On 13 May 2020, Lesotho became the last country in Africa to report its first case of COVID-19 – weeks after declaring a state of national emergency, closing its borders with South Africa and its schools, and going into the first of several lockdowns. …

Studies on the role of traditional leaders in post-independence African societies show that they have remained relevant in most countries across the continent. Rather than wither in the face of Africa’s progression toward democracy, traditional leaders …

Lesotho’s public school teachers were on intermittent strike for most of the 2019 academic year, working just one week per month. With the economy in the doldrums, teachers pursued their protest action against the government, pressing for better salari …

Transparent, free, and fair elections are a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. But can there be too much of a good thing? Lesotho has had three general elections in the past six years (in 2012, 2015, and 2017). Each failed to produce an outright w …

In a democracy, citizens delegate powers to individuals and political parties charged with building and maintaining institutions that will ensure the people’s well-being. In this arrangement, trust is one of the most important ingredients in the legiti …

The principle of accountability, described as early as the 19th century by Alexis de Tocqueville, is central to the functioning of democratic rule. Citizens bestow legitimacy upon representatives to govern on their behalf through the process by which r …

Lesotho’s Constitution prohibits Lesotho citizens from holding the citizenship of any other country. Basotho who want to become citizens of another country must renounce their Lesotho citizenship, giving up certain rights and benefits to which Lesotho …

“Basotho perceive an increased level of corruption in the past year, with the highest levels of perceived corruption among the police and business executives, according to Afrobarometer’s most recent survey. Survey results show that citizens are divide …

Since its transition to electoral democracy in 1993, Lesotho has experienced a series of upheavals related to the electoral process. Election results were vehemently contested in 1998, when the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) won all but on …

Basotho women still find it hard to attain leadership positions due to discriminatory cultural practices and laws. Support for women’s political leadership declined from 2012 to 2014, and even though two thirds of women say that women should have the s …