LESOTHO SUMMARY Organisation Website Request for information Total score 1. Land Administration Authority 18 2 20 2. Lesotho Electricity Company 13 4 17 3. Lesotho Highlands Development Authority 18 2 20 4. Lesotho Revenue Authority 18 4 22 5. Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology 4 13 17 6. Ministry of Health 7 5 12 7. National Manpower Development Secretariat 6 4 10 8. National University of Lesotho 16 8 24 9. Office of the Prime Minister 11 9 19 16 6 22 10. Water and Sewage Company RESEARCH CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS This year’s edition of the MISA Transparency Assessment was done against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the already unfavourable situation regarding access to information in Lesotho worsened. y Public and government organisations need to accept that information in their custody does not belong to them, and realise that they are merely custodians of this information on behalf of the public whom they serve. Organisations need to improve their information sharing efforts in order to ensure that anyone seeking information receives it. y It is further recommended that organisations frequently update their websites with accurate and relevant information. It seems as though many government ministries have taken advantage of the situation and several responses to requests for information were declined. There is therefore a need for legal framework to enforce access and receipt of public information, which will hopefully come to pass during the multi-stakeholder national reforms programme. THE MOST SECRETIVE PUBLIC ORGANISATION IN LESOTHO THE MOST OPEN PUBLIC ORGANISATION IN LESOTHO Although it recorded similar scores to the Ministry of Health, the National Manpower Development Secretariat is the most secretive organisation, because its website contains no information about the organisation. Regarding the request for information, the secretariat confirmed receipt of the request, but there was no further communication. No information was received from them. The website of the National University of Lesotho contains relevant up-to-date information as well as interactive features. Although they did not supply the information requested, they were very prompt in responding to the information request. The reason given for non-supply of information was the officer was alone in the office and was overloaded with work. Therefore, the 2020 Golden Padlock Award goes to the National Manpower Development Secretariat. Therefore the 2020 Golden Key Award for goes to the National University of Lesotho. RETURN TO CONTENTS PAGE 60