On 13 August, Lesotho’s government gazetted the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution Act, the first of three sets of anticipated reforms intended to address the constitutional causes of the country’s chronic political instability. Among other things, the Tenth Amendment establishes parliamentary oversight powers over government expenditure, provides for a parliamentary service, strengthens the independence of the Human Rights Commission and entrenches within the constitution a new anti-corruption commission. Further, it creates a Media Council to regulate the media industry and a Media Ombudsman to settle disputes within the sector, as well as providing for affirmative action in favour of historically marginalised groups, including women and people with disabilities. The approach taken by the current government to constitutional reform (the process began in 2012), however, has been criticised for being piecemeal, top-down and excluding stakeholders. 

Sources: Tenth Amendment to the Constitution Act, 2025, Democracy in Africa, News 24, International IDEA    

Between August and September, soldiers from the Lesotho Defence Forces (LDF) allegedly killed at least two civilians and tortured at least five others, as part of an ongoing operation to confiscate firearms from criminal gangs. ‘Operation Hard Fist’ was launched earlier in 2024 in response to an increase in gun-related violence in Lesotho, but it has been marred by reports of human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture and killings. The incidents follow a speech made by Prime Minister Sam Matekane in early August, in which he urged the deputy army commander to ‘do everything in your power to ensure that peace returns to Lesotho’ – although he subsequently clarified that it was not a call for the army to torture and kill civilians. Opposition parties and civil society organisations have condemned the deployment of the LDF, saying it threatened civil liberties.   

Sources: Lesotho Times (1), Amnesty International, News 24, Lesotho Times (2)

Ombudswoman Tlotliso Polaki published a report on 19 March that detailed the findings of an investigation into allegations that prisoners were abused at the Maseru Correctional Centre Institution in December 2023. The Ombudswoman’s investigation found that prison staff, and notably trainees of the Lesotho Correctional Service, intentionally provoked a confrontation with inmates. On 21 December six inmates at the facility escaped. The following day, prison officials arranged a search of the facility. The Ombudswoman found that the search was intentionally aggressive in order to provoke fights with inmates, and that 300 of the 650 inmates were beaten. The Ombudsman’s report further identified an orchestrated effort to conceal the abuse and a denial of medical care to those who had been injured. 

Sources: Ombudsman of Lesotho, African Legal Information Institute, Lesotho News Agency, News24 

On 16 October, the heads of three of Lesotho’s security agencies issued a public statement warning the political opposition not to carry out a planned parliamentary vote of no-confidence against the country’s Prime Minister, Sam Matekane. In oblique language, they stated that they would not allow Matekane’s government to be removed from office in this way, raising fears the military has returned to Lesotho’s politics (the country has a history of coups d’état). The Transformation Resource Centre, a civil society organisation, said it was ‘concerned at the intrusion of security institutions in the legitimate political process and governance.’ Opposition parties warned of a coup threat and claimed that politicians linked to the vote of confidence were being harassed by the security agencies. On 31 October, Prime Minster Matekane secured the support of a new coalition partner which gave him a parliamentary majority and thereby diminished the prospect of a no-confidence vote.     

Sources: News 24 (1), Lesotho Times, Daily Maverick, Transformation Resource Centre, News 24 (2)