Weekly Observer

31/03/2026

LCA Moves to Protect Minors from Airtime Debt

The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA), in collaboration with mobile network operators, has introduced a new consumer protection measure prohibiting minors from accessing airtime and bundle advance services.

The directive, which comes into effect on April 1, 2026, bars individuals under the age of 18 from borrowing airtime or data bundles—marking a significant step in aligning telecommunications services with child protection and financial wellness principles.

In its capacity as the statutory regulator of the telecommunications sector, the LCA is mandated to establish regulatory frameworks, approve products and services offered by licensed operators, and revise conditions governing those services. This latest intervention reflects a growing recognition that digital financial tools must be responsibly managed, particularly when accessed by vulnerable groups such as children.

Working alongside operators including Econet Telecom Lesotho and Vodacom Lesotho, the Authority has ensured that minors will no longer be eligible for airtime advances. While those who had already accessed such services prior to the implementation date will still be required to settle their outstanding balances, they will not be able to access any new advances thereafter...

Maseru- The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA), in collaboration with mobile network operators, has introduced a new consumer protection measure prohibiting minors from accessing

25/02/2026

Call for Census Enumerators Now Open!

25/02/2026

Lesotho le ntša ntlha kemo mabapi le maro a belaelloang a fumanoe ho liphahlo tsa bohloeki (sanitary towels)

Lesotho Medines Regulatory Authority (LeMeRA) e tlaleha ha ese e qalile ho etsa lipatlisiso mabapi le liphetho tsa liphuputso tse entsoeng ke University of Free State.

Sechaba se eletsoa hose etse liqeto tse potlakileng pele lipatlisiso li phethoa. Tlhahiso leseling e fumanoeng e tla phatlalatsoa ha tlhahlobo e felile.

08/01/2026

The Millennium Challenge Account–Lesotho II (MCA-Lesotho II) has confirmed the termination of the Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact, following a 90-day U.S. foreign assistance review prompted by an executive order from President Donald Trump in January 2025.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) officially notified the Government of Lesotho on November 19, 2025, initiating a 30-day notice period, followed by a 120-day wind-down process.

While acknowledging the challenges this may pose, MCA-Lesotho II expresses gratitude to the Government of Lesotho, MCC, and other partners for their support. The Government of Lesotho has committed to continue key programme components, with preparations already at an advanced stage.

Stakeholders and the Basotho public are urged to stay united, and regular updates will be provided throughout the transition.

15/12/2025

Lesotho Launches BIOFIN to Strengthen Biodiversity Financing and Sustainable Development

Maseru, December 15, 2025 — The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has officially launched the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) in Lesotho, marking a significant step toward strengthening the country’s approach to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

BIOFIN is a global programme designed to assist countries in identifying, mobilising and sustainably managing financial resources needed to protect biodiversity and enhance ecosystem resilience. In Lesotho, the initiative will play a critical role in supporting the implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan III (NBSAP III) by helping to address the country’s biodiversity financing gap.

The launch event outlined the objectives, key activities and expected outcomes of the BIOFIN Lesotho Project (2024–2028). These include conducting policy and institutional assessments, biodiversity expenditure reviews and financial needs analyses, as well as developing a National Biodiversity Finance Plan. The initiative is also expected to strengthen national capacity to integrate biodiversity priorities into planning and budgeting processes across key sectors.

Officially opening the event, the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Honourable Letsema Adontši, described the launch as a major milestone in Lesotho’s efforts to secure sustainable financing for biodiversity conservation. He emphasised the importance of positioning biodiversity as a central pillar of national development.

In his remarks, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Mr Taye Amsalu, underscored the close link between biodiversity, sustainable development and the well-being of the Basotho people. He noted that livelihoods, development pathways and resilience to climate-related shocks are all closely tie

12/12/2025

Young Basotho Professionals Forum Officially Launched 🇱🇸
Today marked a powerful moment as the Young Basotho Professionals Forum (YBPF) was launched—reviving a 20-year movement dedicated to grooming productive, conscious, and community-centred citizens.
Speaking at the event, President Lesolle Phalatsi emphasised that the mission is simple: bring the country back to its people. He called on every Mosotho with knowledge, skills, and capacity to join in mentoring the youth and building strong human capital.
Discussions also explored how Lesotho can benefit from the 2025 FOCAC Summit, especially with China’s 0% tariffs for African exports. Key ideas included:
🔹 shifting Basotho mindsets toward manufacturing
🔹 reforming education to meet economic needs
🔹 creating real economic space for young people
🔹 embracing technology and innovation for job creation
A renewed call to action: Every generation must address its challenges—or risk losing its potential.

12/12/2025

12/12/2025

Lesotho Validates National Guidelines to Standardise and Expand Legal Aid Services

The Ministry of Law and Justice Lesotho has today validated the Guidelines for Legal Aid Clinics, a major national effort aimed at ensuring equal, affordable and standardised access to justice for indigent, vulnerable and marginalised Basotho. The new guidelines establish a uniform framework for all legal aid clinics in the country and will support the operation of newly decentralised clinics in Leribe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka and Qacha’s Nek.

These reforms come as Lesotho strengthens its commitment to constitutional rights, particularly the right to a fair trial as provided for in sections 12, 18 and 19 of the Constitution.

A key development under this initiative is the opening of new facilities in the highlands. On 16 December 2025, the Ministry will officially launch the Mokhotlong Legal Aid Clinic together with the Children’s Court, an achievement made possible with support from the European Union Delegation to Lesotho. This expansion follows the recent decentralisation of Legal Aid services, which previously operated only from Maseru but now include four additional district offices.

According to the Principal Secretary, Mr Lira Ralebese, all four new offices—Leribe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka and Qacha’s Nek—are already functioning and providing legal services. He noted that although the process was demanding, it represents a significant milestone in fulfilling Lesotho’s international obligations to make access to justice meaningful and universal. The first official launch of these decentralised offices will take place in Thaba-Tseka on 27 November 2025.

The Guidelines for Legal Aid Clinics have been developed in response to findings from a recent nationwide mapping exercise, which identified 56 legal aid service providers operating under different systems and approaches. This inconsistency has resulted in unequal service delivery. To address these disparities, the Legal Aid Unit in the Ministry of Law and Justice, with European Union in Lesotho's support, developed the new guidelines to standardise and harmonise legal aid services across the country. These guidelines introduce regulation, quality control, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that legal aid providers offer services that are affordable, accessible, compassionate and professional.

The guidelines apply to all legal aid clinics, whether operated by government or civil society organisations. Relebohile Thuhlo of Women and Law in Southern Africa explained that the guidelines will be used across all legal aid providers and emphasised the importance of consistent monitoring and evaluation to ensure compliance.

The clinics will offer a wide range of services, including legal advice in civil, criminal, family and administrative matters; free or affordable legal assistance for individuals who cannot afford private lawyers; legal literacy programs to improve knowledge of rights and procedures; community outreach to raise legal awareness; and the promotion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and conciliation.

The Office of Legal Aid, established in 1978, has historically provided legal representation, mediation, legal advice, and assistance with contracts and deed transfers to indigent Basotho. The validation of the new guidelines marks a strengthened and modernised approach to this long-standing mandate.
By standardising service delivery and extending legal aid to remote districts, the Ministry reinforces its commitment to ensuring that every Mosotho has meaningful access to justice and to building a fairer and more equitable society for all.
https://weeklyobserver.online/2025/12/12/lesotho-validates-national-guidelines-to-standardise-and-expand-legal-aid-services/

12/12/2025

📢 The Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture launched a new campaign to regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol in Lesotho

Key issues highlighted in the campaign include:

✅ It is illegal to sell alcohol to a drunk person.
✅ Alcohol must be consumed where it is sold — no drinking beyond the point of sale.
✅ Off-sales outlets are not licensed for on-site drinking.
✅ Opening a bar at home or setting up informal spaces to drink in communities is illegal.
✅ Only licensed establishments are allowed to sell and serve alcohol.
✅ Cleanliness of the environment is expected — littering or dumping alcohol bottles is not permitted.
✅ Bribing police officers is a criminal offense.
✅ There’s a need to review operating hours of alcohol-selling outlets, as people start drinking too early in the morning.

Watch the video below for more information:

10/12/2025

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development is encouraging Basotho to form cooperatives as a path to economic empowerment. "With the right governance, education, and support systems in place, cooperatives help money circulate within communities — strengthening every member"

10/12/2025

Ministry of Trade Encourages Basotho to Form Cooperatives

The Department of Cooperations under the Ministry of trade and Business Industry urges Basotho to embrace the cooperative model as a pathway to job creation , economic empowerment, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth.

This was said in a three-day media workshop in Molengoane, Maseru, aimed at strengthening understanding of the cooperative movement and enhancing accurate reporting in the sector.
The workshop highlighted the significant role cooperatives play in advancing the National Strategic Development Goals and underscored the importance of the media in shaping public awareness through timely and impactful information in forming cooperatives.

Cooperatives in Lesotho operate in two main categories—financial and non-financial—but share a common foundation: collective action.

A cooperative is defined as a group of individuals voluntarily working together towards a shared economic or social goal.
Members are free to join and exit as they wish, and all enjoy equal voting rights under the “one member, one vote” principle, which prevents dominance by any individual and ensures balanced decision-making.

Speaking at the workshop, Mrs. ‘Mabosiu Seloanyane emphasised cooperatives as a key economic driver in Lesotho. She described them as practical tools for poverty reduction and catalysts for broad-based economic growth.
Seloanyane said that when people pull resources, skills, and efforts, they create sustainable institutions that benefit both individuals and communities.

Echoing this, Mrs. ‘Maboitumelo Lethunya explained that cooperatives can be formed in almost any sector, provided there is a business element involved.
She noted that the Cooperative Act of 2000 requires a minimum of ten members to register a cooperative.

Individuals may join as aspiring entrepreneurs or as existing business owners seeking to expand through collective effort. Saying “When money circulates within members of a cooperative, each member grows,”.
Lethunya also outlined the governance and support systems that regulate cooperatives in Lesotho. These include annual inspections, audits, free educational programmes, and access to expertise in relevant fields. Extension cooperative officers are deployed in every district to provide continuous support, while a conflict resolution commission handles internal disputes.

Despite these structures, Lethunya acknowledged that cooperatives continue to face challenges such as governance lapses, poor management practices, non-compliance with regulations, and limited access to markets.
Additionally, some members fail to exercise their rights and responsibilities, weakening the effectiveness of their cooperatives.

The ministry’s ongoing efforts reflect its commitment to transparency, economic empowerment, and sustainable development—recognising cooperatives as a vital engine for inclusive economic growth in Lesotho. https://weeklyobserver.online/2025/12/10/ministry-of-trade-encourages-basotho-to-form-cooperatives/
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development

03/12/2025

Lesotho Moves Forward with Integrated National Financing Strategy

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is partnering with the Government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, to advance the development of the country’s Integrated National Financing Strategy (INFS).

As part of this effort, a stakeholder workshop was recently convened, bringing together government representatives, development partners, and private-sector actors. The workshop created a collaborative space to reflect on Lesotho’s financing priorities, examine how current resources can be utilised more effectively, and identify innovative financing opportunities that can drive sustainable development.

This joint initiative represents a key step in strengthening Lesotho’s national financing architecture and accelerating progress towards long-term development goals.