three-year medium-term perspective, followed by implementation, monitoring and evaluation, audit and parliamentary oversight. Revenue comes from domestic taxes, non-tax revenue, Southern African Customs Union receipts, grants and borrowing. The Procurement Act covers central ministries and agencies, diplomatic missions and local authorities, with competition, integrity, transparency and value for money as core principles. Budget books, execution bulletins, a budget portal and a citizen guide provide public information where published. Oversight is shared among parliamentary portfolio, sessional, select and ad hoc committees, including the Public Accounts Committee. Committee meetings are generally public but may be closed by committee decision. The Auditor-General is the constitutional supreme audit institution and audits central government, local authorities, the Judiciary, commissions, Parliament and publicly funded bodies. Audits may examine finances, regularity and compliance, performance, environmental matters or suspected wrongdoing. The Ombudsman independently investigates maladministration and complaints involving human rights or the environment and recommends remedial action. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences investigates corruption and economic offences, supports prevention and public education, and may pursue prosecution under the law. Human-rights functions are also documented within the Justice portfolio. The Government communicates through official portals, press releases, radio, television, social media, public hearings and parliamentary participation. The Lesotho National Broadcasting Service, Lesotho News Agency and Lesotho Post are among the public communication structures. Practical access varies with connectivity, locality and institutional response. The reviewed framework does not establish one universal information-request fee or processing deadline for every public body. Security functions remain subject to civilian control, legality, accountability and transparency. The Ministry of Defence and National Security sets defence and security policy. The Lesotho Defence Force protects territorial integrity and sovereignty and may support constitutional-order, terrorism, internal-disorder and essential-service responses under lawful authority. The Lesotho Mounted Police Service protects life and property, maintains peace, prevents and detects crime, apprehends offenders and supports justice. The National Security Service provides intelligence under its statutory framework. The Lesotho Correctional Service manages secure and humane custody, rehabilitation and reintegration. The national emergency line is 112. Military and police functions are distinct, and security powers do not create a general substitution of one service for the other.