A OVERVIEW t the top of the agenda on Kingdom Lesotho’s bid to stabilise the country’s political environment is the National Legal Reforms programme rollout. The initiative was initially recommended by a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) commission of inquiry into circumstances that led to the killing of former Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) commander Lt General Maaparankoe Mahao in 2015. The project’s results thus far included a road map and national consultation on the National Reforms Commission Bill, which was set to guide the reforms process in the country that was regarded as instable and a threat to the region’s peace and economic development. The reforms project was being implemented under the watchful eye of the SADC Military Preventive Mission in the kingdom of Lesotho (SAPMIL). It was hoped that the project would not be threatened by elements within the LDF who had committed crimes against humanity during the tenure of office of the two coalition governments between the years 2012 to 2017. To date it is evident that the possibility of military rebellion was averted. Indicators in this regard include the arrest of the former LDF commander Lt. General Tlali Kennedy Kamoli together with some soldiers who were under his command, while on the other hand certain army personnel he had locked up for the alleged mutiny against him were released by the new coalition government. 40 So This is Democracy? 2017 While the reforms project was being rolled out, some leaders of the opposition remained in exile in neighbouring South Africa. These leaders, Mothejoa Metsing of the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) together with his Secretary General Ts’eliso Mokhosi, and Mathibeli Mokhothu, a Parliamentary head of the Democratic Congress (DC) were on record for insisting that they would not return home. In some quarters, the absence of these leaders was regarded as a blow to the reforms project as it would then fail to pass the test of inclusivity. In response to this, the government, backed by civil society organisations (CSOs) was negotiating the safe return of these exiled political leaders. MISA Lesotho regards the initiative as an opportunity to realise long-awaited media reforms but it came as a disappointment that the road map excluded media. In response MISA Lesotho worked to organise the media sector in order to actively lobby and advocate for the inclusion of media reforms in the national reforms project as recommended by SADC. The media has had to operate in this politically unstable environment and has not fared well. Journalists have been physically attacked, namely the editor of Lesotho Times, Lloyd Mutungamiri, was shot and injured while his colleague, Keiso Mohloboli, is in exile in South Africa. Blogger and University lecturer Mafa Sejanamane was also shot at, but was not injured. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Freedom of expression in the kingdom of Lesotho has been severely hampered by tumultuous events over the last few years.