SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 1.5 (2010 = 1.2; 2008 = 1.0; 2006 = 1.6) 1.8 Public information is easily accessible, guaranteed by law, to all citizens. Information held by the State that should be available to the public is not always easily accessible. Reading through various newspaper articles it is noticeable that journalists have been able to access documents which are considered to be extremely confidential. While it may appear that it is easy to access public information, it is the writer’s sources who have managed to access confidential documents. Interestingly, there has not been any retribution from the State against media who publish this confidential information. When the government signs agreements, it does not inform the public even though this information is of national importance. An agreement was signed between the Lesotho and South African government over the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which channels Lesotho’s abundant water to South Africa but it was never made public. In fact the State denied that an agreement had been signed, yet it was signed on August 11, 2011. It was reiterated that the Law Reform Commission tried to push for the adoption of the Freedom of Information Act which would allow for certain state institutions to be targeted for retrieval of information. This Act was never adopted. What the media have managed to access easily are divorce proceedings of high profile personalities. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2012 21