Monarchy
Lesotho is a sovereign democratic kingdom with the King as a constitutional monarch and Head of State. On succeeding to the throne, the King takes the Oath of Office of King in which he swears to obey and observe the provisions of the Constitution and all other laws of Lesotho. The King also swears to discharge his duties in a manner that will preserve the monarchy as a symbol of the unity of the Basotho Nation and to abstain from involving the monarchy in politics. Apart from ceremonial duties, His Majesty the King plays an integral part of Parliament. The King summons Parliament to officiate the State opening; he delivers the ‘Speech from the throne’ outlining government policies and legislative programmes; the King prorogues and dissolves Parliament on the advice of the Prime Minister; and the King gives the Royal Assent to Bills passed by the two Houses of Parliament.
In January 2014, His Majesty King Letsie III was appointed by the Assembly of African Heads of State to be the African Nutrition Champion for a two year period. The term of His Majesty with the African Union was extended in 2016 to 2019. In addition, His Majesty was appointed in December 2016 to be the Special Ambassador for Nutrition of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. In August 2018, His Majesty was appointed by the World Bank to be a Champion for the Human Capital Project of the Bank.
Arms of Government
Governmental power is exercised by three branches, namely: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The Executive Branch is led by the Prime Minister. The Legislative Branch consists of the two Houses of Parliament. The Judicial Branch consists of the Court of Appeal (apex court), High Court, Magistrate court and other subordinate courts. The High Court is the highest judicial court in Lesotho. The Court of Appeal reviews cases heard in the High Court, but only those related to the Constitution.
Parliament
The Parliament of Lesotho consists of the King, the Senate and the National Assembly. The Senate of Lesotho is the upper Chamber of the Parliament of Lesotho, it consists of twenty-two Principal Chiefs whose membership is hereditary and eleven other Senators nominated by the King acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State.
The National Assembly is the lower Chamber of the Parliament of Lesotho; it consists of 120 members who are elected in terms of a mixed member proportional electoral system with 80 Constituency seats and 40 Proportional Representation seats. It is the main legislative body. It enacts laws for the good governance and administration of the country and scrutinizes the political executive on the management and administration of the affairs of the land. The term of parliament is five years.
The Prime Minister, who is the Executive Authority, leads the Government. There are two sphere of government: central and local. Local government is predominantly two-tier, but the capital Maseru has its own unique single-tier authority, the Maseru City Council. Currently the law does not provide for councils to collect and spend their own revenue; therefore the vast majority of their annual income comes through central government transfers. Amongst an extensive list of functions, local authorities are responsible for the control of natural resources and environmental protection, public health and water supply, education, agricultural services and the promotion of economic development.
Current administration
Lesotho’s 7th Prime Minister is the Right Honourable Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane. The Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho is Justice Nthomeng Majara. There are 20 Cabinet Ministers in total. Right Honourable Matekane is the leader of the Revolution For Prosperity (RFP) who made history with his party which was formed only six months ahead of the legislative 2022 election and won 56 out of 120 parliamentary seats. The win fell short of a majority win by five seats. These results led to the coalition agreement that established the current government. The coalition parties that make up the 7th administration compromises of the RFP, MEC, AD, BAP and supporting alliances being the LCD, HOPE and LPC parties, respectively.
Politics
Lesotho has 59 registered political parties; 17 of them are represented in the 120-member parliament. Political developments in Lesotho since independence have been a major source of instability with negative consequences on economic and human development. The country endured a number of years of undemocratic rule from 1970 to 1986 and military rule from 1986 to 1993and coalition rule that began in 2012 until present.
Economy of Lesotho
Lesotho (capital city Maseru) has a population of about 2.3 million and a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $969.9 in 2022. Lesotho is classified as a lower middle-income country. The economy expanded by 1.1% in 2022, mainly driven by the public and construction sector. Lesotho’s risk of external and overall debt distress remains moderate. The Maloti, Lesotho currency, is pegged at par with the South African rand. Lesotho’s economy has undergone some structural transformation since the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2022, manufacturing grew from 13.2% of GDP to about 22%, and the service sector’s share expanded from 40.3% to about 60%. At the same time, agriculture’s share of GDP plummeted, from 20% to 5.12%. Main export products of Lesotho are manufactured goods (garments, electronics, and footwear), crude materials (diamonds, wool and mohair) and water.
Foreign relations of Lesotho
Lesotho's geographic location makes it extremely vulnerable to political and economic developments in South Africa. It is a member of many regional economic organizations, including the African Union, Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). It is also active in the United Nations (UN), the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth, and many other international organizations. The UN is represented by a resident mission as well, including UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, FAO, WFP, and UNAIDS. Maseru, the capital city, hosts six diplomatic missions. A plethora of other embassies are on a non-resident basis, in Pretoria-South Africa.
Lesotho has received economic aid from a variety of sources, including but not limited to, the People’s Republic of China, the United States, South Africa, the World Bank, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Germany.
Coat of arms
The Lesotho coat of arms was adopted on the 4th October 2006 as a way to mark the 40th Independence of the country. The emblem includes a crocodile, shield, spear and knobkerrie, two supporters, a mountain and a motto. Meaning of each item:
Crocodile: Basotho have different animal clan to which they identify with. In the case of King Moshoeshoe I, he was a Mokoena (Koena means crocodile in the native language). It is for this reason why the crocodile is included in the national emblem because it is the clan totem of the Royal Family and represents Lesotho’s largest clan, the BaKoena.
Shield, spear and knobkerrie: The crocodile is placed on a shield. This signifies the willingness to protect the nation
Mountain: The shield is placed on the mountain. This mountain resembles Thaba-Bosiu, the fortress where the Basotho nation was founded in 1824
Supporters: The supporters are two horses. Horses are used mainly as a mode of transport over the rugged topography of Lesotho. In the days of King Moshoeshoe I, horses were critical to military defence and internal economics. Other historians state that the horses were a symbol of wealth and contentment in Basotho culture
Motto: The motto is Khotso (Peace), Pula (Rain), Nala (Prosperity) which introduces Lesotho as a country of peace and green spaces. The Basotho nation was founded during great wars and conflicts. For the nation to prosper, peace was essential. It is the belief of Basotho that if peace reigns, then it will rain. Good rains mean a good harvest as well as abundant grass in the pastures, ensuring that people and animals will be fed and enjoy prosperity. This motto is also used as an aspiration which the Basotho nation constantly wishes for Lesotho; hence it is often mentioned as a concluding remark in keynote speeches.
*The information comes from the official websites of Lesotho and international organizations, as well as local media in Lesotho.