SECTOR 1 1.3 There are no laws or parts of laws restricting freedom of expression such as excessive official secrets or libel acts, or laws that unreasonably interfere with the responsibilities of media. There are several laws that restrict freedom of expression and media freedom. Amongst these are the 1967 Official Secrets Act and the 2005 Public Service Act which prohibit civil servants from disclosing information. Two thirds of the stories in the media contain information sourced from civil servants that provides the perception that there is freedom of expression but the danger is there are several outdated pieces of legislation that are still on the statute books and can easily be pulled out to admonish or punish the media. The threat is always hanging over the media. The Sedition Proclamation (No. 44 of 1938) and the Internal Security (General) Act of 1984 prohibit criticism of the government, provide penalties for seditious libel, and endanger reporters’ ability to protect the confidentiality of their sources. The Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act of 1994 provides for powers, privileges and immunities of each of the Houses of Parliament and for related matters including printing and publication of proceedings. “If the police believe there are any documents that could be of interest to them in a case they want to look into, they can raid the offices of that media house or organisation.” In June 2012, the Lesotho Times did a one on one interview with the current Prime Minister when he expressed his desire to stay in his current home while renovations were being carried out at State House. The interview was carried out at his personal residence which the writer described in detail. Describing the furniture and decor in his bedroom was intended to get readers to understand how simple his surroundings were which in turn would reveal the nature of the Prime Minister. The reporter was summoned by the police and questioned extensively - by 12 different officers - on this story, on the basis that it compromised the security of the Prime Minister. The reporter was eventually released after a day. Two days later the reporter was picked up and taken by the Special Operations Unit for further questioning and released without being charged. She eventually lost her job. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2012 17