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: 1.2 (2008 = 2.0 ; 2006 = 1.6) 1.8 Public information is easily accessible, guaranteed by law, to all citizens. In the mid-1990s, the Law Reform Commission drafted the Access and Receipt of Information Bill. However, governments that have been in power since then have refused to table the Bill in parliament, as they believe it to be “a waste of time”. As a result, “one has to apply illegal means to obtain information. ” “it is government information rather than public information” The current draft of the media policy seeks to promote access to information through the appointment of a government information officer responsible for providing journalists and the public with information. In recent years, government has become more proactive in releasing information to the public through the media, and most ministries have an information officer, albeit these officers holding relatively junior positions. Panellists felt that there is a lack of understanding on what constitutes “public information”. The culture within the civil service is to restrict the release of information based on the belief that “it is government information rather than public information.” Even when information is already in the public domain, civil servants are reluctant to release further details (e.g. the full version of a report cited in a newspaper article), arguing that they do not have the authority to provide such information. “There’s a whole culture of people not being able to define public information.” Panellists noted that there are no clear procedures for accessing information, and this allows government to continue to control the release of information. 18 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2010