LESOTHO

SUMMARY
Organisation
1.

Land Administration Authority

2.

Lesotho Electricity Company

3.

Lesotho Highlands Development Authority

4.

Lesotho Revenue Authority

5.

Ministry of Communications, Science and
Technology

6.

Ministry of Health

7.

National Manpower Development Secretariat

8.

National University of Lesotho

9.

Office of the Prime Minister

Website

Request for information

Total score

18

2

20

13

18

18

2

4

4

13

6

4

7

16

11

10. Water and Sewage Company

4

16

5

8

9

6

17

20

22

17

12

10

24

19

22

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.

19

Select target paragraph3